Visualizing in SketchUp

If you’ve been following me on social media, then you’ve probably seen my latest audience poll.  I’m looking for my next subject for a new SketchUp model and I put it out there for you guys to make the final decision.  

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Visualizing in SketchUp

Maybe you’re wondering what goes into making a model in SketchUp.  Well it all starts with visualizing what tools and tricks to use to get the end result.  You also want to break it down into what elements should be groups versus what should be components.  Let’s take a look at an example…Here is an example of a chandelier I modeled that you can find in my CDS Warehouse as a SU component. (For the real thing check here on Build.com or here on Amazon.com)

Using SketchUp Tools

Now let’s break thing beauty down and begin figuring out just how to model it in SketchUp.  In the image below you can start to see how to look and the individual element to figure out what SketchUp tools to use in order to get the shapes you need.  Some parts like the candle base and the main rod are just simply circles that you push/pull to create a cylinder. Other elements like the ring at the top are made from a circle path + a circle for the ring thickness + the follow me tool to form the final ring.  The same technique goes for the sphere at the base. And even though it’s a bit more complicated for the curved arms, it’s relatively the same path + shape + follow method.

Using Groups vs Components

In this next image you can get an idea for how you might break down a model into groups and components.  When it comes to groups and components, the best way to explain the difference is kind of like “a square is always a rectangle but a rectangle isn’t always a square.” If that makes sense…

A group is something you may only use once.  Sure you can copy it to use it again, but they will be independent from each other.  Whereas when you create a component and copy it, what you do to one happens to the other. 

In this example you may create the individual chain link as a component for consistency but then group several links together to form the overall chain.  For the curved arm of this chandelier, each element (light bulb, candle base, candle dish, curved stem) are all created as individual groups so you can easily edit them separately so nothing messes up another element.  But then you combine those small groups into a component of the overall arm. That way you create it once as a component to be copied six times. As a component, you will then only be manipulating one but the changes will apply to all six at once.  So there’s no need to recreate that curved arm six times when you can do it once.

Was that a lot to take in?

Hopefully that gives you a decent overview of how to see an object and then visualize how to model it in SketchUp.  Study the object and all its parts, break it down, figure out how to group, then start modeling.

Now to the winning new component…