Sketchup Tip for Newbies

[visualmatrix]

If I can make one recommendation for anyone starting up with Sketchup:
Learn how to create separate groups of entities (faces,lines,arcs etc.). It is fundamental to working in this application so get to grips with it right from the start otherwise you will struggle with entities getting 'glued' together.

Some associated commands to know are:
1.1(When an entity is selected) Right click>Select>All Connected.
1.2.(With all selected)Right Click>Group

2 Entities inside a group can be edited by double-clicking the object. Press escape when done.
3 Entities inside a group on layer 0 will inherit materials applied to the group.
4.You can also create nested groups (groups containing other groups.)
The hierarchy of groups can be viewed/managed using the outliner tool (Tools menu>Outliner)

[Chirp Chirp]

I recommend taking the group thing a step further and instead make everything a component by default. A group is a unique object and a component is an instanced object. If you clone a group and make a change to one, the other isn't affected. The opposite is true for components. If you change one instance you change all instances.

Later if you want to make a clone different:
* Right click and "make unique".

Groups can also be turned into components by:
* Right clicking a group and selecting "make component"

Both components and groups also help keep the model manageable. Go window system preferences and bind keys to:
* View/Component Edit/Hide Rest of Model
* View/Components Edit/Hide Similar Components.

These two functions make working on complex scenes way easier. :)

[visualmatrix]

I recommend taking the group thing a step further and instead make everything a component by default.


Only make instances if there are more than one object group in your model with the same geometry. In architectural models I find only about 20% of the geometry is repeated so making the rest into components only clutters up the component browser with non re-usable components. (I accept that in models of vehicles where symmetry is involved, the percentage may be higher.)