Introduction to Google SketchUp

Transcription

1 Introduction to Google SketchUp When initially opening SketchUp, it will be useful to select the Google Earth Modelling Meters option from the initial menu. If this menu doesn t appear, the same option can be selected from the >Window > Preferences menu. It is worth noting at this point that the 3-way axes represent width and length (red & green lines) as well as height (blue). It is easiest to start working on the floor between the red & green lines. At several points during the use of the program it will be necessary to use the navigation controls: orbits and rotates the image; moves the image; zooms the image (using up mouse movement to zoom in, down mouse movement to zoom out) Draw a simple rectangle, using the coloured lines to guide the work. It is easiest to start at the origin and draw along one line. Click again and now start to draw in the perpendicular line. If you start running alone the red line, then when drawing the perpendicular line, it will turn green when you are exactly parallel with the green axis. This is important to get a correct rectangle. Now repeat the step to construct the third and then fourth sides. The shape is unlikely to look rectangular when viewed from this angle, but as long as the lines were shining red and green at the correct times, the shape is correct.

2 Now the shape can be pulled into 3D using the pull-up tool: Simply click on the tool, click on the rectangle, and then pull the surface upwards to form a cuboid: Once you have reached a suitable height, it is possible to add a pitched roof, by finding the midpoint of one end of the cuboid, and drawing a vertical line to mark the centre of the pitch. The mid-point is highlighted with a blue circle. From here a vertical line can be drawn. The line can be kept perfectly vertical by ensuring that it stays blue, in keeping with the vertical axis. Once the desired height is reached, a new line is drawn: Now that this line is drawn, the slopes of the gable end can be drawn in, joining the end of the blue line to the vertices of the cuboid:

3 Once the gable end is constructed, the original mid-point pitch line is no longer needed. It can be removed using the eraser tool: Now, once more, the pull-up tool can be used, but this time to pull the triangular gable horizontally along the length of the house to create the rooftop. It may be necessary to rotate the screen image to access this: A 3D house shape has now been constructed. Students may experiment with using surface textures ( ) to add brickwork and tiling, etc. Or even use the square tool along with textures to create windows:

4 Using fixed measurements To use a fixed measurement, instead of dragging a line, edge, or pull-up shape to a point, pull it up to an estimated height, but releasing the mouse button, type on the keyboard an appropriate measurement, e.g. to create a line that's 40 metres long, begin to draw out the line, and before releasing the mouse button, on the keyboard type: This will automatically plot the line at 40 metres. This can also be used to drag pull-ups to an exact height. An activity for the children Use Sketchup to model three different designs of house using these fixed measurements, then use visual examination to decide which is the most realistic set of measurements. House 1 House 2 House 3 Base length 40 metres 20 metres 30 metres Base width 10 metres 20 metres 20 metres Cuboid height 10 metres 20 metres 18 metres Pitch height 10 metres 20 metres 8 metres All are viable house sizes, but the most realistic is house 3.

5 Importing Google Earth Mapping To import a Google Earth image into SketchUp, you must have both programs open at the same time. First, using Google Earth, locate the section of land you re interested in, zooming to a scale where the location fits the screen. Leave Google Earth open, but now using SketchUp, click on the Get Current View button: The software will jump between Google Earth and SketchUp once or twice, before printing a black and white image of the Google Earth mapping on the ground surface of the SketchUp image: You can now create your model at the correct scale on top of the land-plot: You can export your model back to the local installation of Google Earth using the Export button: