Google SketchUp® for Interior Design & Space Planning

Training Course 2

Acquiring Intermediate Skills

2nd Edition

Adriana Granados

2011

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Adriana Granados

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About the Author Adriana Granados has a degree in architecture from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; an interior design degree awarded by the Universidad Popular de Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and completed doctoral studies at the Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya, in Barcelona, Spain. For several years she was the Latin American support for different software programs related to architecture and interior design. She worked as project manager being in charge of quality control in the drawing area of an outsourcing company. She trained for years hundreds of people in the use of different architecture software. She has taught several courses at college level on the use of SketchUp applied to interior design.

Acknowledgement Thank you to Michael Dugas and Jo Dawson for helping me prepare this manual. Michael drew on his experience in renovation and his studies in the Interior Design program at Salem College to help me with accuracy and accessibility in both the text and the illustrations. Jo, a longtime newspaper copy editor aware that English is not my mother language, helped me present my ideas and instructions clearly and succinctly.

Preface Google SketchUp® brings together several important features for people who want to venture into the use of design software. It offers a short learning curve, gratifying results right away, low cost of investment in training and in software, and an open platform that provides libraries of all types. Much has been written for using Google SketchUp® in the building shell and its relationship to the environment or the site. Less help has been provided to interior designers who work every day with materials, textures, lights and colors. Students need to know the available tools and how they can apply them in specific cases to a particular discipline. Fundamental concepts, ideas on how to create objects and interior spaces, tips and practical exercises are what this book offers. Rather than endless lines of explanatory text this hands-on book is a compendium of practical exercises that lead students to learn SketchUp from the perspective of the interior designer. This book focuses on the fundamentals for the interior design field and promotes independent study. It offers four separate courses progressing in complexity. They can be read as one source or be consulted separately for those who already have experience with Google SketchUp®. At the end of every course you will find practical exercises that will broaden your experience in the acquired knowledge. These resources enable students to think about how the knowledge can be applied to any situation. On-line videos reinforce the concepts. At the end of the four courses you will be able to express your ideas to others in a more efficient and attractive way. Illustrating the “feel and look” of a space will allow others to understand what you have in mind and will help you in your career success.

Copyright © 2011, 2010 by Adriana Granados. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any forms or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Adriana Granados, 3033 Kinnamon Rd, Winston Salem, NC 27104, (336)4139907.

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Training Course 1. Developing Basic Skills

If you are new in the use of SketchUp, going through the basic course exercises will allow you to draw, edit and manipulate various elements. This course may be applied to any discipline, but all exercises are designed especially for interior designers, stage designers, and space planning focusing on the tools required to use SketchUp in those fields. With the acquired information students should be able to evaluate the limitations and capabilities of Google SketchUp® and decide whether if it is suitable for their goals.

Training Course 2. Acquiring Intermediate Skills

Learn how to stay organized in SketchUp by using groups, components and layers. Learn how to control your model through the Outliner and access to the 3D Warehouse.

Training Course 3. Materials and textures, the key for interior design

Learn to apply materials, textures, and use pictures and components. Create new materials from any picture or swatch that you might have. You will learn to create your own libraries of materials and textures, and to modify colors and scales. Real word textures will be used for finishing, carpets, upholstery and curtains.

Training Course 4. How to communicate your ideas in a convincing way

Working with SketchUp interior models is completely different from creating models that can be seen only from the outside. You will learn how to show interior spaces by using various styles and sections, and by bringing in shadows and lighting. You will learn how to use scenes and, animations, export images, print perspectives and drawings in scale, export files to other programs, and import Autocad® files.

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Table of Contents

Training Course 2. Acquiring Intermediate Skills

5. How to stay organized in SketchUp

5.1 Creating groups…………………………………………………………………………. 10 5.1.1 Sticking and unsticking 10 5.1.2 To create a group 11 5.1.3 Explode groups 12 5.1.4 Editing a group 12 5.1.5 Making groups inside other groups 13 5.1.6 Use groups for cutting other surfaces 15

5.2 Creating components……………………………………………………………………. 16 5.2.1 To create a component and making multiple copies 17 5.2.2 Editing a component 19 5.2.3 Making a component unique 20 5.2.4 Exploring the Components Dialog Box. Your Model Library. 21 5.2.5 Making your own doors and windows and inserting them into a thick wall 23 5.2.6 Hiding a component 25 5.2.7 Placing the component on a two-faces wall 26 5.2.8 Saving your component 28 5.2.9 Creating your own collection for future use 28 5.2.10 Creating symmetric components 29 5.2.11 Exploring the Components Dialog box. Get Models from the 3D Warehouse 34 5.2.12 Scaling components 36 5.2.13 Dynamic components 36

