Create 3D GRIDS IN SKETCHUP with this Extension
In this video, we’ll check out a Guide Grid Extension for SketchUp. Create 2D and 3D guide grids in your models for structure, building gridlines, and more with this extension!
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Extension Name: 3D Grid Tool
Extension Developer – Didier Bur
Extension Cost – Free!
DOWNLOAD 3D GRID TOOL
https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/3d-grid-tool
Tool Functions –
This extension is designed to help you create guide grids in your SketchUp models. This can be especially helpful if you’re designing a building that needs to be set at a certain structural support spacing.
It contains two different built-in functions. The first, is the ability to simply create a grid on a 2D plane.
To create your 2D grid, simply select your line type, set your grid spacing, then click in your model to place your grid.
There are several different grid line styles, though they all end up looking pretty similar.
One thing I don’t like about this extension is that it doesn’t seem to lock to the axes, and the axis locking using your arrows keys on your keyboard doesn’t seem to work either. A decent work-around that I found is to just draw lines where you want to create your grid, then use those to put the grid where you want.
When the grid gets placed, it comes in as its own group, so it’s really easy to turn on and off.
The second option allows you to create a grid with a vertical, or a “Z” value. This allows you to create a grid with three dimensions, so you could create a repeating grid that covers multiple levels, which could be especially helpful when working with buildings with multiple stories.
When you bring the multiple levels in, they’ll come in as separate groups, which you could then rename on a per-level basis, and hide and show various levels.
One thing that is very important about using this tool is making sure that your grids are actually aligned across all the axes. I really suggest that you draw lines along the axes and use those as guides for making sure your grids are created with the proper alignment, otherwise none of your tool inferencing will work properly.
Overall, I think this could be a very useful tool to help with architectural modeling, since most buildings have to be laid out along grids anyway.
About Justin Geis
Hi, I'm Justin Geis, and I'm the founder of The SketchUp Essentials. I started using SketchUp as part of my work as a general contractor in 2008. I quickly realized the power of the software and started using it for personal projects. I started The SketchUp Essentials as a place to share easy to follow SketchUp tutorials and tips to help everyone harness the power of 3D Modeling in their lives. When not working with SketchUp, I enjoy playing soccer and spending time with my wife and our two dogs.
