Computer Graphics
Using SketchUp for Schools
Welcome to Computer Graphics!
In this class we will learn how to make 3-dimensional representations of objects on a computer such as might be used in architecture, engineering, 3-D printing and video games.
Table of Contents
Introduction
SketchUp is a widely used, versatile, 3-dimensional graphics program. SketchUp guesses what you are trying to do using a process called inference. Inference allows you to use just a few tools in a variety of ways to create complex graphical objects like those found in video games.
Everything you make within SketchUp is either an edge or a face. Lines are usually thought of as edges in SketchUp. Joining three lines together to make a triangle will produce a flat surface called a face. A face will be created in SketchUp whenever any lines are joined together so they can make a flat shape. A face that goes on forever is called a plane. Three or more lines in the same plane are said to be coplanar.
A Material is a color, pattern or picture that can be painted onto a face. Materials can be positioned by moving, sizing, rotating and skewing to make the object look right.
Sketchup allows you to use these simple concepts to make incredible things with just a few tools.
Using Sketchup
In this class we will use a version called SketchUp for Schools that requires you to be logged into your district email. This will work on any computer, laptop, tablet, or Chromebook that meets the minimum requirements. To get to SketchUp for Schools follow one of the following:
Type edu.sketchup.com into the address bar of the Chrome browser and then sign-in with your district Google email account.
Find the SketchUp for Schools in the Google Apps menu and then sign-in with you district account.
SketchUp for Schools Main Screen
Open/Model Preferences icon
Model name
File operations icon
Toolbar: see Creating and Editing Models.
Status bar: From left to right, you find the Undo/Redo buttons, a link to the Help Center, a language menu, a link to the SketchUp Forums, tips and options for the selected tool, and the Measurements box for modeling accurately.
Panels: see Creating and Editing Models.
On your first time in, take the Tour. Then you can start on the Week 0 Self-Paced Tutorials below.
Class Expectations
Students will complete tasks by meeting the specifications for that task. Specifications are goals that must be met to complete the task. Each task requires demonstrating certain skills to meet all the specifications. You may work at your own speed, but the tasks should be completed close to their due dates to keep up. Each task should be completed before moving to the next.
Written and video instructions are provided for using the SketchUp tools to meet specifications of the task. Mr. Bright is available to provide help after you have looked through the instructions and tried it yourself once or twice. If you make a mistake you can always click undo in the edit menu or hold down the CTRL and Z buttons at the same time.
Your Grade for each task will be based on the elegance and creativity of your work while meeting all the specifications of each task. Just barely meeting the specifications will earn a B or 8 out of 10. Missing any specification will earn a C or 7 out of 10 or worse.
Class will normally meet in Digital Lab D-5 in the West hallway.
Saving Files
Make a "Computer Graphics" folder in Google Drive where you can save all your work.
Never save files to a district computer as it will be erased as soon as you log off!
You may also save your work to the P: drive with your username. This saves it onto the district network. Warning: The district network cannot be accessed from home or by Chromebooks.
Standard Turn-in
When you feel you have met all the specifications:
Raise your hand to have Mr. Bright come over to check that you have met the Specifications.
After being checked-off by Mr. Bright and completing and revisions, Download and Export a PNG image to your Computer Graphics folder.
In Canvas you will press the Start Assignment button, upload the PNG image, and press Submit to turn-in the assignment.
Useful Links
SketchUp for Schools
SketchUp for Schools Cheat Sheet - discourse-cdn.com
SKP Tools Handout for Comp Book.pdf - sketchup.com
SketchUp Pro Quick Reference Card for Windows
Guía de referencia rápida de SketchUp Español
Knowledge Center - help.sketchup.com - Step-by-step written instructions for using SketchUp tools and features.
Video Tutorials - youtube.com - Short videos on how to do things in SketchUp.
Getting Started Series - Examples of how to making things in SketchUp.
Square One - Basic tools in SketchUp.
