Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

by Chris Grover

Overview

If you want to learn to create 3-D models using Google SketchUp, this Missing Manual is the ideal place to start. Filled with step-by-step tutorials, this entertaining, reader-friendly guide will have you creating detailed 3-D objects, including building plans, furniture, landscaping plans — even characters for computer games — in no time.

Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual offers a hands-on tour of the program, with crystal-clear instructions for using every feature and lots of real-world examples to help you pick up the practical skills you need. Learn to use the basic tools, build and animate models, and place your objects in Google Earth. With this book, you will:

• Learn your way around the SketchUp workspace, and explore the differences between working in 2-D and 3-D
• Build simple 3-D shapes, save them as reusable components, and use SketchUp's Outliner to show or hide them as you work
• Tackle a complicated model building with lots of detail, and discover timesaving tools for using many components
• Animate the model by creating an interior walkthrough of your building
• Dress up your model with realistic material shading and shadows, and place it in Google Earth

It's easy to get started. Just download the program from Google.com, and follow the instructions in this book. You'll become a SketchUp master in a jiffy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596521462
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/01/2009
Series:	Missing Manual Series
Pages:	598
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Christopher Grover lives in Fairfax, California with his wife and two daughters. Chris received degrees in Creative Writing and Film from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He's worked as a technical writer, advertising copywriter and product publicist for more than 25 years. His freelance articles have been published in a variety of magazines from Fine Homebuilding to CD-ROM World. Chris's latest project is launching Bolinas Road Creative, an agency that helps small businesses promote their products and services. He's also the author of Word 2007: The Missing Manual and Word 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual.

Table of Contents

The Missing Credits; About the Author; About the Creative Team; Acknowledgments; The Missing Manual Series; Introduction; What You Can Do with SketchUp; Entering the Third Dimension; About This Book; About the Outline; The Very Basics; About MissingManuals.com; Part I: Basic SketchUp Skills; Chapter 1: Building a Bench: Your First SketchUp Model; 1.1 Firing Up SketchUp for the First Time; 1.2 Creating Your First SketchUp Document; 1.3 Bench: Starting Your First Model; 1.4 Selecting Objects; 1.5 Turning Your Bench Seat into a Component; 1.6 Assembling the Bench Components; 1.7 Placing Components with Precision; 1.8 Painting Your Bench with Materials; 1.9 Adding to Your Scene; Chapter 2: Starting Off in Two Dimensions; 2.1 Drawing Lines with the Line Tool; 2.2 Erasing Lines and Surfaces; 2.3 Drawing Polygons and Circles; 2.4 Drawing Circles; 2.5 Creating Complex Shapes; 2.6 Drawing Rectangles and Arcs; 2.7 Using the Freehand Tool; 2.8 Moving Objects; 2.9 Editing Geometry; 2.10 Tools Tour; Chapter 3: Drawing in Three Dimensions; 3.1 Navigating 3-D Drawings; 3.2 Finding 3-D Inferences; 3.3 Using the Push/Pull Tool; 3.4 Surface Orientation and Surface Colors; 3.5 Using the Move Tool in 3-D; Part II: Building a House; Chapter 4: Drawing a Basic House; 4.1 Locking an Inference; 4.2 Working with Sloped Surfaces; 4.3 Making Doors and Windows; 4.4 Using the Offset Tool; 4.5 Building a Roof with an Overhang; 4.6 Initial Landscaping: Front Walk and Driveway; Chapter 5: Working Smarter with Groups and Components; 5.1 Creating a Group; 5.2 Creating Components; 5.3 Speeding Up Construction with Arrays; 5.4 Editing Components; 5.5 Using the Make Unique Command; 5.6 Exploring the Components Window; 5.7 Using the Flip Along Command; 5.8 Exploding Components and Groups; 5.9 Deleting Components; 5.10 Using Dynamic Components; Chapter 6: Changing Styles and Applying Materials; 6.1 Changing Face Styles; 6.2 Applying Colors and Materials (Windows); 6.3 Applying Colors and Materials (Mac); 6.4 Changing Face Styles: Take 2 (Mac and Windows); 6.5 Working in the Styles Window; 6.6 Editing and Modifying Styles; 6.7 Modifying Styles Using the Mix Tab; Chapter 7: Organizing with Outliner and Layers; 7.1 Organizing with Outliner; 7.2 Building Stairs: The Divide and Conquer Method; 7.3 Working with Layers; Part III: Advanced Construction Techniques; Chapter 8: Drawing a Hipped Roof and Using Follow Me; 8.1 Making Construction Lines; 8.2 Using the Protractor Tool; 8.3 Using the Follow Me Tool; 8.4 Preselecting the Path for the Follow Me Tool; 8.5 Making Spheres with Follow Me; 8.6 Making Complex Profiles Follow a Path; 8.7 Following Complex or Irregular Paths; 8.8 Making Stairs and a Railing; Chapter 9: Advanced Techniques for Groups and Components; 9.1 Making Groups and Components; 9.2 Understanding SketchUp's Sticky Behavior; 9.3 Editing a Group; 9.4 Creating Components with "Glue to" Options; 9.5 Copying and Placing Components; 9.6 Placing Components in Your Model; 9.7 Editing Components; 9.8 Saving Components for Reuse; 9.9 Swapping Components in Your Model; Chapter 10: Matching Your Photos in SketchUp; 10.1 How Photo Match Works; 10.2 Shooting Photos for Photo Match; 10.3 Importing a Photo for Photo Match; 10.4 Calibrating the Photo Match Image; 10.5 Building a Model from a Picture; 10.6 Applying an Image to a Model; 10.7 Creating 3-D Details from a Texture Image; 10.8 Finding Models with Photo Textures; Part IV: Adding Realism and Movement; Chapter 11: Adding Shadows and Placing Your Model in Google Earth; 11.1 Flicking the Light Switch; 11.2 Changing Shadow Angles; 11.3 Controlling the Strength of the Shadows; 11.4 Choosing Whether Faces and Edges Cast Shadows; Chapter 12: Saving Views and Animating with Scenes; 12.1 Creating a Scene; 12.2 Studying Shadow Movement with Scenes; 12.3 More Ways to Move the Camera; 12.4 View Cross-Sections with Section Planes; Part V: Saving, Printing, and Sharing Projects; Chapter 13: Importing, Exporting, and Printing; 13.1 Importing 3-D Models; 13.2 Importing 2-D Images; 13.3 Exporting from SketchUp; 13.4 Exporting from SketchUp Pro; 13.5 Exporting Animations; 13.6 Printing SketchUp Views; Chapter 14: Finding, Creating, and Sharing Components; 14.1 Finding Components in the 3D Warehouse; 14.2 Creating a Dynamic Component (SketchUp Pro Only); 14.3 Sharing Components; Chapter 15: Designing Edge Styles in Style Builder (SketchUp Pro); 15.1 Style Builder Overview; 15.2 Creating Images for New Sketchy Edge Styles; 15.3 Editing Strokes in Style Builder; 15.4 Opening a New Style in SketchUp; Chapter 16: Presenting Your Model with LayOut (SketchUp Pro); 16.1 Workflow for a LayOut Project; 16.2 Starting Up LayOut; 16.3 LayOut Program: The Quick Tour; 16.4 Manipulating Your Model in LayOut; 16.5 Printing from LayOut; 16.6 Presenting from LayOut; Part VI: Appendixes; Installing SketchUp and Getting Help; Installing SketchUp; Getting Help for SketchUp; SketchUp Menu by Menu; File; SketchUp Menu (Mac Only); Edit; View; Camera; Draw; Tools; Windows; Help; Colophon;