SketchUp for Builders: A Comprehensive Guide for Creating 3D Building Models Using SketchUp

Part I

SketchUp Essentials

As with any software program, learning SketchUp can be both fun and frustrating! Part One will cover the basic SketchUp fundamentals you must learn before jumping into modeling buildings. This author has learned a tremendous amount about SketchUp do's and don'ts over a decade of trial and error. The goal of this book is to save you countless hours by getting it right the first time, or at least avoiding the mistakes I have made over time!

Note: Your workflow depends upon your needs and use of SketchUp. If you are using SketchUp to design the building from scratch, you may focus on the design at first, keeping in mind the site boundaries. The workflow detailed in this book presumes you are modeling a building and site from a set of construction drawings. Your approach may be different, but the fundamentals, tools, and techniques detailed in this book will work for either approach.

Chapter 1

Introduction

For as long as anyone reading this book can remember, architects, designers, builders, and tradesmen have been using 2D paper drawings to design buildings, estimate quantities, layout buildings, build foundations, build walls, roofs, and install mechanical systems. Builders and trades that are provided with precise details and drawings will execute the building process with precision. This has been going on for centuries, but it is a process that is fraught with unclear or missing details and prone to mistakes, delays, and cost overruns. The designer must convey intent with their drawings and the builder must be able to read, understand, and execute to build the intended structure. For the past three decades, CADD (computer-aided design and drafting) has become the standard, virtually eliminating hand-drawn plans, other than conceptual ideas. But this has still been primarily used for 2D drawings. Typical drawing sets include floor plans, elevations, and a few sections and details. These still may not convey the full design intent or may be missing vital information or views.

We see in 3D, so why don't we design in 3D? Technology is finally available to allow designers and builders to design, view, and study structures in 3D and better understand how to build the structure and how it will look before it is built. By now, you have probably heard of BIM (building information modeling), which is essentially the process of creating digital representations of the building process. A large part of BIM involves 3D modeling of the project. SketchUp is a simple yet powerful tool for creating 3D models for any and all components of a building project. SketchUp comes with standard tools for creating, texturing, organizing, and viewing geometry and they allow third-party developers to create Extensions, also known as Plugins, which extend the toolset and functionality that comes with the program. These are typically scripts utilizing Ruby Programming, a language built into SketchUp. These scripts are usually geometry-creating, time-saving, and reporting extensions that magnify the power and ease of use of SketchUp. Construction Documents can be generated using LayOut, the accompanying program that comes with SketchUp Pro.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?

Anyone desiring to create 3D models for any and all aspects or phases of the construction process, from the design itself, to construction and how some or all of the pieces come together. Builders, architects, interior designers, landscape architects, carpenters, and trades will learn methods and techniques to create 3D models for their projects, big and small, as well as how to create construction documents, acquire takeoff information, create renderings, animations, virtual tours, and much more.

WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?

This book summarizes the workflow, practices and methods acquired and developed over years of practice, trial and error, and real-world applications from a seasoned custom home builder and designer with 30 years of experience in the construction industry. You will learn what to do, and more importantly, what not to do in modeling projects in SketchUp. The tips scattered throughout the book are worth the read. The goal is not only to create 3D models, construction documents, and visualizations, it is also to understand what you are building before it is built, and to avoid costly mistakes, delays, and overruns during the construction process.

WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?

This book begins by covering SketchUp essentials and will guide the reader through modeling a construction project from start to finish. It is loaded with tips, methods, and tricks that were learned from years of modeling literally every phase of construction, for residential and light commercial, completely inside of SketchUp.

Part One: SketchUp Essentials

SketchUp Free versus SketchUp Pro

LayOut—an Introduction

3D Warehouse

Extension Warehouse

Online Resources

SketchUp Basics—Review the basic toolsets included with SketchUp and how to navigate in your models.

Geometry Creation, and how it relates to construction

Groups and Components, and the important differences between the two

Plugins/Extensions—How to install and use

How to import drawings—Learn how to import and use drawings to create accurate models

File management, including layer management and templates

Part Two: Phases of Construction

Existing site modeling—Using topographic data to generate existing site models

Foundations—Modeling footings, foundations, and slabs

Walls—Learn how to model walls from simple to complex framed walls

Floor systems—Conventional joists, TJIs and floor trusses, subflooring

Roof systems—From simplex to complex, conventional framing to trusses

Mechanical systems—HVAC ductwork, plumbing, and electrical

Exterior finishes—Modeling veneers, windows and doors, and other finishes

Interior finishes—Cabinetry, flooring, trim, doors, etc.