Schooltube: "SketchUp" - SketchUp search for videos at Schooltube.com.
Official SketchUp Blog - sketchupdate.blogspot.com - Tips, news, and links on SketchUp.
3D Warehouse - 3dwarehouse.sketchup.com - Free searchable collections of graphics made in SketchUp.
There are two free versions of SketchUp that do not require a district login. You could use them on your own outside of class:
SketchUp Make 2017 is what we have used at Memorial in the past. It must be downloaded and installed on a PC or Mac computer.
SketchUp Free is the current free version similar to SketchUp for Schools with fewer features. A free Trimble account will need to be setup to use this version.
Task: Self-Paced Tutorials
Complete all four Self-Paced Tutorials and save each to your Computer Graphics folder you created in Google Drive.
Take your time and ask questions as you have them. These tutorials will teach you most of the basics of using SketchUp.
There will be an Open computer, closed neighbor quiz on what you have learned at the end of week 1. The quiz is a performance quiz rather than a memory quiz. You will be able to use this website, your saved tutorials and SketchUp to help answer the questions.
Self-Paced Tutorials
Introduction to SketchUp - Skills: Orbit, Zoom, Pan, Rectangle, Push/Pull, and adding & subtracting
Start Drawing Part 1 - Skills: Undo, Rectangle, Line, Move, midpoints, endpoints & blue axis
Start Drawing Part 2 - Skills: Paint Bucket and Shadows
Start Drawing Part 3 - Skills: Using Inference and Styles
Task: Hello World Box
Create a "Hello World" box in SketchUp that meets the following specifications:
Must be created in a new SketchUp file that has the file name "HelloWorld" and your username.
The box must be 3-D.
"Hello, World" must be printed on one face and your name on another face of the box using the 3D Text tool found in the Large Tool Set.
The words and box must be textured colors besides white and gray.
Standard Turn-in to Canvas when finished.
Task: Make a she-shed (or he-shed)
The girl you see when first starting the old SketchUp Make 2014 is Sophie. She needs a hang out place. You should make a she-shed from scratch that at least meets the following specifications:
Sophie or another character is near the main door.
Walls should have a thickness. Six inch thick outside walls are typical.
One doorway, tall enough for Sophie with room to spare. If you have a door it must be halfway open.
Two window holes cut out of the wall, of any shape.
A triangular roof as found on most houses with at least two sides hanging over the outside wall by an equal amount.
Outside walls should have a brick, stone and/or wood texture.
The roof should have a shingles texture.
Four pieces of furniture of your choice inside. You may use objects from Components, 3D Warehouse or make your own.
Standard Turn-in to Canvas when finished.
Task: Make a name tag to 3-D print.
Memorial has 3-D printers. Your task this week is to make a name tag in SketchUp and then export it as an STL file ready for slicing and printing.
Specifications:
Delete the Sketchup character (ie. Catherine, Sophie etc.)
Save to your Computer Graphics folder with the filename of your username and "Nametag." Example: "CBright92_Nametag"
The corners of the name tag must be rounded.
There must be a border around the edge that sticks up as much as the letters.
One end of the name tag must have a hole in it no larger than 3/8 inch (0.375", 10mm)
Your first and/or last name on one side of the name tag.
The name tag needs to be a group with one watertight solid shape. Check that your name tag is printable with the Entity Info tool or the Solid Inspector.
The keychain can be no longer than 3 inches, no wider than 2 inches, and no thicker than 3/8 inch including lettering. (3" x 2" x 0.375" = 76mm x 51mm x 10mm)
Have Mr. Bright check, then download and export an STL file to turn into:
Task Part A: Simple Chair
Sophie needs some chairs. Make a four-legged chair with a back using either the additive or subtractive method described in the video (up to minute 5:12).
Specifications:
Sophie should be standing by the chair
The chair should be the right size for Sophie to sit on comfortably.
All four chair legs should be identical in size and shape.
