Author: Charlotte Lee

Before throwing you off the deep end, let’s go over some of the basic techniques of extrusion. Here’s how to create a simple extrusion in SketchUp: 

1. Start with a simple 2D shape, you should create this shape in SketchUp. You can choose a circle, a rectangle, a triangle, or any other shape that takes your fancy. 
2. Navigate to the toolbar on the left-hand side of the screen and select the Push/Pull tool. 
3. Go back to your previously drawn shape and click on its face and then drag the cursor either up or down. Your shape will then start to extrude along with your cursor in the direction you are pulling in. 
4. Once you are satisfied with your shape’s height, release your cursor. You now have a 3D model of your shape! 

Congratulations! You can now extrude 2D shapes to create a 3D version. 

Now you have mastered this skill, let’s move on to some more advanced techniques.

We start by arranging four essential V-Ray toolbars for easier access:

1. The first toolbar is packed with commonly used buttons for changing assets, rendering settings, and content library.
2. The V-Ray lights toolbar is your go-to for natural and artificial light settings.
3. The V-Ray objects toolbar contains V-Ray geometries.
4. The V-Ray utility toolbar has all the tools you need to explore the project and map the textures.

Open the Asset editor to configure V-Ray SketchUp exterior rendering settings. If you wish to add a new level of realism to the imagery, head over to Chaos Cosmos – an extensive library of materials and 3D assets.

Now it’s time to explore the tools for precise modelling:

• The Tape measure tool measures distances and sets guide points.
• The Protractor tool will help you measure angles
• The Measurement box will show you all the numbers you should know
• Line lets you connect segments
• The Erasers tool fixes errors
• Rectangle introduces rigid forms to the scene
• The Push/Pull feature lets you easily manage surfaces
• The Follow Me tool will extrude a shape along a connected line
• The Offset tool helps you manipulate what you made

The tool also gives you control over the rendering process. Use Image sampling tools to produce high-quality and accurate rendering scenes with the optimal usage of time and resources. 

As you finalise your rendering, check out the Interactive Rendering button and the V-Ray frame buffer to observe and adjust the final appearance of your render via Adjustment layers.

If you work with complex exterior projects, you might face some challenges. Luckily, SketchUp can help you with layer management and object grouping. Start by clearly defining the scope of your project and utilise the software to:

• Import reference images
• Focus on components, structures, and landscape elements
• Group elements 
• Organise elements via SketchUp’s Groups and Components feature
• Properly name Groups and Components
• Assign each element to the appropriate layer depending on function, visibility, or rendering phase
• Turn off unnecessary layers to avoid confusion
• Apply Tags to groups of components to easily navigate your view

Once you are done with your rendering, you’ll likely share it with other architects, designers, or clients. The SketchUp tutorials show an easy way of creating an animation of your exterior scene. You can export it in two ways, one for fast views and the second one for final production:

1. Set up the camera and animation setting
2. Enable the Animation slider in the Asset editor
3. Open V-Ray Vision for the preview
4. Head to Export settings to select a video or export each frame separately
5. Define a file type
6. Select the resolution mode from the project
7. Use any third-party software for presentation

Chaos Cloud is also a great platform to share your work, receive feedback and improve collaboration. It allows pinned comments and speeds up the review process.

Wondering how to smooth edges in SketchUp? The answer lies in two native SketchUp features:

1. Soften Edges – used to manipulate edges in a 3D model
2. Smoove – allows you to “deform” geometry

Use the Smooth Edges feature and enhance the visual appeal of a 3D model, such as a sitting area. Smoove is your best ally if you wish to add curvature or convert a series of edges into a curve for a terrain.

Remember, when you smooth and curve edges in SketchUp, they will remain visible but the faces will look smooth. These are the steps you’ll want to follow:

• Select the edges
• Open Soften Edges
• Drag the Angle Between Normals slider to set the number of angles

To employ the Smoove tool:

• Select the item
• Head over to Tools – Sandbox – Smoove
• The Smoove cursor will appear

Now, you can proceed to curve edges in SketchUp with a radius. Type in your desired number and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac). Set a centre point and type in a value to specify how far to offset the section.

Use Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to revert to the previous step. Spacebar will help you select sections, E is for Eraser, Q shortcut rotates objects, while A is for Arc.

