• Home
• Prepare Your Workspace
• Start With A Floorplan
• Draw Your Geometries
• Add A Door
• Add Windows And Moulding
• Organize Your Model
• Apply Materials And Decorate Your Model
• Finish Your Model

What You'll Need

• SketchUp. Sketchup is available on the Studio computers.
• A (free) SketchUp account. This is how you can access the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, where you can download models to add to your design. It's really easy to create your account, and I recommend using your UTC Google account.
• A copy of 307_floor_plan.png.

What You'll Do

By following this tutorial, you should be able to create a 3D model of a Library study room (room 307 to be exact) from a 2D drawing of the floor plan and decorate it using materials from the 3D Warehouse. The goal of this tutorial is to orient you to the SketchUp interface and basic tools. You can complete this tutorial at your own pace.

Create Your Model

Open SketchUp and create a new model. SketchUp offers a bunch of templates. “Simple / inches” is generally a good model to start with. But since we’re creating a model from a floor plan, start with “Plan View / inches.” If this isn’t in your start up window, click More templates to find it.

Get to Know the Interface

There are four main sections in the Windows interface:

• Toolbar. By default this is located at the top of the screen, and has the basic tools you will need to create a model. You can also open a larger toolbar by going to View > Toolbars and checking Large Tool Set.
• Default Tray. The Windows interface uses the Default Tray on the right side of the interface, and this is where you will find many of the tools you’ll need to create metadata and make design choices for your model. The Mac interface does not have the Default Tray, but these trays are available under the Windows menu. You can open and stack your trays as you work.
• Drawing Area. This is where you will work on your model. The Simple templates include a figure to help give you a sense of scale as you’re working on your model.
• Status Bar. In the large middle section of the Status Bar, SketchUp will give you brief descriptions and instructions for the tool you are currently using. On the far right section of the Status Bar, there is a Measurement box. This will tell you the dimensions of the shape you’re drawing as you’re drawing it.

Axes

There are three axes that you should use to keep your lines plumb (perfectly vertical and perpendicular) and corners at 90°. When you’re drawing a line, it will change to match the color of the relevant axis when it is perfectly in line with the access (you want this to happen).

Camera

SketchUp has a variety of camera views to help you look at and navigate around your model. To change your camera view, use the Camera menu. The Camera > Standard Views menu has views to get you started, but you can also move through your model using the Pan and Orbit tools.

Instructor

There is also a cool tool called the Instructor. It’s in the Default Tray on Windows. When you open it, it has a little gif and basic instructions on using whatever tool you have selected. There’s also a link to SketchUp’s help section for more detailed instructions.

Get to know the tools

These are some of the more commonly used tools, with their keyboard shortcut in parentheses. To see what they look like, refer to the Quick Reference Cards linked below.

• Select (spacebar)

  • Select objects.

• Navigation tools

  • Orbit (O). The orbit tool lets you move around your model in 360
  • Pan (P). The pan tool lets you move back and forth across the current view of your model.
  • Zoom (Z).

• Drawing tools

  • Line (L). Draw single lines. Click once to start the line, then drag your mouse and click again to end the line. 
  • Rectangle (R). Draw a rectangle. Click once to place one corner, then drag your mouse out and click again to end the rectangle.
  • Circle (C). Draw a circle. Click once to place the center of the circle, then drag your mouse out and click to make the circle.
  • Offset (F). This isn't strictly a drawing tool, but it lets you make a larger or smaller version of a shape in relation to the original shape (like you're making a frame or something).
  • Push/Pull (P). Turn your shapes into 3D models. Click a face to select it, then pull or push it to make it 3D.

• Moving and Resizing Tools

  • Move (M). Move an object.
  • Rotate (Q). Rotate an object along different axes.
  • Scale (S). Resize an object.

• SketchUp 2023 Quick Reference Cards

  Download quick reference cards for both Mac and Windows.

Place your floor plan in the model.

1. Before placing your floor plan image, change your camera view so you are looking at the model from above. This will make it easier to place the image correctly. Camera > Standard Views > Top.
2. To import the floor plan image, File → Import → navigate to and select the floor plan image. Make sure that you choose the radio button for Image! Click once in the model to place the corner of the image, then drag your mouse to make the image the size you want it. Click once to place the other corners of the image.

Scale your image.

1. Draw a line on your floor plan using the length guide.
2. Switch to the tape measure (shortcut key T). Click on one endpoint of the line, then the other end. Type in the correct length length of the line according to the floor plan, then hit enter.
3. In the pop-up window, confirm that you want to resize your model.

