Taking SketchUp Pro to the Next Level: Go beyond the basics and develop custom 3D modeling workflows to become a SketchUp ninja
- Length: 444 pages
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- Publisher: Packt Publishing
- Publication Date: 2022-09-28
- ISBN-10: 1803242698
- ISBN-13: 9781803242699
- Sales Rank: #118747 (See Top 100 Books)
Create beautiful custom materials and leverage powerful extensions for efficient modeling
Key Features
- Understand how to get the most out of SketchUp’s powerful native tools with key images printed in color
- Customize and transform your workspace for efficient 3D modeling
- Go beyond SketchUp’s capabilities with extensions and free online resources
Book Description
Anyone who’s worked with it will know that SketchUp is the quickest and easiest way to create 3D models. While its approachable interface makes it super easy to learn, this book will show you how the extremely capable SketchUp software can take you far beyond what you may have initially thought possible. Get ready to level up from a basic user to becoming a SketchUp ninja!
Each chapter will take you through the capabilities of SketchUp, challenging you to use tools in innovative ways. This includes organizing your model, modifying native commands, customizing your interface, utilizing inferencing, and much more. Additionally, you’ll learn about the extensions that can be added to SketchUp to supplement the tools you have been using, allowing you to make your 3D modeling process quicker, easier, and more powerful.
By the end of this SketchUp book, you’ll have an enhanced understanding of how to use the impressive range of tools and be on your way to customizing SketchUp for your one-of-a-kind workflow.
What you will learn
- Recap the basics of navigation and SketchUp’s native modeling tools
- Modify commands, toolbars, and shortcuts to improve your modeling efficiency
- Use default templates, as well as create custom templates
- Organize your models with groups, components, tags, and scenes
- Analyze your own modeling workflow and understand how to improve it
- Discover extensions and online repositories that unlock the advanced capabilities of SketchUp
- Leverage your existing SketchUp Pro subscription for even better results
Who this book is for
This book is for designers, architects, and professional modelers who have used SketchUp before, perhaps self-taught, or have completed software training but find themselves needing more than just the basics from SketchUp. The book assumes that you have spent some time in SketchUp and have basic modeling experience.
Taking SketchUp Pro to the Next Level Contributors About the author About the reviewer Preface Who this book is for What this book covers To get the most out of this book Download the color images Conventions used Get in touch Part 1: Getting More Out of Native Tools Chapter 1: Reviewing the Basics Technical requirements Navigating in SketchUp Navigating with the Orbit, Zoom, and Pan icons Navigating with a touchpad Navigating with a three-button mouse The best way to navigate in SketchUp Exploring edges and faces Edges are lines, right? Edges in arcs and circles Welding edges Face or a surface? Crossing faces Getting more out of Move More to Move than you remember Copies and arrays Radial arrays Deforming geometry Diving deep into Follow Me Follow Me and groups Turning shapes with Follow Me Summary Chapter 2: Organizing Your 3D Model Technical requirements Mastering Groups and Components Starting with Groups Groups versus Components Nesting Groups and Components Getting more out of tags Understanding the Outliner Using scenes for more than appearances Removing model excess Optimizing geometry Optimizing materials Extra Components, styles, and materials Using visibility commands Visibility while editing Objects Hiding things from yourself Seeing the invisible Summary Chapter 3: Modifying Native Commands Technical requirements Using modifiers The modifier keys Modifying Select Using drawing modifiers Line Freehand Arc/2-Point Arc/3-Point Arc/Pie Rectangle Rotated Rectangle Circle Polygon Modifying tools Eraser Paint Bucket Tag Move Rotate Scale Push/Pull Follow Me Offset Tape Measure/Protractor Axes Section Plane Reviewing the commands and tools Summary Chapter 4: Taking Inferencing to the Next Level Technical requirements Inputting with inferencing Axes colors Locking axes’ inferences Leaving the axes Snap points Projected inferencing Inferencing planes Inferencing and tools Moving and inferencing Using inferencing with objects Summary Chapter 5: Creating Beautiful Custom Materials Technical requirements Importing images for custom materials What makes a good material? Seamless images Importing files as textures Organizing and applying custom materials Creating custom material lists Moving custom materials Deforming textures Modifying textures Applying materials to curves Projecting materials Wrapping with a material Avoiding common mistakes with materials Relying on materials to add all the details Import as a texture Import proper-sized files Apply to the outside Orient materials Take a picture Don’t use materials at all Summary Part 2: Customizing SketchUp and Making It Your Own Chapter 6: Knowing What You Need Out of SketchUp Technical requirements Identifying what you are modeling now Why are you using SketchUp? How are you using SketchUp? What tools are you using in SketchUp? What is your SketchUp workflow? Discovering what you will be modeling next Do you want to model something new? What new skills or tools do you need to know? What