, Sweet Home 3D, Color Style Studio, IKEA Home Planner and, in fact, Google SketchUp.
In a nutshell, I'll tell you what kind of product Google SketchUp 8 is a program for working with 3D - models: they can be created, edited, imported, etc. The program is often used to create interior design.
It is quite easy to learn how to work in the program, you only need to find a few lessons, be patient and imaginative and start creating. I can please you, you won't have to look for lessons, I will present 4 video lessons right here, moreover, in Russian.
If you have not yet installed the Google SketchUp program, you can download it directly from our website by clicking on the following Google SketchUp download link. Since both architects and interior designers and landscape designers can work in SketchUp, you can download from our website additional sets components such as:
- Architecture (723 components)
- Construction (797 components)
- Filmmaking (107 components)
- Landscaping (583 components)
- People (166 components)
- Symbols (26 components)
- Transport (48 components)
- Bonus set of materials (626 components)
These kits contain ready-made pre-drawn models of various objects: furniture, cars, trees... You can use them in your models to save time.
Having learned the basics of working in the program, you will be able to create such amazing things, such as:
And now let's move on to the most important thing: where to start working in the program.
To get started, you can check out the SketchUp Getting Started Guide on the official website.
Also great helper there will be a reference card. With its help you can study keyboard shortcuts on the main menu items.
Interactive Google SketchUp lessons in Russian
In Google SketchUp 8, the Help menu has interactive step by step guides but they are on English language as well as lessons on the official website Google... I suggest downloading the same lessons from our site, only in Russian. It is very easy to learn how to draw in Google SketchUp with these tutorials.
And now an overview: Video - Google SketchUp tutorials.
First lesson
This lesson covers the following topics:
- Launching SketchUp and choosing a template;
- Basic tools for drawing and 3D modeling:
- line;
- rectangle;
- circle;
- "Push-Pull" (Push / Pull) - a tool for "extrusion" from flat surfaces;
- eraser.
- Principles of working with basic drawing tools;
- Navigation in SketchUp. Navigation tools:
- "Orbit" for flying around the model;
- "Foot" for moving along the model;
- "Zoom" to approach or move away from the model;
- Creation of the first 3D model.
Second lesson
As part of this lesson, you will be able to build a more detailed house. than in the first lesson. In the process of construction, the tools "shift" and "along the contour" were considered. It also discusses the principles of dimensional modeling.
Third lesson
In the third lesson, an example of creating a room's interior is considered. It shows the principles of working with tools such as:
- "roulette";
- "Magnifier", "shift" and "push-pull";
- import of ready-made 3D models from the Google collection;
- movement of objects in the created model.
Fourth lesson
The fourth video is a tutorial on Google SketchUp based on the example of creating a dressing table. Here you will master the principles of working with groups and components, get acquainted with the tools "Arch" ("Arc") and "Scale".
To summarize: in order to learn how to work in the Google SketchUp 8 program, you just need to download and install Google SketchUp on your PC, then, guided by the video tutorials from this article, start creating masterpieces.
A little patience and you will succeed! Creative success!
The original purpose of Google SketchUp is to enable users to create building models and add them to Google maps, so it is adapted for creating architectural objects. However, you can model both furniture and dishes, and vehicles, and weapons - in short, almost all man-made objects. This editor is not suitable for natural objects with their "irregular" lines.
V paid version the program has an export function in the * obj format, thanks to which the models made in Google SketchUp can be used in other programs, for example, in the landscape editor Bryce.
Program window
At the first start of the program, it will offer to select the units of measurement: meters, inches. In the window that opens, a "field" will appear on which objects will be placed, a three-dimensional coordinate system and human figure, with which the sizes of objects can be correlated. If desired, you can delete it by selecting it and pressing the Delete key.
You can manipulate this working area using three tools: "Panorama" (the icon on the panel in the form of a hand) - for movement, "Orbit" (curved arrows) - for rotation and "Scale" (magnifying glass) to increase.
On the right side of the screen is the Tutorial window. After choosing one or another function, you can see explanations on how to use it in the form of text and an animated picture. It helps a novice user a lot.
In the lower left corner you can see "Measurements". There, when creating objects, the length of the line, the side of the rectangle, the radius of the circle or the distance from the center of the hexagon to its corner will be displayed.