Change your face style.

Since you are drawing from an image, you’ll need to change the view of your drawing area so that you can see your lines. Changing your view to X-Ray (View > Face Style > X Ray) will let you see both the floor plan image and your lines.

Make your lines.

Once you have the flat image placed in your model, you can use the line and shape tools to draw over the lines on your model. Make sure to keep your lines plumb with the axes so that your walls, windows, etc aren’t at weird angles.

To make your lines a specific length, click once to start the line and then enter the length of the line in inches (i.e., 11’1 -- you don’t need to include the inches symbol). Hit Enter and then you’ll have a line! Move around your outer walls to make a box.

Make sure that your lines are connected. When you close a shape it will become slightly shaded.

Some tips when drawing your floorplan:

• Use the Rectangle tool to create squares and rectangles
• Use the Eraser tool to delete edges and combine rectangles into one shape

Help! I can't see the measurements box!

SketchUp has a box in the lower-right corner that displays measurements as you're drawing lines, using the tape measure tool, or many other tasks. When you are typing in the length for a line, it will appear in this box. If you open SketchUp and this box doesn't show up, you can open it.

1. Open the Toolbars menu (View > Toolbars)
2. Make sure the Measurements box is checked
3. Click Close.

Turn lines into walls.

Turn your lines into walls. You need to add wall width to make your lines into walls. With the Offset tool (F), click on an edge of a wall and move your cursor towards the center of the image. Type in 5 and hit Enter to make your walls 5” thick.

Extrude the walls.

1. Turn off X-Ray mode, because you no longer need it. You can also delete your floor plan if you want. That’s up to you.
2. Use the Orbit tool to rotate your model. It is easier to extrude vertically when you are looking at the model at an angle.
3. Activate the Push/Pull tool and click on one of your walls. The walls of our study room are 9’ tall, so type in 9’ when the Push/Pull tool is activated to get walls that are exactly 9’.
4. If your walls are tinted blue, you need to reverse the faces of your model. Basically, your room is inside out. Activate the Selection tool, then triple-click on your model to select all. Right-click and choose Reverse Faces. Now your room is outside out.

Add a window above the door.

1. It may be helpful to erase the guidelines you’ve already made to make the door. Use the Eraser tool to erase individual guidelines, or erase all of them at once: Edit > Delete Guides.
2. Make a guideline going up 1.5” from the top of the door. Make a rectangle (using either the Line or Rectangle tool) that is 36” wide and 22” tall.
   • Make sure that the window is in line with the door. It may be helpful to make a guideline to help with this. 
   • Instead of drawing all the guidelines necessary, use the Rectangle tool. Click and release at one corner, then start dragging your mouse in the direction where the window will be. Type “36,22” and hit enter to make your window.

Add a doorway.

The door to our study room is 6’8” (80”) tall and 3’ wide.

1. Use the Tape Measure tool to create a guideline. Activate the Tape Measure, then click on the floor of the room. Pull your mouse up, type in 6’8, then hit enter. You now have a guideline for the height of the door.
2. Repeat the process of creating a guideline, this time starting from the wall on the left. Create a guideline that is 8” from the edge of the wall, and another that is 36” from the first line.
3. Now you have a guide for your door! Use the Rectangle tool to draw a rectangle between the guidelines. When the Rectangle is activated, click and release on one corner, then click and release on the diagonal corner to make a rectangle. 

Add a window to the door.

1. Use the Tape Measure tool to add a window frame that is 28” by 23” to the door using these measurements:
   • 46” from the floor
   • Centered with 6.5” of the door on either side
   • 6” from the top of the door
2. Draw the window frame using the Rectangle tool, then create a 1.25” window within it using the Offset tool. Your actual window should be 25.5” by 20.5”.

Make windows.

1. Draw a guideline 4” above the floor, and another 1.5” to the right of the door. Make a rectangle that is 40.5” wide and 20” tall.
2. Draw another guideline 1.5” above this rectangle, then make a rectangle that is 40.5” wide and 54.5” tall.
3. Draw yet another guideline 1.5” above this new rectangle, then make a rectangle that is 40.5” wide and 22” tall. Now you have one set of windows!

Copy windows.

1. Draw a guideline 1.5” to the left of the windows.
2. Using the Selection tool, select all three windows (hold down the shift key). Copy the windows, then paste the new windows in. This will activate the Move tool, and you can place the windows where you want them (at the intersection of your guidelines). Now one of your walls is complete!

