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Sketchup Tutorials for Any Skill Level. No matter what your skill level is we have sketchup tutorials for you.Our growing library of tutorials take you step by step through different topics to help you really comprehend what you want to learn. SketchUp is a free and easy-to-use 3D drawing, design, and rendering program. SketchUp 2017 offers faster performance, intelligent tools such as smart offsets and inferencing, and more customization options than ever before. Learn the essentials of the latest version of SketchUp in this course. George Maestri covers navigating around the. SketchUp Free is the simplest free 3D modeling software on the web — no strings attached. Bring your 3D design online, and have your SketchUp projects with you wherever you go. You don’t need thousands of bells and whistles to draw in 3D. All you need is your idea, and room to draw. Google SketchUp is a free online 3D modelling program designed for architects, civil and mechanical engineers, and graphic artists involved in filmmaking and game developing. The course introduces you to Google SketchUp’s basics, starting with its navigation tools. I had a version of Sketchup on this computer. It came with something called “layout” which I never used. I tried it and was told it had expired. I tried to remove it but it ended up that I removed sketchup. I tried to reinstall it and all I can seem to find is Sketchup Pro. I am a retired old coot and just use it for home projects (fireplace front, wine rack, etc). I often use it where I.
SketchUp Make 2017 (64-bit) is a free, easy-to-learn 3D-modeling program with a few simple tools to let you create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects, and even space ships. You can add details, textures, and glass to your models, and design with dimensional accuracy. You can place your finished models in Google Earth, share them with others by posting them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies. SketchUp Make 2017 is a great way to discover if 3D modeling is right for you.
With the release of SketchUp Make 2017, we've removed support for 32-bit operating systems, OpenGL 2.0, and software rendering of models (as opposed to hardware acceleration). We also removed support for OS X 10.9 (Mavericks.)
- Fixed a frequent crash that could occur when inserting components and doing other actions (e.g., renaming a component, deleting entities, changing component properties).
- Fixed a frequent crash that could occur when copy/pasting geometry that needs to be merged with hidden geometry.
- Fixed a frequent crash that could occur when doing a copy/rotate after having cancelled out of a previous copy/rotate by activating another tool.
- Fixed a frequent crash that could occur on some systems with AMD/ATI graphics cards.
- Fixed a crash that could occur when opening/working in some models with unfixed validity errors.
- Added a fix for a non-reproducible crash that could occur when using the Rectangle tool.
Modelling and reading topographic maps becomes more convenient with the aid of modern technology such as online map surveying and 3-D modelling software.
Most contour lines found in online topographic maps such as Google map (https://www.google.com.ph/maps), Open Street Maps (https://www.openstreetmap.org/), NAMRIA (http://www.namria.gov.ph/), etc. are labelled with elevations. These topographic elevations found mostly on online map can only be viewed in a macro scale level, showing a minimum of 20m contour intervals.
Topographic maps may have many contour lines. Technically, it is possible to label the elevation of each contour line more extensively up to 5 meters (or less) through 3-D modelling.
In this tutorial, we will learn how to adjust the contour intervals using SketchUp. Here, we will try to generate 5m contour interval based on the Google map topography, with the specified value of 20m contour interval.
Before we start the modelling procedures, we should analyze first the contour interval of the topographic map. Here’s a quick guide on how to read topographic map.
Quick Guide on How to Read Topographic Map
To determine the contour interval of a point, you must have a reference line from which to start. This reference line is an index contour (major contour line). Based on the reference map, an index is one that is bolder, darker contour line and has a value written on the line. The value written on the index line is the elevation. The elevation value of the minor contour lines can be determined through the counting process from one index contour to another. For instance, if the first index contour line has a value of 100m and the second index contour has a value of 200m, the value of the minor contour lines in-between the two index contour lines will be 120m, 140m, 160m, and 180m. Therefore, the contour interval is 20m.