SketchUp terrain plugins are simple to use:

• Sandbox Tools (contains Smoove tool) – creates terrain and topography in SketchUp or helps you import it
• From Contours – imports or lets you draw contour lines
• From Scratch – draws a grid for the terrain design
• Stamp – helps you place objects on terrain
• Drape – creates a flat surface, such as roads
• Follow Me tools – creates 3D shapes along a path

Once you are ready to do topography in SketchUp, start with the Sandbox Tool- you can then use From Contours to manipulate valleys and hills. The Smoove tool is among the most powerful SketchUp terrain plugins, ideal for adding texture to materials and managing terrain edges. Select the section of terrain, then head over to the Sandbox tool, select the Smoove tool, and set the right radius. 

Next, click on the geometry to ensure your proportions are correct, so you can present visual coherence in the design. Remember, SketchUp offers a great set of textures and materials you can use to accurately model terrain in SketchUp. Access this in the Material Picker section.

Head to the Layers panel to begin creating and managing layers. The Layers panel is located by choosing Window > Layers.

The default layer is called Layer 0. It’s important to remember this detail, as it’s the layer that should remain active at all times. The red pencil icon next to the layer shows you which one is active. 

Creating new layers: 

1. Select Add Layer at the bottom of the Layers panel (shown as the + icon).
2. Rename the new layer by double-clicking it – then press Enter.

Note: Use a descriptive name that makes sense with the object types you plan to assign to the layer. For example, you might name a layer containing headings – Headings.

1. To delete a layer, select the layer in the Layers panel and click the Delete Selected Layer icon (the – sign).

To assign an object to a layer:

1. Select the layer that you want to contain an object in the Layers panel.
2. Using the Select tool, choose the object you want to assign to the layer (a dot will appear next to the selected object’s current layer) by selecting it. 
3. Go ahead and choose the layer you want to assign the selected object to. 

To change layer properties:

1. Locate the layer you want to change in the Layers panel.
2. Click the eye icon next to the layer name to change the visibility of the layer.
3. Click the pencil icon next to the eye icon to change the selectability of the layer.
4. Click the colour box next to the layer name to change the colour of a layer.

To organise layers in a hierarchical structure:

1. Right-click in the Layers panel.
2. Select Add Layer Folder.
3. Name the folder.
4. Drag and drop existing layers into the folder to organise them. 

Note: You can also choose to nest folders within folders for a deeper hierarchy level of organisation.

Let’s now turn to the different layers in SketchUp, and what they do. 

Controlling visibility

The main function of layers is to control the visibility of objects assigned to them. Show or hide the objects assigned to that layer by toggling the visibility of a layer on or off. 

Locking

By locking a layer, you stop any accidental changes to the objects on that layer. For example, you may choose to lock layers with background elements that you don’t want to move in error while you’re working on other elements of your model. When a layer is locked, the closed padlock icon is displayed. 

Colour

You can change the colour of a layer, and it doesn’t affect the appearance of the contained objects. What it does is help you to visually differentiate layers for categorisation. Choose to assign colours to layers by importance or function, for example. 

To efficiently manage your layers in SketchUp, you can change a setting for multiple layers at once. To do this, select all the layers you want to change, and shift-click to select a range of adjacent layers.

For more in-depth information, check out the SketchUp tutorials. 

SketchUp didn’t limit the love to just searching for 3D models – materials are now searchable, filterable, and directly downloadable under the Materials tab in 3D Warehouse. You can now easily source material and texture swatches for use in SketchUp using keyword search. Simply type the name of the material into the search bar, and click the Materials tab. 

Access your favorites wherever work’s happening

Easily access your favorite products, models, catalogs, and collections across desktop, mobile, and web when you log in with your Trimble ID. When you launch 3D Warehouse from within a SketchUp project, all your curated content will be accessible for use right in your model, speeding up your workflow. 

In case you missed it

Here are two existing but powerful features you may have missed in 3D Warehouse: 

• Check out augmented reality viewing of lightweight models under 10MB and 200,000 polygons. 3D Warehouse automatically converts your creations into USD and GLB format and provides a shareable QR code. Help your audience experience your work using AR viewing on Android or iOS. No hyper-tech devices or model exports required.
• Filter product and model search results by file size, polygon count, and file type and tick specialty filters to zoom in on Dynamic Components, Live Components, or Geolocated models. 

Get started

Speed up your design process by discovering exactly what your project needs with the new 3D Warehouse, and cut out the confusion by communicating your true design intent to clients.

To navigate around 3D views using the Orbit tool in SketchUp, you need to orbit around the specific points of interest in your models. 

Once you’ve activated the Orbit tool via your chosen method, click on the object or point you want to orbit around – this is your pivot point. Try out different angles as you orbit by circling around your pivot point to view it from all sides. Use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the point for a closer look or a wider view. This method gives you a seamless way to move about in the 3D environment. 