would a new workflow look like? Establishing your goal Identify new skills Make a plan to learn new skills Implement your plan Finding time as a professional modeler Summary Chapter 7: Creating Custom Shortcuts Technical requirements Discovering shortcuts Discovering the defaults Learning how to create custom shortcuts Identifying which commands need shortcuts Groups of commands Modified commands Commands ready for shortcuts Figuring out what keys to use for shortcuts Assigning shortcuts based on mnemonics Assigning shortcuts based on location Which is the best? Summary Chapter 8: Customizing Your User Interface Technical requirements Reviewing screen layout Operating system Monitor(s) Deciding how many toolbars are needed Using Windows toolbars Using macOS toolbars Picking your toolbars Setting up trays and dialogs SketchUp for Windows trays SketchUp for macOS dialogs The ideal tray/dialog setup Organizing a custom UI Extension toolbars in SketchUp for Windows Extension toolbars in SketchUp for macOS Custom extensions UI Creating a next-level workspace Where is your workspace? What is the most important UI for your workflow? One workspace or two? Or three? Summary Chapter 9: Taking Advantage of Templates Technical requirements Understanding what makes up templates Contents of a template Exploring the default templates Simple template Architectural template Plan View template Urban Planning template Landscape template Woodworking template Interiors template 3D Printing template Deciding what templates to create Modifying default templates Customizing your templates Creating and maintaining custom templates Deleting and renaming templates Summary Chapter 10: Hardware to Make You a More Efficient Modeler Technical requirements Mice Basic 3-button mice Programmable mice Mouse gestures Author’s recommendation Monitors Video cards Laptop displays Picking out a monitor Author’s recommendation Keyboards Tenkey keyboards Customizable keypads Virtual keyboards Author’s recommendation Tablets Advantages of a tablet Disadvantages of tablets Picking a tablet Author’s recommendation 3D Mice Multitasking Smooth camera moves Customization Choosing a 3D mouse Author’s recommendation Summary Part 3: Extending SketchUp’s Capabilities for Modeling Chapter 11: What Are Extensions? Technical requirements Learning the basics of extensions A brief history of extending SketchUp Writing software that runs inside of SketchUp A community of extension developers Are extensions safe? Where to find extensions Installing extensions Installing an .exe or .dmg file Installing a .rbz file Installing a .rb file Using extensions Extension toolbars Extensions in the Extensions menu Extensions in the Tools menu Extensions in the context menu Finding extensions after installing them Assigning shortcuts to extensions Summary Chapter 12: Using 3D Warehouse and Extension Warehouse Technical requirements Understanding the two warehouses Extension Warehouse 3D Warehouse Logging into the warehouses Sign in options What is a Trimble ID? Logging in to a warehouse Creating a Trimble ID Troubleshooting Searching Extension Warehouse Extension Warehouse in a web browser Extension Warehouse in SketchUp My Downloads Extension Manager Finding things in 3D Warehouse Using 3D Warehouse in a web browser Using 3D Warehouse in SketchUp Using 3D Warehouse models Reviewing (and fixing) 3D Warehouse models Summary Chapter 13: Must-Have Extensions for Any Workflow Technical requirements Selection Toys from Thomthom Selection Toys overview Installing Selection Toys Using Selection Toys Bezier Curve Tool from the SketchUp Team Bezier Curve Tool overview Installing Bezier Curve Tool Using Bezier Curve Tool Curic Mirror from Curic Curic Mirror overview Installing Curic Mirror Using Curic Mirror adebeo_pushline from Denis B adebeo_pushline overview Installing adebeo_pushline Using adebeo_pushline Exploring additional extensions Solid Inspector from Thomthom FredoScale from Fredo6 Artisan from mind.sight.studio Skatter from Lindale Medeek Wall from Medeek Architextures from Architextures Eneroth Auto Weld from Eneroth3 Transmutr from Lindale Vertex Tools from Thomthom Profile Builder 3 from mind.sight.studio Summary Chapter 14: Introduction to LayOut Technical requirements Introducing LayOut Preparing a SketchUp model for LayOut Scenes Tags Sections Parallel Projection or Perspective Styles Using LayOut with SketchUp models SketchUp file linking The SketchUp Model panel Adding detail to a LayOut document Toolbar Menus Panels Using LayOut’s tools and panels Generating output Generating printed drawings Generating digital drawings Generating file exports Summary Chapter 15: Leveraging the SketchUp Ecosystem Technical requirements Using SketchUp viewers SketchUp Viewer for Windows or macOS SketchUp Viewer for iOS and Android SketchUp Viewer for VR/AR headsets Trying Trimble Connect File sharing Collaborative design File conversion Exploring SketchUp online SketchUp for the web toolbar SketchUp for the web menu SketchUp for the web panels No extensions How is SketchUp for the web similar to SketchUp Pro? Should you use SketchUp for the web? Using SketchUp on an iPad SketchUp for iPad toolbar SketchUp for iPad menu SketchUp for iPad panels SketchUp for iPad input methods Features only available on SketchUp for iPad Is there a downside to SketchUp for iPad? Finding additional resources Forums YouTube channels Online training Summary Index Why subscribe? Other Books You May Enjoy Packt is searching for authors like you
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