All faces should be colored or textured.
The chair should be made into a component.
Have Mr. Bright check.
Task Part B: Fancy Chair
The chair you made is pretty plain. Sophie would like something unique she can talk about. Make a fancier chair. The New Users 4: Create a Chair video from 5:13 minute mark to the end can give you ideas.
Specifications:
Sophie or another SketchUp character standing by the chair.
The chair should be the right size for Sophie to sit on comfortably.
The chair must have at least three curved surfaces.
The Follow Me tool must be used at least once in the model.
The chair must have at least two legs that are the same component.
Chair legs must be more complex than boxes or cylinders, but still identical in size and shape.
The seat bottom must be more complex than a flat rectangular board.
All faces should be colored or textured with materials.
The whole chair should be made into a component.
Week 5 - Unfolded and Refolded Shapes
Task: Unfold Two Shapes in SketchUp.
Specifications:
Create a 6 sided box and a 9 or more sided shape in SketchUp.
Unfold the sides flat by making each side a group and then using the Rotate tool.
Put your name on the project using 3D Text.
Turn-in to Canvas a top-view PNG image of both shapes into Canvas. Mr. Bright will print it out.
Cut, fold and tape back to the original shapes.
Turn-in:
Paper 6 sided box attached to uncut sheet.
Paper shape with 9 sides or more attached to uncut sheet.
Required Instructions
Math Bonus - aisdmsteched.wikispaces.com - Skills: Rotate, Group, Copy
Introduction to groups and components (in Sketchup) - youtube.com (video 9:05)
Basic steps:
Use 3-D Text to put your name on your assignment.
Create a shape in SketchUp using the Line, Rectangle, Polygon and Push/Pull tools.
Make each face of the shape a Group.
Unfold each face of the shape so that it is flat using the Rotate Tool.
Zoom and pan a top-view of the unfolded shape to fill the screen using the settings on the example.
Turn in a top-view image of both shapes into Canvas. Mr. Bright will print out two copies of the image.
Cut out, fold and tape to make each shape in real life.
Tape the assembled shapes to your second copy and then turn-in to Mr. Bright.
Tips
To keep the top from getting stranded, hold down the Shift or Ctrl key to select the top face and one of the sides, then rotate them together.
When using the Rotate tool, hover the tool over a face that is 90 degrees from the side you wish to rotate, hold the shift key down to lock the rotation direction and then select your hinge point.
Make a copy of your shape and rotate the whole shape by 90 degrees. This can serve as a form for getting the Rotate tool to turn the way you want.
Weeks 6 to 8 - Watering Can for Sophie
Task: Watering Can
Sophie likes Mr. Bright's blue watering can. She has to have it! But Sophie thinks solid colors and repeating patterns are soooo boring. She wants something more personal. She wants the watering can to remind her of who made it.
Make a precise model of Mr. Bright's watering can with a complex, multicolored image to put on the can. This will use all of the skills and tools you have learned so far.
If we imagine how the makers originally made the watering can, we see they probably made the spout and handle completely separate from the can and then welded them onto the can. That can be a good way to make this in SketchUp. We will worry about moving, rotating, and intersecting the separate parts once we have made them in all their detail.
Overall Specifications:
The watering can must match Mr. Bright's blue can to within 1/8 inch (0.125" or 4mm) of ALL dimensions.
Create at least one complex multicolored image that covers most of the outside of the can part.
No solid color textures can be used except for the inside and handle of the watering can.
Standard Turn-in for Making Parts 1 and 2 and then the finished product.
Required Instructions
Circle Tool - Square One - youtube.com
Sketchup How To Make a Cone in 3 different ways - youtube.com
Two different ways to draw a cone - help.sketchup.com - Skills: Cylinder to cone method and Follow Me tool method of making cones.
Sketchup Copy Array and Rotate Multiple Object - youtube.com
Intersect with model, context or selection - Skill Builder (7:22) - youtube.com - Skills: add, subtract and intersect to make complex objects.