Final site modeling—Creating the final site model with landscape and hardscape elements

Part Three: Quantity Takeoffs and Estimating

Attributes—Learn how to takeoff length, area, volume, and weight for use in your favorite estimating spreadsheet or program

Volume—Must be a solid! Learn how to ensure and fix

Estimator for SketchUp—An estimating extension for SketchUp that provides a disciplined approach to modeling accurate estimates

Part Four: Construction Documents

LayOut—Learn how to create construction documents and presentations using LayOut

Part Five: Renderings, Animations, and Virtual Tours

Rendering programs

Animation programs

Virtual tours

Virtual reality versus augmented reality

Chapter 2

SketchUp Resources

SketchUp offers both a free (web browser) and a paid (Pro—desktop) version, as well as LayOut, the accompanying program (SketchUp Pro), which is used for generating construction documents. This chapter will discuss the available versions of SketchUp and the 3D Warehouse, an online source for viewing and downloading SketchUp models created by users around the world that might prove useful and save you time creating them yourself! We will also discuss the Extension Warehouse, which is essentially an online store for finding and downloading SketchUp extensions, also known as plugins (both free and paid), which may be extremely useful in your workflow. We will also take a look at a variety of other online resources that you may find useful.

SKETCHUP FREE OR SKETCHUP PRO?

At the time of this writing, Trimble recently announced that they were discontinuing their free desktop version, SketchUp Make (SketchUp Make 2017 is apparently the last supported version of the free version and is still available for download at present). The new free version is available in a web browser at www .sketchup.com (Launch SketchUp Free). The interface is different than the Pro version and previous free version (Make). It essentially offers the same drawing tools, navigation and modification tools, materials, layers and scenes, but the use of extensions/plugins is not available as of this writing. If you are new to SketchUp or undecided as to whether to jump in, you can always explore the free version online and practice your modeling skills for free. If you are using SketchUp for your business, then you should be using the Pro version. The examples shown in this book are from the SketchUp Pro interface and may appear different if you are using the free browser version to practice along with the book.

LAYOUT

LayOut is installed when you install SketchUp Pro. LayOut is the program to use for generating construction documents and presentations derived from your SketchUp model. We will discuss LayOut in more detail later in this book; this is just an introduction to LayOut and its use. At any point in SketchUp, you can Send to LayOut, meaning it will open the current SketchUp scene in LayOut, allow you to choose the paper size, template, borders, etc. for your project. From there, you may manipulate scale, size displayed, add dimensions, notes, text, etc. LayOut is a great tool for creating impressive presentations and construction documents.

Note to publisher—images remaining in this document (like the tool icons below) are all in a folder named by chapter and order of appearance. For example, the 3D Warehouse icon below is titled C02_i001.. I kept them in this document to show how I wanted them to appear

3D WAREHOUSE

The 3D Warehouse is an online resource (available in the SketchUp Menu) containing millions of SketchUp models, uploaded and shared by SketchUp users and manufacturers around the world, which allows you to search, view, download, and upload SketchUp models. Perhaps you are looking for a particular item, like a Thermador dishwasher, simply type in the search, choose the one you want and download it directly into your model or save it to your library for later use.

TIP The 3D Warehouse contains some really excellent models as well as some really bad ones. Many users may not be as organized as you will become. Some models may be bloated, not modeled properly, or contain extra layers that you may not want introduced into your model. Best practice is to NOT download it directly into your model. While I am modeling a project, I prefer to have another occurrence of SketchUp open and download them directly into that open file, where I can inspect them, clean them up, and delete the unwanted layers that they may bring in. Another suggestion, if you will be downloading multiple models, is to name this file Assets and save this file to the project's SketchUp folder. If there are components you may want later, save them to your Components library folder while it is fresh!

EXTENSION WAREHOUSE

The Extension Warehouse is an online resource (available in the SketchUp menu) full of extensions, also known as plugins, that have been developed especially for SketchUp. Extensions may be free or may require purchasing a license. Licenses may be perpetual (one-time fee) or subscription-based (monthly or yearly). These extensions enable you to add special tools and features to SketchUp, beyond the native tools that come with the program. Extensions are most often time-saving tools and features, typically developed by other SketchUp users who needed a particular tool that did not exist so they developed/programmed one. Anyone can develop an extension for SketchUp, but they need to know how to use the Ruby programming language or hire a programmer to develop it.

