The SketchUp manual, made simple

Install SketchUp, check your hardware, set a template and learn how to move around a model.

• Getting started in SketchUpFirst launch, first model
• System requirementsWindows & macOS specs
• Installation won't runInstaller troubleshooting
• Setting templatesUnits and default scene
• Using your mouseOrbit, pan, zoom
• Introducing drawing basicsCore concepts
• Understanding your license
• Uninstalling or repairing SketchUp

Toolbars, trays, shortcuts and everything you can configure in the UI.

• User interfaceTour of the workspace
• Toolbars
• Dialog boxes and trays
• Managing dialog boxes (Windows)
• Managing dialog boxes (macOS)
• Keyboard shortcutsDefault keymap
• Preferences
• Search tools, commands and extensions
• Accessibility

The core toolset: lines, shapes, push/pull, move, rotate, scale and offset.

• Drawing lines, shapes and 3D objects
• Drawing basic shapes
• Drawing arcs
• Drawing freehand shapes
• Pushing and pulling shapes into 3DPush/Pull tool
• Extruding with Follow Me
• Offsetting a line from geometry
• Selecting geometry
• Basic edits
• Moving entities around
• Flipping, mirroring, rotating and arrays
• Scaling your model or parts of it
• Stretching geometry
• Erasing and undoing
• Dividing, splitting and exploding
• Softening, smoothing and hiding geometry
• Snaps
• Adjusting the drawing axes

Solid tools, complex shapes, precise measurement and building features.

• Creating a 3D model
• Modeling complex 3D shapes with Solid Tools
• Modeling specific shapes and building features
• Modeling terrain and rounded shapes
• Measuring angles and distances precisely
• Adding text labels and dimensions
• Inspecting an entity
• Handling issues creating 3D modelsCommon modeling errors
• 3D printing your model

Keep big models manageable with groups, components, tags and the Outliner.

• Organizing a model
• Grouping geometry
• Components
• Making components
• Creating a basic component
• Editing components
• Editing all instances of a component
• Changing a single component instance
• Replacing components
• Component axes
• Controlling visibility with tagsFormerly layers
• Working with hierarchies in the Outliner
• Organizing component collections
• Sharing components
• Components and the 3D Warehouse
• Classifying objects

Colors, textures, positioning, AI materials, styles, edges and watermarks.

• Adding colors and textures with materials
• Applying materials
• Editing materials
• Replacing a material
• Positioning textures
• Calculating material area
• AI materialsGenerate textures with AI
• Choosing a style
• Creating and editing a style
• Edge styles
• Customizing the model background
• Managing model styles and collections
• Sharing styles
• Watermarking a model
• Speeding up rendering with fast styles

Cameras, shadows, fog, sections, animation and printing.

• Viewing a model
• Walking through a model
• Creating scenes
• Animating scenes
• Slicing a model to peer insideSection planes
• Casting real-world shadows
• Letting fog roll into your model
• Adding environments to models
• Matching a photo to a model
• Printing views
• Sending a SketchUp model to LayOut

Add real-world location, import terrain and build sites from scratch.

• Geolocation in SketchUp
• Add Location
• Site context and terrain
• Importing pre-existing terrain
• Creating terrain from scratch
• Sculpting and fine-tuning terrain
• Placing models on your terrain
• Importing DEM files for terrain
• Toggling terrain visibility
• Troubleshooting Add Location

Open, save, and move data between SketchUp and other 3D or CAD software.

• Files and general
• Saving a model
• Opening a saved model
• Using SketchUp data in other programs
• Importing and exporting CAD filesDWG / DXF
• Importing and exporting STL files3D printing
• Importing and exporting COLLADA files
• Importing and exporting 3DS files
• Exporting OBJ files
• Exporting FBX files
• Working with glTF files
• Working with USDZ files
• Exporting KMZ files for Google Earth
• Importing and exporting image files
• Importing and using 2D images
• Generate ReportQuantities and schedules

Build parametric components with attributes, formulas and click behaviors.

• Making a dynamic component
• Adding attributes
• Defining attribute values
• Predefined attributes
• Supported functions
• Supported operators
• Creating common types of dynamic components
• Interacting with dynamic components
• Testing a dynamic component
• Implementing dynamic pricing
• Ruby API and console

Crashes, graphics cards, slow models and the classic reversed-face problem.

• Improving performance
• Improving graphics performance
• SketchUp and OpenGL
• Recommended graphics cards
• Updating your graphics driver
• Reversed faces when selecting
• Clipping and missing faces
• SketchUp won't start on my PC
• Freezing upon launch
• BugSplat crash message
• File created in a newer version error
• Resolving authentication errors
• Tips and tricks