Make windows on opposite wall.

1. Turn your model around using either the Orbit tool or use the Camera > Standard Views menu to face the other side. You should have a blank wall.
2. This step is pretty much repeating step 2, but the measurements are a little bit different. You’ll use the same process of making guidelines, drawing rectangles, and then making copies of the windows to complete the wall.
   • All the window frames are 1.5” wide and tall. The space between the floor and the bottom windows is 4” tall.
   • The space between the edge of the windows and the edge of the outside of the wall is 6."
   • All the windows on this wall are 40” wide, but the heights of the windows are the same. The bottom windows are 20” tall, the middle windows are 54.5” tall, and the top windows are 22” tall.

Push through holes.

Pushing holes through walls is another way to make doors and windows. Instead of building the walls around your window and doors, you build a wall and then cut out a window or door.

1. On a solid wall, return to X-Ray mode and use the floor plan to help with placing your door or window. Use the Tape Measure tool to create guides.
2. Draw a rectangle (or it could be a different shape) on the wall for the door or window.
3. Use the Push/Pull tool to push the rectangle back through the wall
   1. Select the rectangle face.
   2. To make the window an empty space, infer the depth by hovering your mouse over the top edge of the wall.
   3. To leave a face in your window so that you can apply a window material to it later, click and release on the face then type in 5 and hit enter.

You can also add windows to holes in your walls. This will ensure that your windows are visible on both sides of your walls.

1. Push windows through your walls.
2. Using the rectangle tool, draw new rectangles over the holes.
3. Apply a glass material to the new rectangles.

Add chair rails.

1. We are going to add a piece of chair rail moulding to both inside walls. You can use the Section Plane tool to cut away an outer wall, making it easier to work inside the room.
   1. Tools > Section Plane. Once the Section Plane is activated, hover it over your model. It will automatically align with an axis, letting you slice into the model either horizontally or vertically.
   2. Click on the face of the model that you want to cut into (in this case, probably a wall). The Section Plane is represented by an orange box, and will probably slice into the middle of the wall. You can move the slice further in or out of the model using the Move tool. Activate the Move tool, then select the Section Plane so that it turns blue. You can push it further into your model, and when you like where it is click and release your mouse to hold it.

2. Add the moulding
   1. Create guidelines to make a rectangle on both inside walls that is 30” off the ground and 6” high.
   2. Use the Push/Pull tool to extrude the rectangle to 0.75.”

Groups and Components

Groups

1. Making groups gives your geometries a little protective bubble, so that if you move one object it doesn’t mess up another object. It also keeps all the parts of the object together. 
   1. To group your geometry use the Select tool either draw a box around the object, use CTRL+A to select all the shapes in the model, or triple-click on the object to select all ungrouped geometry. Right-click and choose Make Group.
   2. To change something in a group, double-click on the object. A dashed black line will appear around the group to let you know you’re working inside the group.
2. Groups can also be locked (select group > right-click > Lock) and nested (group 1 set of geometries, hold the shift key and click geometry > right-click > Make Group).

Components

Components are essentially supergroups. Like a group, making an object a component provides a protective bubble around the object. A key difference is that you can make a copy of a component, and when you make a change to that component the change will be reflected on all the copies of that component. This makes it much easier when working with a model that has repetitive pieces (like a dining room with 8 chairs).

1. Select all the geometry, then right-click and select Make Component.
2. In the pop-up window, give the component a name and click Create.

Changing components

1. To change all the copies of the component in the model, double-click into one component and make your change. The change will be applied to all the components.
2. To change only one copy of a component, select the component. Right-click and select Make Unique. You can make changes to this component that will not be applied to the other copies of the component, while keeping your component a component.

Tags and Entities

Tags and Entities are both found in the Default Tray on Windows or in the Window menu on Mac.

Tags

Tags control the visibility of an object/entity. You can give multiple entities the same tag (i.e., “roof,” “outer walls, ” or “second floor”), and click the eye icon in the Tags tray to make everything with that tag invisible. This can make it easier to work inside of a model.

Entities

Each object in your model is an entity. The Entity Info tray gives you more information about each entity, like the square footage.

Materials add color and texture to a model. They work like paint, carpet, siding, and basically any other kind of texture. Materials can only be applied to a face so if you want to apply a glass material to a window, there needs to be a face for the window, rather than an empty space.