Soften/Smooth Edges Window - Square One (9:15) - youtube.com - Skills: smoothing, softening and blending complex shapes.
Paint 3D - Tutorial for Beginners in 10 MINUTES! - youtube.com
Wrap an image around a cylinder (Video 3:10) - Skills: Importing an image, positioning textures, placing texture around a cylinder.
Optional Instructions
How to Add a Texture to a Curved Surface in Sketchup (10:20 mins) - youtube.com
Making Parts 1: The Can
Specifications
Make the can part of the water can with a diameter of 5 inches and a height of 4 inches. The side walls should be between 1/16 and 1/8 inches.
Import an image (jpg, png, bmp) not found in SketchUp to put around the can.
Basic Instructions
Create a cylinder 4 inches tall with a diameter of 5 inches using the Circle Tool and then the Push/Pull. The Circle Tool uses a radius instead of diameter. Remember that a radius = diameter ÷ 2 (a calculator is in the Start menu).
Select the top circle of the cylinder and use the Offset tool to make another circle 1/8 inch (0.125" or 4 mm) on the inside.
Push the face inside the circle down about 3.9 inches (almost 3 7/8").
Make the whole cylinder a Group so other things you do will not bother this part.
Standard Turn-in: Submit to Canvas a PNG Image of the Can part 1.
Making a Wrapper Image for the Can
Specifications:
Make a wrapper image for the can part of the Watering Can for Sophie. The exact aspect ratio is 15.7:4 width to height ratio.
Any imported images from the internet need to be Copyright Free Images to an external site..
Submit your wrapper PNG image to Canvas. Put a link to any images used outside of Paint 3D in the comments.
Canvas Size for 5” wide 4” tall Can
Circumference = Diameter x 𝝿
Width = 5” x 3.14 = 15.7”
Height = 4”
Aspect Ratio = Width ÷ Height
15.7:4 = 3.925:1
Required Instructions
You can use Paint 3D to make incredible images yourself.
Paint 3D - Tutorial for Beginners in 10 MINUTES! - youtube.com
Wrapping an Image around the Can
There are two ways to get an image along a curved surface in SketchUp. The most common is to project a texture that has been put on a screen onto the curved surface as described in the video - SketchUp Skill Builder: Projecting Textures on Curved Surfaces. The second way only works on cylinders and cones made by pushing on a circle as described in the video Wrap an image around a cylinder. This second way is the most likely way you will want to put an image on the can. Below are some basic instructions for wrapping an image around a cylinder.
Procedure for SketchUp for Schools
Making Parts 2: The Handle
If you look at the handle carefully from the side, the top of the handle has a big circle and a straight line. The bottom curl is just a little circle.
Make a straight line on the can where you want to put the handle. Start at the top of the can group where the lip of the can meets the group lines. Go in the blue axis direction to the bottom of the can.
The center of the big circle is about 1 inch out from the can and 1 inch down from the top of the can. Make lines down and out from the top of the can to help guide you. Making a line back to the top will make a face that makes the next step easier.
Make the big circle with a radius of 1.25 inches (1 1/4").
Make a line 0.5 inches (1/2") up from the bottom of the can.
Join a line from the endpoint above to a point on the big circle that would make it smoothly blend in.
Select the upper edge of the big circle and the straight line.
Use the offset tool to give a thickness of about 0.125 inches (1/8").
Make the smaller circle with a radius of 0.25 inches (1/4") that is 0.25 (1/4") inches up and out from the bottom of the can. You could make lines to help guide you.
The width of the handle is about 0.7 inches (11/16"). Pull the face that makes up the handle one half the width (0.35 inches) of the handle.Push a new face (ctrl key) the full width of the handle.
Making Parts 3: The Spout
The spout is constructed of 7 cones, but six of the cones are the same. Before attempting this part look at: Two different ways to draw a cone.