5.3 The Outliner. Keeping your groups and components organized………………………… 40 5.3.1 Finding and selecting objects 41 5.3.2 Using the Outliner to control visibility 41 5.3.3 Changing the nesting order 42 5.3.4 Naming groups and components within the outliner 43

5.4 Layers …………………………………………………………………………………. 43 5.4.1 Creating additional layers 44 5.4.2 Moving geometry between layers 44 5.4.3 Controlling the visibility of layers 45 5.4.4 Keeping track of layers with color 45

5.5 Solids …………………………………………………………………………………. 45

Practice Chapter 5………………………………………………………………………...………45

1. Draw a coffee table 48 2. Create a wall niche 52 3. Create an art gallery 55 4. Using Follow Me inside a group 67

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Other available training courses

Training Course 1. Developing Basic Skills 1. How to start using SketchUp

1.1 Tour and tools overview

2. How to begin to draw in 2 dimensions 2.1 Drawing a single straight line 2.2 Inference

2.2.1 Inference Cues 2.2.2 Linear Inference 2.2.3 Point Inference

2.3 Drawing a rectangle with single straight line 2.4 Using the Erasing Tool 2.5 Using the Undo and Redo Tools 2.6 Selecting one element and various elements at the same time

2.6.1 Adding and subtracting from a selection set 2.6.2 Adding to the selection set 2.6.3 Changing selection status for an entity (Shift) 2.6.4 Subtracting from the selection set 2.6.5 Selecting multiple entities

2.7 Drawing with the Rectangle Tool 2.8 Changing axes to draw elements not parallel to green and red direction. 2.9 Drawing a square. 2.10 Drawing a circle and a polygon 2.11 Drawing an arc 2.12 Freehand tool

Practice Chapter 2

1. Draw a sofa in top view 2. Draw a rectangular table in top view 3. Draw a hexagonal table in top view

3. How to draw in 3 dimensions 3.1 Views 3.2 Drawing in 3 dimensions and using the Blue Direction 3.3 Locking an inference

3.3.1 Forcing an Inference Direction. 3.4 Drawing a box with Push/Pull Tool 3.5 Creating Voids with Push/Pull 3.6 Copying with Pull/Push Tool. Creating a new Push/Pull starting face 3.7 Repeating a Pull/Push operation with the same dimension. 3.8 3D inferences 3.9 The camera Tools: Orbit, Pan, Zoom, Zoom Extend, Zoom Window, Previous, Next, Field of View, Focal

Length 3.9.1 Orbit tool, Zoom Previous /Next 3.9.2 Orbiting with a three button mouse 3.9.3 Pan tool 3.9.4 Panning with a three-button mouse 3.9.5 Zoom tool 3.9.6 Zooming with a three-button mouse

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3.9.7 Centering the point of view 3.9.8 Changing field of view 3.9.9 Changing focal length with the Zoom Tool 3.9.10 Zoom Window Tool 3.9.11 Zoom Extents Tool

3.10 Selecting an edge, a face and many objects at the same time 3.10.1 Selecting connected entities using the Select context-menu item 3.10.2 Adding and subtracting from a selection set 3.10.3 Changing selection status for an entity (Shift) 3.10.4 Subtracting from the selection set

3.11 Follow me 3.11.1 Follow Me on a face 3.11.2 Manually extruding a face along a path 3.11.3 Follow Me by pre-selecting edges

3.12 Offset 3.12.1 Offsetting a face 3.12.2 Offsetting lines 3.12.3 Repeating an offset with the same distance

Practice Chapter 3

1. Draw a bookcase 2. Draw an ottoman 3. Draw a rectangular table with rounded base

4. How to manipulate objects in SketchUp 4.1 Tape Measure Tool

4.1.1 Measuring distances 4.1.2 Create guide lines and guide points 4.1.3 Scale a model 4.1.4 Lock a measuring line to a specific inference direction

4.2 Protractor Tool 4.2.1 To create angled guide lines 4.2.2 Measure an angle

4.3 Move Tool 4.3.1 Move the object 4.3.2 Move an edge or single entity 4.3.3 Moving several entities 4.3.4 Move vertices 4.3.5 Moving or stretching with Autofold 4.3.6 Forcing Autofold Behavior 4.3.7 Locking a move to the current inference direction 4.3.8 Locking a line to a specific inference direction 4.3.9 Resizing curves with the Move Tool