Choosing to switch your pivot point while orbiting is simple – just click on a new point of interest to look at the different elements in your design. If you need to look at an object in more detail, simply adjust the orbit speed by dragging your mouse more slowly. A slow movement provides a gradual rotation – and a quicker one equals a quicker orbit. 

To gain greater accuracy, use the Shift key while using the mouse scroll wheel on your keyboard for vertical orbiting. Hold the Alt key down with the middle mouse button to both orbit and pan at the same time. This trick lets you adjust your view whilst keeping your pivot point intact. 

Here are some more ways to explore the various orbiting techniques:

Orbiting along specific axes

Experiment with orbiting around individual axes to gain a targeted view of your model.

Arcing orbits

• Arcing up and down: Gain an arching effect by combining both vertical and horizontal orbits to demonstrate curved structures.

Custom camera views

1. Orbit to your desired angle
2. Select “Camera” > “Standard Views” > “Add Scene.” 

Revisit this saved scene whenever you like. 

To create the most engaging animations in SketchUp, follow these best practice tips:

• Setting the animation’s purpose

Decide what your end goal is. Are you looking to explain a design concept or unpick a complex procedure? Defining your animation’s purpose helps you get across your design intent to your audience and stakeholders. 

• Planning camera movements 

Try different camera angles, paths, perspectives, and paths to determine the best camera movements to make the viewer’s experience as immersive as possible. For example, if you plan to evoke excitement, try using a quick zoom camera angle. 

• Starting and ending points

It’s important to decide where your animation begins and ends, so set the initial camera position and angle to begin a scene. Your endpoint should illustrate an appropriate conclusion to your scene. 

• Adjusting timings 

Different timings offer a variety of options – such as slowing down the animation to enable viewers to appreciate crucial steps. Work your timings strategically to match your design narrative.

• Incorporating additional elements

Realistic lighting, textures, and different materials all provide emphasis to your scenes. You can introduce the Twilight Render plugin to help you to achieve these effects. 

• Considering file sizes

Your file size and rendering time greatly impact your animations. Think about reducing file sizes to make it easier to share your animations across various online mediums – such as email or via cloud-based platforms.  

• Incorporating feedback

When you’re ready, be sure to share your animations with others to garner feedback. It’s crucial to have outside opinions on your designs for ongoing iterations. 

Once you’re ready to render water with SketchUp and V-Ray, launch the software, ensure all the menus are there and proceed to:

1. Import scene
2. Apply water material from the V-Ray Asset Editor
3. Use Texture Placement to manipulate the position
4. Adjust the Reflection and Refraction parameters
5. Adjust Environment
6. Adjust the depth, colour, and opacity for a convincing water effect

Use the Caustics simulation feature for water transparency, reflection, refraction, and other water properties. 

Experiment with camera angles and note that the absorption distance parameters change how light interacts with water. Use the Displacement map from the Asset Editor to generate detailed, realistic water textures.

Pay attention to the surroundings when you apply water reflection in V-Ray. Set up proper lighting setups, time of the day, and weather to enhance realism and create the desired atmosphere. Furthermore, add landscape and architectural elements to improve the balance of your design.

Here’s how to organise a walkthrough of a SketchUp model:

• Click the Position Camera tool 
• Set viewing height at eye level (type the height value on the keyboard)
• Place the Camera, focus on a specific point
• Wait for the Look Around to activate
• Move the camera with the Look Around tool 
• Use the Walk tool to move the Camera in different directions (click and drag the cursor)

All the tools you need to create a walkthrough in SketchUp are clustered in the Camera menu, Camera toolbar (Windows) or Navigation Tools (Mac) and Large tool set. 

Walkthroughs work best when the Camera has a wide field of view. To change it, select the Zoom tool, press the Z key or go to Camera – Field of view in the Menu bar. Type a value in degrees and millimetres; “deg” will set a degree field and “mm” will set the focal length of the camera.

The Measurement box is automatically set to accept height value, so you can just type it in. The Camera will be oriented toward the north (top of the screen) by default, so you’ll want to click and hold the mouse where you want to position it. Once you’re in the Walk mode, you can switch to Look around by clicking and holding the scroll wheel.

Refine your SketchUp walkthrough even more with scene transitions, annotations, and text which will guide the viewers. Find the scene transitions in the View – Animation – Settings section. If you’re looking for a smooth animation, set the scene delay to 0 seconds.

Add text to your scenes by creating a layer for each scene and adding the comment to a layer you’ll show. Alternatively, group comments and use the Outliner tool to control their visibility.