SketchUp Mastery Foundations: Part Two

This introductory SketchUp series is perfect for someone brand new to the 3D modeling software or someone looking to brush up on the foundation principles.

In this course we’ll be building on the tools and techniques that I shared in my Part One class. While you can definitely take on this class without going through Part One in this series, I do highly recommend taking that class first. In this class I may gloss over the drawing and editing tools that I covered in the first part of the SketchUp Mastery Foundations series. So if you feel a little lost when it comes to some of those tools then it might be helpful to go to the Part One class and then returning to this Part Two class.

Since we’re building your SketchUp foundations we’ll be adding a few new tools, tips, and techniques to the lineup. However you end up using this handy program is all up to you in the end. That means whether you’re looking to use SketchUp to build models of homes and interiors like I do, or you want to design your own furniture to build, or create detailed characters, or anything else you can imagine, this course will give you the basics necessary to build on and expand that knowledge and skill set.

We’ll touch on things like looking a different views of your model, using construction tools and guides, working with groups and components, adding materials, organizing your model with layers (tags), along with creating scenes and section cuts. Just like with the first class in this series, it’s all about the foundations you need to work quickly and efficiently no matter what you choose to use the software for. I’m sharing my experience learned through years of building models of homes and interiors to help you save time figuring out all the tips, tricks, and shortcuts to make your modeling process easier and more organized. I’ll even share some real world model examples with you to demonstrate what we learn.

Course Objectives:

• Work our way through more of the toolbars to become familiar with tools like dimensions, text, guides, components, groups, materials, tags, scenes, and sections
• Learn some of the differences between groups and components as well as when one might be more beneficial than the other.
• Create a system for organizing your model using groups and layers (also known as tags)
• Setup a variety of different scenes of your model for quick navigation and for achieving different looks
• Learn how to share views of your model with clients or to build your design portfolio
• Learn to use native SketchUp tools by creating model components and elements that can be used in later courses and projects to save you time and energy

I’m so excited to continue this journey into the foundations of SketchUp with you!

This program is such a handy tool for designers.  It’s a quick and easy way to take your designs from a 2-dimensional format into the 3-dimensional world.  It allows you to better explain your designs to your clients who may not be able to visualize simple line drawings of their project.

One of the best things about SketchUp is that you can create models that range from the more basic aspects of creating a single, simple piece of furniture all the way up to creating a multi-story home and beyond.  How complex you design and build is really up to you.

Another great aspect of working in SketchUp is that there are so many different ways to reach the same end result.  Everyone has their own way of doing things.  Once you learn the basics, you can decide what the best method is for you and how you design and operate.

The methods you’ll learn here in my classes are some of the ones I’ve found to work best for me through the years of designing full homes and interiors.  My methods have evolved and changed over the years by testing out ways to make the process as easy as can be.  Even if that means adapting to software updates and finding new time-saving techniques.

So let’s dig in and get started!

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