The Extension Warehouse enables you to:

Search for an extension by name, author, or the functionality needed

Install the extension with a simple click of a button

Manage all installed extensions in one location—Extension Manager

We will discuss a variety of Extensions particularly suited for the construction industry throughout this book.

OTHER RESOURCES

The SketchUp community is vast and there are a number of available online resources to learn from, get support, and download additional extensions perhaps not available on the Extension Warehouse.

SketchUp Forum

The SketchUp team hosts a forum at www.forums.sketchup.com, where users may visit and search for topics of interest and learn from users around the world, many of whom most likely have experienced the same issue you have and may provide helpful information. It is great place to learn about new methods and new products.

Sketchucation.com

A popular online resource is www.sketchucation.com, where you may visit and find a variety of useful tips and tricks as well as download extensions and models that may or may not be available on the Extension Warehouse and the 3D Warehouse. Sketchucation has thousands of members and has a robust forum you may visit to further your knowledge about SketchUp.

TIP Sketchucation has an extension available from Sketchucation.com that contains the Sketchucation Store, allowing one to search for and download extensions while in SketchUp, much like the Extension Warehouse.

Smustard.com

Another popular online resource is www.smustard.com, where you may visit and find a variety of useful plugins and Ruby scripts that may or may not be available on the Extension Warehouse and the 3D Warehouse.

SketchUp Texture Club

As you become more proficient with SketchUp, you will need a particular texture or material for your model that is not available in the stock materials library in SketchUp. We will be discussing how to import materials into your models later in this book, but www.sketchuptextureclub.com is a great source for searching for and downloading seamless textures to use in your models.

TIP If you are not familiar with the term seamless texture, you will need to understand it and its use. In order for a texture (material) to look correct in your model, it must be seamless, meaning there is no pattern that repeats in a undesired manner. For example, you cannot just import a picture of a stone veneer, unless it is seamless, and apply it to your model. You will see a repeating box pattern throughout and not be happy with the results. Take care to search for Seamless textures and/or you may create one yourself using tools such as Photoshop.

SketchUp for Builders

www.sketchup4builders.com is an online resource for builders to learn about tips and techniques from other builders, learn about the latest extensions and resources, and view tutorials specifically created for the building community.

Chapter 3

SketchUp Basics

This chapter is intended for newbies to SketchUp. If you already know the basic fundamentals and basic tools that come with SketchUp, you can proceed to the next chapter—but you may find this helpful!

Builders use basic tools—hammer, saws, etc. In SketchUp, we have several basic tools that come installed with the program, as well as numerous extensions, also known as plugins (both free and paid), that expand SketchUp's capabilities. This book will detail the use of the native tools as well as popular plugins for the construction industry in later chapters.

In this chapter, you will learn how to navigate in SketchUp, understand the core features, learn how to draw, modify, and view attributes of geometry, and finally how to model your first 3D object—a cubic yard of concrete!—all from the perspective of a builder. A cube is a simple object, but creating it covers some basic fundamentals of SketchUp, as well as viewing the quantities builders need for takeoffs to generate estimates. The goal of this chapter is to cover the highlights and need-to-know features and functions, and not detail every available tool and function in SketchUp.

Let's get started!

THE INTERFACE

TIP Keep your toolbars to a minimum. Take a look at the main set of tools in the image above, you will find you use keyboard shortcuts for many of these tools and can eliminate as many toolbars as possible, providing more viewable real estate. I recommend limiting yourself to one strip of tools across the top.

The SketchUp Interface in Figure 3.1 is broken down to the following main areas, which we will explore in much more detail later:

Figure 3.1 The SketchUp Interface.

File name. SketchUp files have .skp file extensions and backup files are named with .skb file extension. Note: SketchUp automatically backs up your file (.skb) at intervals you may control.

Main menu. You can access most features from here but note there are keyboard shortcuts and tool icons that access these functions and features as well.

Toolbar. This strip is a customizable set of tools and extensions—most can be placed anywhere you like on the screen. The Getting Started strip of tools contains a lot of the most used tools. You can add to it from there to build your own toolbar of favorites.

