My Top 10 SketchUp Tips for Beginners (and Veterans!)

  1. Use Keyboard shortcuts!
    1. Every tool in SketchUp is either assigned a keyboard shortcut, or can be assigned a shortcut. These shortcuts allow you to access the various tools in SketchUp without needing to click on icons. Roughly, using keyboard shortcuts can cut your modeling time in half!
  2. Move along axes
    1. Often times, you’ll want to move objects both up and down and left and right simultaneously. However, if you try to move an object in both directions at once, your object may not go where you want it to go. However, if you move your objects along the red and green axes first, then along the blue axis (or vice versa), it’s much easier to get your objects to move where you want them to go.
  3. Move with inferencing (Kitchen Example)
    1. When moving objects around in SketchUp, sometimes it can be a bit difficult to get objects to go exactly where you’d like them to go in a 3D space. However, this process can be made a lot easier if you use inferencing to move objects around. Inferencing is SketchUp’s way of helping you move objects around. For example, let’s say you wanted to move a table and chairs so that they line up with the end of a cabinet – you can select and move your objects, then hold the shift key to lock along an axis, then move your mouse over the cabinet end and click to place your objects where you want them to go.
  4. Use the 3D Warehouse
    1. There can be a temptation when creating a model to try to model everything yourself. However, SketchUp has a giant repository of free models ready for import into your model. Focus your modeling time on modeling spaces, and download as much furniture and other interior objects from the warehouse as possible to save modeling time.
  5. Model using groups
    1. When objects are not in groups, faces start merging, and you start having issues. By grouping your geometry, your objects no longer merge with other objects, allowing you to quickly and easily make changes
  6. Model using components
    1. A lot of people are confused about the difference between groups and components. A component is an object that, when you copy it, any change that’s made to one copy will be reflected in all the other copies as well. A good rule of thumb is – if you think you’ll ever have more than one of something in a model, make it a component. If you’re not going to make a copy of something, it can be a group.
  7. Use Copy Mode
    1. A lot of people don’t know that the move tool and the rotate tool can actually be used to create copies of geometry. By tapping the control key with these tools active, you can use them to create copies.
  8. Create multiple copies at once
    1. Not only can you use move and rotate to create single copies, you can also use them to create multiple copies. When you create a copy of an object, you can type “*” and the number of copies you’d like to make, then hit the enter key to make that number of copies. Note that you can change the number of copies by hitting “*” and a new number, then the enter key as long as the tool is still active.
  9. Create equally spaced copies between two points (Fence Posts)
    1. Not only can you create multiple copies, you can also set an end point, then hit the divided by key and enter a number of copies to create equally spaced copies between two points
  10. Use extensions!
    1. SketchUp and SketchUcation both have large warehouses of extensions that can be installed in SketchUp to enhance its functionality. Resist the desire to try to model everything with native tools, and be willing to try new extensions – they’ll really expand your modeling capabilities.

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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.