4.4 Use Move Tool to copy 4.4.1 Linear arrays 4.4.2 Creating copies at an equal distance apart

4.5 Rotate Tool 4.5.1 Rotation with Autofold 4.5.2 Making rotated copies 4.5.3 Defining a non standard rotation axis

4.6 Scale Tool 4.6.1 How to scale geometry 4.6.2 Mirroring geometry using the Scale tool

4.7 Divide

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4.7.1 Dividing a line or arc into equal segments 4.7.2 Splitting a line

4.8 Intersect with Model

Practice Chapter 4

1. Create a room with an open door, window and opening 2. Create a wainscoting and a crown molding 3. Create a lamp with a spherical base 4. Create a chair layout for a conference room 5. Create a Queen Ann leg

Training Course 3. Materials and textures, the key for interior design

6. How to apply materials and textures 6.1 Painting Faces with colors 6.2 Editing a color 6.3 Painting Faces with textures and apply Fill options 6.4 Sampling a material 6.5 Changing a face material from the Entity Information window 6.6 Using images 6.7 Using images to create textures 6.8 Creating a new material 6.9 Save a texture for future use in other models 6.10 Texture position

6.10.1 Repositioning 6.10.2 Manipulating a material using Fixed Pin mode 6.10.3 Manipulating a material using Free Pin mode 6.10.4 Positioning a texture on a curved face

6.11 Changing a texture on your graphic editor 6.12 Changing a texture of only one face 6.13 How to get more material collections 6.14 Translucent materials 6.15 Double-sided faces 6.16 Painting groups and components 6.17 Using images for Face-Camera components 6.18 Using images with a transparent background for Face-Camera components 6.19 Match Photo

Practice Chapter 6

1. Applying a tile at an angle and changing the size 2. Curtain texture position with free pins 3. Project a texture on the curved surfaces of an ottoman

Training Course 4. Communicating and sharing your ideas in a convincing way

7. How to work in interior spaces and present your work in different styles. 7.1 Styles Browser 7.2 Select tab. Pre-defined Styles 7.3 Edit tab

7.3.1 Edge Settings 7.3.2 Face Settings 7.3.3 Background settings

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7.3.4 Watermark settings

8. How to manipulate your point of view 8.1 Camera at eye level 8.2 Look Around 8.3 Positioning the Camera Using Specific Target Points 8.4 Walk tool

9. How to reach the inside of your model and create sections 9.1 Basics of Section tool 9.2 Simultaneous section cuts

10. How to save particular views of your model 10. Scenes 10.1 Assigning styles to scenes and show different options through layers 10.2 Updating a scene from the tab 10.3 Changing a style assigned to a scene

11. How to insert dimensions, texts and get information of your model 11.1 Model Info dialog box 11.2 Setting dimensions styles 11.2.1 Inserting Dimensions 11.3 Text tool

11.3.1 Creating and placing leader text 11.3.2 Creating and placing screen text 11.3.3 Editing Text 11.3.4 3D Text

12. How to incorporate shadows 12.1 Doing a shadow study 12.2 How to work with light and shadows in an interior space.

13. How to create an animation

13.1 Creating Animations 13.2 Exporting Animations

Practice Chapter 7 to 13

1. Create a floor plan using section planes 2. Create a cross section using section planes 3. Create an interior perspective 4. Allow shadows and sun light to come in through the window 5. Create an animation

14. How to print your work and share it 14.1 Basic steps to print on Microsoft Windows 14.2 Basic steps to print on Mac OS X 14.3 Printing to scale on Windows 14.4 Printing to scale on Mac 14.5 Tiled sheet print range 14.6 2-D section slice only 14.7 Use High Accuracy HLR 14.8 Exporting files to other programs

14.8.1 Exporting animations 14.9 Exporting a PDF file

14.9.1 Exporting a PDF file (Microsoft Windows)

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14.9.2. Exporting a PDF file (Mac OS X) 14.10 Exporting Image files (Microsoft Windows) 14.11 Exporting 2D DWG or DXF Files 14.12 Importing files

14.12.1 Importing an Autocad® file

15. Final Exercise. Two-story apartment 1. Create the first floor slab 2. Create the first floor walls 3. Create the second floor slab 4. Create the second floor walls 5. Create the stair 6. Insert windows and doors on first and second floors. Complete interior walls on the first floor 7. Create the ceiling and a roof 8. Reaching the inside with a section

Training Course 2 - Acquiring Intermediate Skills

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Chapter 5. How to stay organized in SketchUp Objectives

When you have completed this chapter you will be able to

Work with groups, components and layers and manage the Outliner. Use the following commands and tools: Create Groups, create Components, Edit groups and components, Make

Unique, 3D Warehouse, Hide, Save a component, Create a collection, Purge unused, Scale components, Dynamic components, Intersect with Model, Interact tool, Outliner, Move, Select, Explode, Arc, Line, Circle, Rectangle, Follow Me, Pull/Push, Orbit, Polygon, Erase.