20 Meter Contour Interval
6 Cardinal Rules 0f Contours
RULE #1: Contour always occur in pairs
RULE #2: Contours never cross
RULE #3: Contours have equal vertical separation
RULE #4: All contour lines close in themselves
RULE #5: Contours do not merge
RULE #6: The steepest slope is a line perpendicular to the contour
How to View Google Map With Contour Lines
STEP 1: Open the Google map> Click the expand side panel>search the location of the site by typing the address on the search bar> click the ‘map view’. In the figure, you see the results for Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs
STEP 2: Click the menu from the Google map panel> click the terrain option
Terrain Option
STEP 3: Use the Zoom controls on the left corner and click the negative sign to zoom out the map. Make sure that all contour lines are visible when zoom out> click ‘print screen’ (keyboard)> paste the image in photo editor > save in JPEG format
Make sure all contour lines are visible when zoomed out
B. How to Create a 3D Topographic Model Using SketchUp
STEP 1: Click File> Import> select map image> click Import
STEP 2: Draw a 500 meter line. Here, click the ‘lines’ from the drawing tool> type the 500 meter value on the ‘Edges length’ located in the ‘Entity Info’ then press Enter. The 500 meter line will serve as a scale reference. Re-scale the imported topographic map image (make sure the 500 meter graphic map scale image will fit into the the 500 meter line
Re-Scale Image
STEP 3: Draw a 1000 x 1000 meter border line box
STEP 4: To draw curves, click the ‘Arcs’ from the drawing tool> Trace the contour lines from the map> delete any faces that form when lines were drawn
Trace the contour lines from the map
STEP 5: To adjust the elevation of each contour lines, use the Move Tool. Click the contour line that you want to adjust, then click the Move Tool> press the up key button (keyboard)> pull-up the selected contour line or object vertically (it is locked to the blue axis)> Type the elevation value shown in ‘Measurements Toolbar’ (follow the elevation value from the Google map)> press Enter key
Pull up the selected contour line or object vertically
STEP 6:Ctrl+A (Select all). Using the Sandbox Tool, click the icon ‘From Contours’ or go to Draw>Sandbox>From Contours. This process will automatically generate 3D object(s)
RESULT : 3D Topographic model with 20 meter contour interval
Result
C. How to Create a 5 Meter Contour Map Using SketchUp
Here, we will try to adjust the contour interval of our 3-D model terrain from 20 meter (Google map contour reference) to 5 meter contour interval
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STEP 1: Lock the grouped terrain model and the grouped index contour lines. To do that, select the model> right click> click ‘Lock’
STEP 2: Draw a square or rectangular plane and make into a Group. Move the plane to the lowest point of the terrain
Move plane to the lowest point of the terrain
STEP 3a: Make a multiple copies of the plane until the whole terrain model is covered. To do that, select the plane then click the Move Tool + Ctrl key> press the up key button (from the keyboard)> pull-up the selected plane vertically (it is locked to the blue axis)> Type the elevation value in the Measurements Toolbar (in this case, type 5 meter in the Measurements Toolbar) and press the Enter key
STEP 3b: Type 50x (to duplicate the plane 50 times vertically)> press Enter
Duplicate the plane 50 times
STEP 4: Select the entire plane> Right click > Make Group> Hide
STEP 5: Unlock the terrain model. To do that, select the model> right click> click Unlock
Unlock the terrain model
STEP 6: Explode the terrain model. To do that, select the model> right click> click Explode
Explode Model
Model exploded
STEP 7: Unhide the grouped plane. To do that, go to Edit> select ‘Unhide’> click ‘Last’
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STEP 8: Select the grouped slicing planes> Right click> choose ‘Intersect Faces’> click ‘With Model.’ This process will enable you to intersect your grouped slicing planes with your terrain model
Intersect your grouped slicing planes
STEP 9: Delete or Hide the grouped slicing planes
Result so far
Result
STEP 10: Based on the “6 Cardinal Rules of Contours”, all contours never cross or merge with each other. Thus, we need to remove all the overlapping edges from the model. To do that, hold Ctrl+ while applying the Erase Tool. Remove all the overlapping edges
Final output
Final output
Finally, you have a topographic map with 5 meter contour interval. You can now start designing the site by adding different structural elements such as path walk, roads, garden, buildings, house etc. Label all the contour lines using SketchUp Layout
Label contour lines
Thanks for reading!
Benedict Caliwara