Taking SketchUp Pro to the Next Level

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.

Table of Contents

1. Reviewing the Basics
2. Organizing Your 3D Model
3. Modifying Native Commands
4. Taking Inferencing to the Next Level
5. Creating Beautiful Custom Materials
6. Knowing What you Need Out of SketchUp
7. Creating Custom Shortcuts
8. Customizing Your User Interface
9. Taking Advantage of Templates
10. Hardware to Make You a More Efficient Modeler
11. What Are Extensions?
12. Using 3D Warehouse and Extension Warehouse
13. Must-Have Extensions for Any Workflow
14. Introduction to LayOut
15. Leveraging the SketchUp Ecosystem

Aaron Dietzen has been modeling in 3D since high school when he started at his father’s software company. Over the next few decades, he worked in technical support, training, and product management, learning dozens of modeling and CAD software packages along the way.

One of the software packages Aaron learned was SketchUp, which he taught himself. He currently works for Trimble, creating video content about SketchUp. Often referred to as “The SketchUp Guy,” Aaron focuses on helping SketchUp users to develop their own workflows and become more efficient modelers and does his best to make learning enjoyable. Aaron lives in Colorado with his wife, three kids, and a couple of rescued puppies.