One of the strengths of SketchUp is the way it allows users to maintain the geometry of a model under control. Having a disorganized model can be a real headache and can even cause the computer to operate very slowly. There are four indispensable tools if you wish to reach a good end: Groups, Components, Outliner and Layers.

5.1 Creating groups

Groups are used to glue some geometry together. Groups behave as a model inside another model, which makes them easier to select, move or hide. They are usually used for combining several objects into a single one. Each group adds to the file size, as they do not refer to any other source as components do. Making a group is fast and you do not need to specify any future behavior. They have the ability to cut holes on faces as well to align and stick on them. Groups can be named and are listed on the Outliner.

Use groups to make a single object that will not be used in the future or, if you need just an instance of the geometry, to manipulate a set of faces and edges in one operation, to protect an object to be changed by adjacent geometry or to avoid an object get stuck. 5.1.1 Sticking and Unsticking

1. Open a new file. On your own, draw two boxes of any size.

2. Click on the Select tool. Click three times on one box.

3. Select the Move tool and select the midpoint of the bottom line as the starting point. 4. Proceed to move it to the back midpoint of the second box. Click once.

(1)

(2)

(3) (4) 5. Click once again, being sure that the first box is still selected. 6. Force the inference in blue direction by pressing the Up arrow on your keyboard. 7. Move the upper box in the blue direction. Autofold will be activated and all the faces converging at the same edge

will be reformed to keep them together.

Training Course 2 - Acquiring Intermediate Skills

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(5) (6) (7)

You are going to rotate the cylinder around the red axis to place it perpendicular to the rounded wall.

8. Select the Move tool and place your cursor until the protractor aligned with the green-blue plane appears. 9. Rotate the cylinder so that it is in a horizontal position using the red crosses shown on the protractor. 10. Move the group to place it in the middle of the wall as shown. You can help yourself by placing it on the face of the

wall and then moving it on the green axis. You can also use the top view or front view to place it correctly.

11. Select the cylinder. 12. Right-click/Intersect/Intersect with Model. The intersection of the two geometries will be drawn. Erase the group

by selecting it and pressing the Delete key. You can also delete the front and back faces of the resulting intersections to get an opening through the curved wall.

(9) (10) (12) (12) Note: One thing is important to know about the intersect tool; it always creates the new lines (edges of newly created geometry if you wish) in the same context you are in. So if you have two components (or groups) and you are doing the intersection from outside both, the lines will be outside and therefore will not affect the faces you actually want to intersect. 5.2 Creating components

The use of components is extremely important in SketchUp. In some ways components are groups that have extra properties. As groups, components do not stick to the rest of your model; you can give them names, move them or edit them. Creating a component from any entities makes it easy to use the component again in your model, as well as to use it in other models. If you are repeating an entity in your model, for example, a chair, basing them all on a component makes your model more efficient. In addition, you can change all the iterations of the component in a model by changing just one instance of the component. You can also use components to count quantities, or replace them with another type of component (one window type for another one). Components can be created to cut openings. Note, however, that components can cut only a single face. If you have a wall two faces thick, extra steps must be made to cut the second face.

Adriana Granados

Much has been written for using Google SketchUp in the building shell andits relationship to the environment or the site. Less help has been provid-ed to interior designers who work every day with materials, textures, lightsand colors. Students need to know the available tools and how they canapply them in specific cases to this particular discipline. Fundamentalconcepts, ideas on how to create objects and interior spaces, tips andpractical exercises are what this book offers. Rather than endless lines ofexplanatory text this hands-on book is a compendium of practical exercis-es that lead students to learn SketchUp from the perspective of the interiordesigner.This book focuses on the fundamentals for the interior design field andpromotes independent study. A series of four books offer separate coursesprogressing in complexity. At the end of every course you will find practi-cal exercises that will broaden your experience in the acquired knowledge.These resources enable students to think about how the knowledge can beapplied to any situation. At the end of the four courses you will be able toexpress your ideas to others in a more efficient and attractive way.“Training Course 2. Acquiring Intermediate Skills” may be applied to anydiscipline, but all exercises are designed especially for interior designers,stage designers and space planning focusing on the tools required to useSketchUp in those fields. One of the strengths of SketchUp is the way itallows users to maintain the geometry of a model under control. Having adisorganized model can be a real headache and can even cause the com-puter to operate very slowly. There are four indispensable tools if you wishto reach a good end: Groups, Components, Outliner and Layers.Learn how to stay organized in SketchUp by using these tools. Learn howto control your model through the Outliner and access to the 3D Ware-house.

http://books.sketchucation.com/