Author(s) : Unknown

Considerably easier to use than other 3D software, Google SketchUp has found a niche in architecture, landscaping, real estate development, furniture building, and other design professions The fun and friendly approach assumes no previous 3D modeling experience and explains the basic concepts involved in 3D modeling Shows readers how to build a 3D model, print it, share it, export it to another professional design package, export it to Google Earth, and create a 3D animated tour Helps readers harness the power of Google SketchUp so that they can populate Google Earth with 3D buildings, monuments, and other sculptures Google SketchUp For Dummies 3 About the Author 5 Dedication 7 Author’s Acknowledgments 7 Contents at a Glance 9 Table of Contents 11 Introduction 19 About This Book 19 Foolish Assumptions 21 How This Book Is Organized 22 Icons Used in This Book 24 Part I: Getting Started with SketchUp 25 Chapter 1: Meeting Google SketchUp 27 Things You Ought to Know Right Away 28 Where SketchUp Fits in Google’s World 28 Comparing SketchUp to Other 3D Modeling Programs 29 What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Expect SketchUp to Do 31 Taking the Ten-Minute SketchUp Tour 33 Chapter 2: Establishing the Modeling Mind-set 39 It’s All about Edges and Faces 40 Drawing in 3D on a 2D Screen 45 Warming Up Your SketchUp Muscles 50 Chapter 3: Getting Off to a Running Start 73 Setting Things Up 73 Making a Quick Model 76 Slapping On Some Paint 82 Giving Your Model Some Style 85 Switching On the Sun 86 Sharing Your Masterpiece 88 Part II: Modeling in SketchUp 89 Chapter 4: Building Buildings 91 Drawing Floors and Walls 92 Staring Down Stairs 112 Raising the Roof 120 Chapter 5: Keeping Your Model Organized 137 Taking Stock of Your Organization Options 138 Grouping Things Together 139 Working with Components 140 Falling in Love with the Outliner 153 Discovering the Ins and Outs of Layers 155 Putting It All Together 159 Chapter 6: Going Beyond Buildings 163 Modeling Symmetrically: Good News for Lazy People 164 Extruding with Purpose: Follow Me 171 Chapter 7: Modeling with Photographs 187 Painting Faces with Photos 188 Modeling Directly from a Photo: Introducing Photo Match 202 Part III: Viewing Your Model in Different Ways 213 Chapter 8: Changing Your Model’s Appearance with Styles 215 Choosing How and Where to Apply Styles 215 Applying Styles to Your Models 216 Making Changes to Styles 220 Saving and Sharing Styles You Make 239 Chapter 9: Working with Light and Shadow 245 Discovering SketchUp’s Shadow Settings 246 Using Shadows to Add Depth and Realism 249 Creating Accurate Shadow Studies 255 Chapter 10: Presenting Your Model Inside SketchUp 263 Exploring Your Creation on Foot 264 Taking the Scenic Route 268 Mastering the Sectional Approach 278 Part IV: Sharing What You’ve Made 289 Chapter 11: Working with Google Earth and the 3D Warehouse 291 Getting the Big (3D) Picture 292 Taking the Ten-Minute Tour of Google Earth 292 Building Models for Google Earth 296 Becoming a SketchUp All-Star with the 3D Warehouse 306 Chapter 12: Printing Your Work 309 Printing from a Windows Computer 309 Printing from a Mac 316 Printing to a Particular Scale 320 Chapter 13: Exporting Images and Animations 325 Exporting 2D Images of Your Model 325 Making Movies with Animation Export 338 Chapter 14: Exporting to CAD, Illustration, and Other Modeling Software 345 Exporting Drawings in 2D 346 Exporting 3D Data for Other Software 358 Chapter 15: Creating Presentation Documents with LayOut 369 Getting Your Bearings 370 Getting Set Up 377 Simplifying Layout with Layers and Master Layers 382 Bringing In Everything You Need 385 Presentation-Perfect Images 389 Life after LayOut 394 Part V: The Part of Tens 397 Chapter 16: Ten SketchUp Traps and Their Work-arounds 399 SketchUp Won’t Create a Face Where I Want It To 399 My Faces Are Two Different Colors 400 Edges on a Face Won’t Sink In 400 SketchUp Crashed, and I Lost My Model 401 SketchUp Is Sooooo Slooooooooow 401 I Can’t Get a Good View of the Inside of My Model 402 A Face Flashes When I Orbit 403 I Can’t Move My Component the Way I Want 403 Every Time I Use the Eraser, Bad Stuff Happens 403 All My Edges and Faces Are on Different Layers 404 Chapter 17: Ten Plugins, Extensions, and Resources Worth Getting 405 Components 405 Ruby Scripts 406 Renderers 408 Hardware 409 Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Discover Even More 411 Put Away Your Wallet 411 Now Get Out Your Wallet 413 Index 415