Use either the circle and move method or the circle and follow-me method described in Two different ways to draw a cone to make the big cone with a diameter on the large end of 1.25 inches (1 1/4"), a length of 3.75 inches (3 3/4"), and 0.75 inches (3/4") diameter on the small end. Remember that the circle tool uses a radius. A radius is half of the diameter. (The calculator is in the Start menu.)
Make one of the small cones that goes on the flower shaped end of the spout by making a cone that is 0.75 inches (3/4") diameter on the small end, 1.5 inches long, and 1.0 inches diameter on the large end in a space separate from the big cone.
3. Skew the top part of the small cone by moving the 1.0-inch diameter circle 0.5 inches (1/2") in either the green axis or red axis direction.
4. Make the small cone into a component.
5. Use the Rotate tool to make 5 more copies for a total of 6 small cones around the center of the small circle. Since there are 360 degrees in a circle and we want 6 cones equally spaced, then 360 / 6 = 60. Each cone should be 60 degrees from the cone beside it.
Rotate Tool → Ctrl to make a copy →
with blue rotation circle, Select center of small circle →
Select a rotation handle →
rotate copy 60 degrees →
type "x5" and Enter.
6. Select and move the flower parts to join to the large cone.
7. Make the whole spout a group.
Joining the Spout to the Can
Rotate the whole spout 60 degrees so that it is 30 degrees from horizontal (30 degrees from either the green axis or red axis).
Move the spout using the lowest point on the large cone and join this to the surface of the can. SketchUp will show a message that says something like "intersecting a plane" when the spout is on the face of the can.
It looks pretty good from the outside, but inside more work needs to be done. The spout shouldn't go through to the inside of the can! And don't we need a hole in the can so the water can go into the spout?!! Double-click on the can to get into the can group and then triple-click on the can to select all of the can.
Click the right mouse button to get the context menu. Click on the Intersect Faces -> With Model command near the bottom of this menu.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the large cone part of the spout.
Lines should appear where the faces of the spout and can have been joined together. The intersect should have created different faces also. Now the unneeded lines and faces can be erased from the inside of the can without affecting the rest of the model.
Week 10 - Build a Birdhouse
Now that she has her own personalized watering can, Sophie would like you to design a bird house that she could build from pieces cut from a 6 inch wide 1 inch thick board. She wants a birdhouse design that is most attractive to house sparrows.
Specifications
Part 1 - Birdhouse Specifications
All of the parts to the birdhouse except for the perch must be cut from a 6" wide by 1" thick board.
No part of the bird house can be longer than 12".
The bird house must have a sloped roof that overhangs a 2 1/2" long perch.
House sparrows desire entrance holes that are around 2" in diameter about 6" above the floor.
House sparrows desire a floor area between 4"x 4" to 5"x 5".
Your name on the bird house underneath the perch (3D Text tool).
The overall width, length, and height of the birdhouse are dimensioned.
Standard Turn-in: Submit to Canvas PNG Images that shows the specifications were met on the Birdhouse.
Part 2 - Dimensioned Cut-Board
Lay out each of the component parts in a line as it would be cut out of a 6" wide, 1" thick board (6' x 6" x 1").
The diameter of the hole is dimensioned.
Each of the major parts is labelled and dimensioned.
Standard Turn-in: Submit to Canvas PNG Images that shows the specifications were met for the Cut-Board.
Part 3 - 3-View of Birdhouse
From Scenes select Front View and Parallel Projection.
Make your bird house into a component.
Make two copies of your bird house - 1 to the side and 1 above your original.
Rotate the side Birdhouse 90 degrees to the right to see the left side.
Rotate the top birdhouse 90 degrees down to see the top of the bird house.
From Styles→ Default Styles, select the X-Ray Style.
Required Instructions
Weeks 11-12 - Scale Model
Task: Scale Model
Make a model of a real thing that is the right size, shape, and looks like the real thing.
Specifications:
The object must be something that can be brought to the computer lab.