To work with any object or part of it, the object must be selected using the Select tool (arrow icon). Single click with the left mouse button selects only the plane, double - the plane together with the lines. To select an entire object, you need to press the left mouse button outside the object and, without releasing it, drag it diagonally, "covering" the object.
Creating models
Modeling begins by creating a base on a plane, which will become a specific shape. The tools necessary for this are located in the "Drawing" menu, if desired, they can be brought to the panel: a line (a pencil icon), a rectangle (square), a circle, an arc, "freehand" (meaning an arbitrary line, an icon in the form curve) and a polygon (a triangle icon, but actually a hexagon). You can use the Eraser tool in the Tools menu to remove unnecessary shapes or parts of them delimited by lines.
Now that the shape is created, you can make it three-dimensional. To do this, use the Pull-Push tool in the Tools menu (a box with a straight arrow pointing up). It transforms a rectangle into a parallelepiped, a square into a cube, a circle into a cylinder, according to the same principle, any figure is "stretched".
More difficult option of this tool - "Guidance" (similar icon, but with a curved arrow). She "stretches" the figure not directly, but along a previously drawn trajectory. This can be done, for example, with a cornice along the perimeter of the building.
One of the most simple options"Guides" - the creation of bodies of revolution. This is how you can create a goblet, church dome, or bell. You need to draw a vertical rectangle. It is most convenient to position it so that one of the corners coincides with the center of the coordinate system, and the two sides coincide with the axes. Draw a shape on the rectangle that is half the cross section of the object. The middle of the shape must coincide with the coordinate axis. Areas of the rectangle outside the shape are removed with the eraser.
Now you need to draw a circle centered at the zero point of coordinates, and the circle should coincide with the edge of the shape. Use the Select tool to select the plane of the circle (but not the circle line!) And delete it so that only the line remains. Now, having selected the plane of the figure, you need to draw with the "Guide" tool along the circle until it closes.
Measurements are essential in modeling. To do this, use the "Roulette" tool (an icon in the form of this object). With its help, you can not only measure shapes, but also outline lines on them. This is necessary, for example, in order to draw windows at the same level.
You may need to resize the object using the Scale tool (rectangle with a diagonal red arrow inside). Before applying it, you need to select an object or part of it. You can scale not only the entire object, but also its face. In this way, you can, for example, turn a parallelepiped into a truncated pyramid, and a cylinder into a truncated cone.
Another important tool is "Offset" (two arcs crossed by a red arrow). With its help, a "copy" of a flat figure is made, located inside it or vice versa - outside, around the figure.
Textures
To apply textures, use the Paint Bucket tool (an icon in the form of a bucket and pouring paint). When this tool is selected, the Materials window appears. In the menu, textures are grouped by varieties: "Metal", "Wood", "Carpets and fabrics", etc. With the texture selected, you can go to the edit tab. The material can be made darker or lighter, you can create a new one based on it, or load any texture as a texture. graphic file and also adjust the degree of transparency. When the material is ready, you can start "painting" by clicking right key mouse on each plane of the object.
Those who are going to use models in the Bryce editor or DAZ Studio should know one nuance. Textures from SketchUp in these programs do not look the best, they will have to be replaced with others. For this to be possible, you need to "paint" differently the parts of the model on which you intend to apply different textures, otherwise you will not be able to ungroup the object later. It doesn't matter what the textures will be, the main thing is that they are different, and each plane needs to be "painted" on both sides.
If the model was created to be placed on google map, this can be done by selecting the item "Geographical location" and the sub-item "Add location" in the "File" menu. V separate window a geographic map will open. In the search bar, you can type the name of the city, and then find the desired place in it.
Of course, this is not all Google capabilities SketchUp, but this information is enough to get started with it. In the process of work, other secrets of the program will also be revealed.
SketchUp has gained great popularity among architects, designers and 3D modelers due to its very simple and friendly interface, ease of use, loyal price and many other advantages. This application is used by both design students and serious design organizations as well as freelancers.
What tasks is SketchUp best suited for?