Scene tabs. You can create as many Scenes as you like—a scene is basically a saved VIEW with desired parameters we will discuss later. With scenes, you can export a 2D graphic of a scene or a 3D animation of your scenes. You can transition between scenes, meaning it will fly to the next scene in an interpolated path, or off for a no-scene transition.

Axes. By default, SketchUp axes (X, Y, and Z) are red, green, and blue (Vertical).

Trays. SketchUp trays are containers for various windows (Layers, Materials, Scenes, etc.). The Tray locations are movable and dockable, and content is customizable. You can create your own customized Trays as well. We will discuss each of these in detail later.

Measurements box. This box in the lower right corner of your screen is known as the Measurements Box (formerly known as the VCB—Value Control Box). The name displayed will change depending upon command activated.

Tool instructions. You will notice as you use certain tools, that specific instructions will appear in this box, depending upon selected tool.

TIP You can hide the Trays (as seen docked to the right in the image above) to enlarge your viewable space. You can use a keyboard shortcut, like Ctrl-D, to toggle the visibility!

Now that you are familiar with the basic Interface or Workspace, I will review some of the most important features and functions you need to know, starting with viewing and navigating your models in SketchUp.

NAVIGATION

One of the most important skills to master in SketchUp is learning how to navigate or move around your models. This can be a little awkward and even frustrating at first, which is why I want to discuss it right from the start. Navigation commands are located in Camera under the Main Menu, and are included in the basic toolset. I recommend that you practice these commands first to understand the basic navigation. While there are several navigation methods, the following are the most used and most important to start with:

The commands above are your daily, go-to methods for navigating. There are some other options in the same menu that you should be aware of that may come in handy from time to time.

PARALLEL PROJECTION VERSUS PERSPECTIVE

When viewing a SketchUp model, you will be in either Parallel Projection (lines are parallel in 2D and 3D) or Perspective view. These are also located under Main Menu—Camera. I prefer to view models in Perspective view versus Parallel Projection, but use Parallel Projection when viewing an object straight on or in plan view.

A good example of this is floor plans and elevations. To view these properly, you should be in Parallel Projection and can choose from standard views (top, bottom, front, back, right, left, iso). I suggest taking the time to create keyboard shortcuts for these views. Go to Window > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. You can search for the command you wish to assign a shortcut. For example, I like to toggle Parallel Projection and Perspective, I chose to use V as my keyboard shortcut to toggle back and forth. I also created shortcuts for the Standard Views. I use Alt-T for top view, the Shift-right arrow for right, Shift-left arrow for left, Shift-down arrow for front, and the Shift-up arrow for back, but use shortcuts that make sense to you.

SCENES

Scenes provide a great way to capture as many saved views of your model as you wish. By creating scenes, saved with desired parameters we will discuss later, you may switch from various views of the model using the Scenes tabs. For example, I will be creating scenes for various phases of construction in this book. Scenes are a great way to control visibility of the various phases, cutting layers off and on, etc. Let's take a look at the Scenes Window in Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2 Scenes.

LAYERS

Layers in SketchUp are used primarily to control visibility, but I will also be discussing the use of Layers for estimating purposes later in this book. For now, just understand that assigning objects to layers helps control visibility and organization.

TIP Always model on Layer0! You may think you are saving time by selecting the radio button next to the current layer you are modeling on, but you may forget or later group something and lose track of the item if that layer is off. We will be discussing layers in detail throughout this book.

MEASUREMENTS BOX

Notice the box in the lower right corner of your screen. This is known as the Measurements Box (formerly known as the VCB—Value Control Box). This is where you will be able to view and enter parameters. The name of this box will change depending upon what you are modeling. For example, if you were to draw a line (discussed below), the name would change to length. We will discuss this later in this chapter, but for now be aware of its location and general purpose. Figure 3.3 features the Measurements Box.

Figure 3.3 Measurements Box.

BASIC TOOLS

Now that you have taken a look at the interface and have reviewed navigation, scenes, etc., let's take a look at some of the basic tools.

Select

The Select icon lets you choose an object in your model. Pressing the keyboard spacebar will invoke the Select tool as well. You will use this often!

Geometry

Before you dive into a SketchUp model, you need to understand the basic geometry and attributes in SketchUp. We discuss length, area, and volume attributes throughout this book, as well as how to report these attributes for takeoffs and estimating. But first, let's take a look at how to create basic geometry in SketchUp. Take time to practice the following draw commands: