This was my first time using SketchUp, and I found it relatively simple to use. It was fun and intuitive, something that makes for a positive experience for a person with very little 3D modeling experience. The exception was that I had trouble with a few specific tools.
The first trouble I ran into was trying to create slants in my project. The house sits on a hill and the deck has a ramp. I often could not get the shapes to move along the vertical blue axis. I used trial and error: created lines, moved midpoints, and used the push/pull tool.
Eventually I got the hill and the roof to be slanted. There are extra lines visible that I wasn’t sure how to delete without changing the rest of the project. I gave up on trying to create an point at the top of the roof. As you can see in this next picture, there is not a clean line on the edges of the roof. I was able to fix some problems by creating new rectangles over the problem areas and essentially covering up some of the issues. By using this rectangle tool, and then erasing the lines, it created surfaces that were easier to manipulate and change.
I can see SketchUp being used in many different humanistic ways. It is a great way to build simple 3D models of buildings, for example, an architect or a historian could use it for creating historic models. It is a very useful tool and has many possibilities and options for people with little experience.
2 replies on “Creating a Project in SketchUp”
Your 3D house looks amazing! I can’t believe it was just your first time using SketchUp. I admire your commitment to making that slant.
I also love the slant! I think the deck looks great, too, good job on the pillars that rest on the hill.