• Open the Materials tab in the Default Tray. On a Mac, this is the Colors panel.
• Using the Select tool, double-click into the group so that you can apply materials to specific edges.

All the materials available directly in SketchUp are categorized in the drop-down menu in the Materials/Colors panels. 

• Paint colors are found in both the Colors and Colors-Named categories. If the color you want is not shown, open the Edit tab to add your own. Once you select a color or other material, you will activate the paintbrush tool.

Apply materials to outside of room.

• Apply a glass material to the windows.
• Apply an aluminum material to the walls.
• Apply a Formica material to the door.
• Apply a gray color to the window frame in the door.

Apply materials to inside of room.

• Paint one of the interior walls (without windows) purple.
• Paint the other interior wall (without windows) off-white.
• Apply an aluminum material to the chair rails.

You may need to add lines to the tops of your walls so that you can make the two walls different colors. Just use the line tool to draw straight lines across the inside edges of the wall.

Import from 3D Warehouse.

The 3D Warehouse is a place where you can find objects, materials, and other entities that you can add to your model. This is a great place to find furniture and decorative objects, as well as more unique materials and textures for your walls, floors, and windows. You can even find actual objects and materials from real catalogs.

You need to be logged in to use the 3D Warehouse so if you aren’t logged in, log in now. Help > Sign In > sign in using your Mocs google account. Go to the 3D Warehouse by clicking the 3D Warehouse icon in the toolbar. From there you can browse or search to find the thing you need. Use the sidebar to narrow down your results.

Apply materials from 3D Warehouse.

You may have noticed that we didn’t add a floor material to our model. That’s because we’re going to find a floor in the 3D Warehouse! Rather than trying to match our actual room 307, take a look through the 3D Warehouse and find a flooring material you want to use. You can choose anything you want.

1. When you find a flooring material you like click Download to add it to your model.
2. You will return to your model and have a tile that you can place in your model. You will probably have to resize it.
3. Activate the Scale tool (S). Use the handles to make the flooring fill the room.

Add objects to room. 

Return to the 3D Warehouse to find and place the following objects:

1. A whiteboard
2. An LCD screen (tip: try looking for a TV screen)
3. A table (tip: try looking in Models if you don’t see anything you like in Products)
   • Pick any table you want, but make sure it’s round. Using the Scale tool, size it to
     1. 42” across (or as close to it as you can get -- some downloaded objects can’t be scaled with the Tape Measure tool)
     2. 30” tall
     3. Tips
        • Make sure that you’re resizing along the correct axis! To make an object taller or shorter without resizing the other dimensions, make sure you’re pulling from the handle in the center of the top/bottom.
        • If you’re having trouble resizing your object, make sure you’re working inside the object group. 
4. 1 chair
   • Pick any straight-backed wooden chair you want
     1. The seat of the chair should be 18-20” off the ground for a 30” tall table.
     2. If you find you’re having trouble moving your objects along the right plane in the model, use the modifier keys (the Instructor tab in the Default tray or Windows menu can help).
5. 1 decorative object of your choice. It can be anything!

Note that you may have to rotate your objects to place them on the walls where you want them.

1. Activate the Rotate tool (Q).
2. Click on the object, making sure to to select the correct axis. This may take a couple of tries. Zooming in can help, or trial and error.
3. Once you have the correct axis selected, click again to select the axis on which you want to rotate the object.
4. Now you can rotate the object. You can use the mouse to rotate it (click and release when you have it where you want it), or you can type in the degrees it should rotate.
5. When you place the object on the wall, make sure it says "on face." Otherwise, your object will just be floating in the room.

Purge materials.

Purging materials gets rid of all the unused and deleted materials in the model, and can make a model smaller and faster.

1. Purge materials.
2. Open the Material tab in the Default tray.
3. Choose “In Model” from the drop-down menu.
4. Click the arrow next to the drop-down menu to see the details.
5. Select Purge Unused.

Save and export.

Save your model as a .skp (SketchUp) file.

1. Save your model. Your model will be saved as a .skp file by default, and you will be able to edit your model using this file.
   • SketchUp will also create a folder with assets from your model. The folder will have the same name as your SketchUp file, and will have image files that are being used as textures on your objects.
2. Save your model as a .stl file: File > Export > 3D Model. Choose .stl from the file type menu.

Save your model as a 2D image.

1. Make a section cut so that the image will include the interior of your room. Use the standard camera view to make sure your view is straight-on.
2. Export an image: File > Export > 2D graphic. Save it as a JPG.