The object to be modeled must be at least as complex as a flat screen computer monitor or a stapler.
The model must have the same dimensions as the real object. Measurements taken in real-life must match measurements in SketchUp for all major features such as buttons, screens, bezels, stands etc.
Important details such as buttons should be present.
Major parts, such as the monitor stand, must be separate components in SketchUp.
Textures should closely match the object.
At least one texture should be imported from an image not included with SketchUp.
Dimension the length, width, and height of the object
Have Mr. Bright check your work before sending a PNG Image to Canvas and the SketchUp (SKP) file to Mr. Bright's email: christopher.bright@albany.k12.or.us .
Required Instructions
SketchUp Skill Builder: Projecting Textures on Curved Surfaces - youtube
A company's logo could be put on a flat face of an object by:
Saving an image of the logo from the companies web page as a .png or .jpg file.
Using the Paint Brush tool in SketchUp to create a new material using the image file as a material or texture.
Paint the texture on a face of the object.
Following the instructions here to position the texture.
An image of the computer screen can be placed on a flat face by:
Saving the screen image as a .png.
Using the Paint Brush tool in SketchUp to create a new material using the image file as a texture.
Paint the texture on a face of the object.
Following the instructions here to position the texture.
Optional Instructions
. SketchUp Rectangle Tool: Creating precise rectangles - Skills: Rectangle Tool, Precise dimensions.
. Toolbar Series: Scale Tool - Skills: Scale Tool, resizing objects, proportioning, and mirroring.
. Two different ways to draw a cone - Skills: Making cones and tapered curved surfaces.
. Drawing a Sphere - Skills: Making spheres and rounded corners.
. Soften/Smooth Edges - Skills: smoothing, softening and blending complex shapes.
. Applying photo-textures to the sides of your building - Skills: Importing photo-textures
. Position Texture Tool: Manipulating a material using Fixed Pin mode - Skills: positioning textures
Wrapping (projecting) text along a shape - schooltube.com (video 5:54) - Skills: Importing an image, positioning textures, placing texture along a curved surface.
Wrap an image around a cylinder - schooltube.com (Video 3:10) - Skills: Importing an image, positioning textures, placing texture around a cylinder.
Rounded Cube with Native Tools (7:50) - Skill Builder - youtube.com
How to create organic shapes with native tools in SketchUp - Skill Builder - youtube.com
Weeks 13 to 16 - Dream House on a Budget
Option A: Make your dream house on a budget
Congratulations! A relative you never knew left you a 80 ft X 80 ft piece of property in Albany. Now you want to build a house on it. You have $150,000 to build and furnish your own house. Each square foot of area costs $100.
Using a spreadsheet, you can enter the lengths and widths of rooms, and amount of furniture into the yellow boxes to calculate costs. You can save the spreadsheet to your Google Drive account by opening it as a Google Spreadsheet.
Option B: Make a scale model of a Memorial classroom
With the teacher's permission, create a 3-D model of a Memorial classroom complete with furniture, windows, and doors of the correct size and in the right places.
Measurements will need to be gathered using measuring tape, a meter stick, and/or counting and measuring floor tiles. Use this worksheet to help organize all the data you need.
Either option can be divided into four big steps:
Create a floor plan.
Furnish your floor plan and make final changes.
Make the inside 3-D.
Make the outside.
house42ex2021.mp4 Specifications and Work Flow
Step 1: Create a floor plan.
Inside walls should be 4.5 inches thick.
Outside walls and walls with plumbing should be 6 inches thick.
Windows and doors should be marked in some way.
Typical inside door are 24", 28" and 30" wide.
Typical outside doors have 32" or 36" widths.
All rooms with an outside wall should have a window except bathrooms, closets, and the garage.
Dimension overall width and length.
Option A: Dream House on a Budget
Option B: Memorial Classroom
Step 2: Furnish your floor-plan.
Place your furnishings.