Architectural design
Sketchup's horse is sketch design of architectural objects. This program will be of great help at the design stage when the customer needs to quickly demonstrate the overall architectural solution of the building or its interior. Without wasting time on a photorealistic image and the creation of working drawings, the architect can translate his idea into graphic format... The user is only required to create geometric primitives using lines and closed shapes and paint them with the necessary textures. All this is done in a few clicks, including setting the lighting, which is not overloaded with complex functions.
The sketch is very convenient when creating technical specifications constructors and visualizers. In this case, the designer only needs to draw up a "blank" for the contractors to understand the task.
SketchUp's workflow is based on intuitive drawing, that is, you create the model as if you were drawing it on a piece of paper. At the same time, it cannot be said that the image of the object will turn out to be too unnatural. Using the SketchUp + Photoshop bundle, you can create impressively realistic renderings. You just need to sketch a sketch of the object and apply in Photoshop realistic textures with shadows, add atmospheric effects, photographs of people, cars and plants.
This way will help out those who don't have enough powerful computer for rendering complex and heavy scenes.
Newer versions of the program, in addition to sketch design, allow you to create sets of working drawings. This is achieved using the "Layout" extension included in the professional SketchUp version... V this annex you can create layouts of sheets with drawings, according to building codes. In mind high prices on "big" software, this decision have already been appreciated by many design organizations.
Furniture design
With the help of lines, editing and texturing operations in Sketchup, furniture of the most different types. Ready models can be exported to other formats or applied in your projects
Geo-referenced design
Thanks to the link with Google maps, you can accurately position your subject in the landscape. At the same time, you will receive the correct lighting at any time of the year and time of day. For some cities there are 3D models already built buildings, so you can place your object in their surroundings and evaluate how the environment has changed.
It was far from full list what the program can do. Try how to work using SketchUp and you will be pleasantly surprised.
SketchUp is powerful 3D editor, which includes all the functions and capabilities necessary for design in the areas of construction, architecture, design. At the same time, SketchUp is a simple program with a very low entry threshold. It will take from 2 weeks to 2 months to study the program, depending on the intensity of the classes.
It should be noted that the program was previously called Google SketchUp
When you start SketchUp for the first time, a welcome window opens and the program prompts you to choose a template work area... We choose metric system measurements.
The program interface is a three-dimensional space, the user can select the position of the camera, move created models... To get acquainted and start working with the program, you will need tools, in the View - Toolbars menu, put the marks in the items:
- Getting started
- large buttons - Large buttons
The window becomes
It is worth hovering over any tool from the panel, after a short delay, a help window appears under it.
The algorithm for creating objects is simple:
- we build a flat contour from the existing standard primitives;
- we draw out the contour using various tools from the panel to give height or indentations in the plane - that is, we create a volume;
- give the object the desired shape by moving the model elements - faces, vertices and edges - with the mouse pointer.
Getting started - creating a birdhouse model
1. Select the tool - click the "rectangle" on the panel, click once at the beginning of the drawing, stretch it to the required size. Do not hold down the mouse button, just move the mouse away. Click a second time to complete the construction of the square.We get:
2. Using the Push / Pull tool "pull-push" pull the square up: click - on the tool, click - on any point of the square, raise the cursor without holding the button, click - we get a cube of the required height:
3. Making the roof. Using the line tool, connect the midpoints of the sides (the program will help you find these points by marking them with a blue dot), select the resulting segment with the select tool. Then drag upward with the Move tool while keeping to the vertical axis (blue Z-axis).
We get:
4. We make the entrance to the house and the perch. Using the circle tool draw two circles of different diameters, using the Push / Pull tool, push them out - the larger one is inside the house, the smaller one is outside.
As a result, we get:
Enough for the first lesson. The process is very exciting, new opportunities open up in the course of work.
To consolidate the studied material, you should independently create several diverse models. Such models can be a house, pieces of furniture.
When creating various objects, it is necessary to adhere to the correct scale and size. Later, their own ethics of modeling is developed, and the above criteria will be the main ones in it.
Having mastered the Sketchup program, the user can independently create a variety of 3D models.
Despite the minimalist interface and simplicity of creating models, as you study the programs open huge opportunities to implement the most incredible ideas and projects.
SketchUp has firmly established itself in the low-budget and hobbyist modeling niche with no competitors.