May come from 3D Warehouse or build your own.
Each piece of furniture should be a separate Component.
Create a Tag called "1 Furniture" in SketchUp to put furnishings.
Draw in the tops of your cabinets and counter-tops.
Modify your floor plan as needed to make everything work.
Include your Chair for Sophie, Watering Can and Scale Model as furniture.
Option A: Dream House on a Budget
Show Mr. Bright your Spreadsheet and floorplan with furniture.
Option B: Memorial Classroom
Show Mr. Bright your measurement worksheet and floorplan with furniture.
Floor Plan Checkoff
Show your work from steps 1 and 2 to Mr. Bright.
Submit a top-down view of your floor-plan with furniture into Canvas.
Step 3: Make the inside 3-D
Backup your floor-plan by using the Save a Copy as... command in the File menu.
Pull-up the walls to make your project 3-D. An 8-foot ceiling height is typical.
Correctly size windows and doors. Typical doors are 80" or 84" tall.
Pull-up counters. Typical counter heights are 34" or 36".
Texture the interior floor and walls.
Add additional furniture requiring walls, such as cabinets.
3-D House Checkoff
Show Mr. Bright the 3-D version of your house complete with doors, windows, cabinets, counters and necessary items.
Submit a PNG image that shows most of these features to Canvas.
Step 4: Make the outside.
Texture and add details to the outside walls.
Create walkways and porches around outside doors.
Option A: Dream House on a Budget
Make the Roof
Create a Tag called "3 Roof".
Create a roof to your house.
Make the Landscape
Create a Tag called "4 Yard."
Create a 90' x 90' square to represent the ground of the property.
Put in a yard and garden.
Draw in and texture driveways, sidewalks, flowerbeds, etc.
Place yard furniture and tag to the 4 Yard tag.
Be sure to account for any yard materials on the spreadsheet to make sure you are under budget.
Option B: Memorial Classroom
Make a Classroom Map
Create a Tag called "3 Labels".
Create a Scene showing the top view in Parallel Projection with all the furniture in black and white (styles).
Use 3-D Text to label the teacher's name and room number.
Label important features such as windows that cannot be seen from a top view.
Put all labels in a separate Tag.
Final Checkoff
Before having your work checked, make sure you have the following:
Dream House on a Budget
Once checked, e-mail two 2-D images of your favorite views to Mr. Bright. The whole SketchUp file will be emailed in the next assignment.
Memorial Classroom
Once checked, e-mail a 2-D black and white of the classroom map and another 2-D color image of your favorite view. The whole SketchUp file will be emailed in the next assignment.
Optional Instructions
House Style Guide to the American Home - thoughtco.com - The easiest styles for this assignment are the American Bungalow, Minimal Traditional and Ranch styles.
Floor Plans
What Is a Floor Plan? Answers the Question: Where Are the rooms? - thoughtco.com
Architectural Symbols & Signs Used in Drawing - civiconcepts.com
SketchUp Interior Design Tutorial — How to Create a Floor Plan (in 7 EASY Steps) - youtube.com
SketchUp Skill Builder: Preparing for Architectural Modeling (video 7:52) - Using a floor-plan image to make a floor-plan in SketchUp.
SketchUp Interior Design for Layout 1 - Walls from a Floor Plan Image - youtube.com (video 21:57)
Furnish your Floor Plan
Tags Window - Square One - youtube.com - Using Tags are really important for large projects or when working on a slow computer. They allow you to easily group similar things and hide them when they are not needed.
Making it 3-D
SketchUp Skill Builder series: 2. Drawing Exterior Walls, 3. Drawing Interior Walls, 4. Rough Openings, 5. Window Components, 6. 2D and 3D Door Components
SketchUp Interior Design for Layout 1 - Walls from a Floor Plan Image - youtube.com (video 21:57)
8 Ways to CREATE WALLS in SketchUp - youtube.com (video 18:00)
Make the Outside
Section Planes
Section Planes - Square One - youtube.com (video 11:36) - A necessary tool to use if making a multistory house.
Slicing a Model to Peer Inside - help.sketchup.com - Written directions to use Section Planes.
SketchUp Skill Builder: Section Planes - youtube.com (video 7:22) - Basic to advanced skills using a house as an example.
Making complex stuff on slow computers
Objects and components with similar functions should be put in named Tags in SketchUp. The visibility of Tags can be easily turned off and on. There are many advantages to using Tags besides keeping organized:
Important parts or features of a model can be shown separately.
When used with groups and components, different versions or options of a model can be in the same drawing and quickly compared.
(Most importantly...) Slow computers can still work on very complex models by turning the unneeded Tags off.
With SketchUp, the computer only needs to draw what it is showing on the screen. If much of the detail of a model is in Tags that are turned off or hidden, the computer will take less time and memory to redraw the screen. Using Tags, even large complex models are possible on small, slow, memory limited netbook or Chromebook type of computers.
Week 17 - Tour for Sophie
Task
Sophie is a teacher in the market for a house. She is willing to pay over twice what you spent for your house, but she has to see it first. She also needs to choose a classroom to be in at Memorial. Your task is to show off your house or classroom by creating an animated tour in SketchUp.
Tour specifications:
Must begin outside the house or classroom. The tour should begin with a floor plan or a class map view.
Must end outside the house or classroom.
Shows at least three different outside views.
Shows at least six different inside room views.
The tour must not go through walls to go from room to room.
The tour may go through objects that could be opened such as doors and windows.
The tour should show your chair, watering can and scale model.
The tour must not get anybody lost!
Checkoff
After your work has been checked, you will need to export a video of your Tour for Sophie. Keep in mind that the computer may take 20 minutes or more to create the video depending on the number of scenes and settings you have chosen.
Upload two files into Google Drive and share them with Mr. Bright:
Complete SketchUp file including the Tour for Sophie.
Video of the Tour for Sophie.
Required Instructions
SketchUp Animation Tutorial (Video 4:18) - Skills: Scene Tool, arranging scenes
Creating Scenes - Skills: Using Scene Manager to add, organize and update scenes.
Animating Scenes and Exporting Animations - Skills: Using the Scene Tool
The Animation Export Options dialog box (Microsoft Windows) - Skill: Settings for creating video.
What's Next?
Expand your abilities with a new project. There are several options for a new project:
Make another scale model with the specifications from Weeks 7-9 that requires you to learn new skills.
Modify a model to print on a 3-D printer.
Make the Dream House or Classroom you didn't do from Weeks 10 to 14.
Put your Dream House on uneven terrain using Sandbox Tools or landform imported from Google Earth.
Using the Sandbox Tools: Terrain, Draping and Dropping - arch.virginia.edu
SketchUp: The Sandbox Tools (Pt.1), SketchUp Show #13 - youtube.com (Video 4:19)
SketchUp: The Sandbox Tools (Pt.2), SketchUp Show #13 - youtube.com (Video 6:30)
Geo-modeling with SketchUp - FAQ and table of contents for step-by-step procedures.
Make a complex model with the Sandbox Tools
Make a model from a 3-View drawing. A good model to start with is a commercial jet airplane because a few simple shapes can be used over and over by scaling and stretching. Pictures of Commercial jets can be found by adding "3 view" to the search after specifying the make and model. Examples: "dc-9 3 view" or "Sud Caravelle 3 view".
SketchUp Skill Builder: Reference Images - Setting up 3-view images in SketchUp.
Building a Douglas DC9 jet airliner model (KLM colours), using Google Sketchup - youtube.com (Video 6:32) - Shows how to make details of wings and engines.
Building a Caravelle jet airliner model - youtube.com (Video 5:47) - Shows details of how to set-up and use 3-view drawings, using the push/pull tool and scale tool to make the fuselage, and using the intersect tool to make control surfaces.