Getting Started


When you open SketchUp, a Tip of the Day dialog box appears like the example shown in Figure 32.1. Click Previous Tip or Next Tip to read the tips. From the Tip of the Day dialog box, click one of the links to access online resources and the SketchUp sites. Close the dialog box to get into the program itself.

image from book
Figure 32.1: Read the Tip of the Day to get acquainted with program features and access other resources.

Tip 

If you prefer, deselect the Show tips on startup check box at the lower left of the dialog box. You can access the online resources through the Help menu in the program.

The SketchUp interface uses two windows, as shown in Figure 32.2. The program window is used to build and manage your models, and the Instructor is a secondary window that provides instruction and guidance for each tool that you select in the program. Both windows can be resized.

image from book
Figure 32.2: Build the model in the program window, and read about the tools as you use them in the Instructor.

The Instructor window floats above the program window, regardless of which window is active. To collapse the Instructor window, click anywhere on the upper bar of the window. If you click the Close button at the upper right of the Instructor window, choose Window image from book Instructor to reopen it.

Viewing menus

The default organization of the SketchUp window is shown in Figure 32.2. The program includes several main menu items, described briefly in Table 32.1.

Table 32.1: Menu Groups in SketchUp
Open table as spreadsheet

Heading

Contains

File

Open, Save, Import/Export, and Print commands are located in the File menu.

Edit

In addition to the usual types of Edit commands, such as Cut/Copy/Paste, find specific types of editing, such as Make Component and Make Group.

View

ind the toolbars in the View menu, as well as a number of different ways to view the model.

Camera

Specify how the model is viewed based on different perspectives, zooms, and camera positions.

Draw

Find commands for drawing basic elements such as rectangles, polygons, and lines in the Draw menu.

Tools

Find tools, including many found on the Getting Started toolbar, in the Tools menu.

Window

Open information dialog boxes, browse and edit materials, open the Instructor dialog box, and the preferences using commands in the Window menu.

Google

Find commands for viewing and getting models online.

Help

Find commands to open SketchUp and Ruby help, as well as a number of online sources. Reopen the Tip of the Day dialog box, and view the Quick Reference card.

Looking at the tools

Two toolbars are displayed in SketchUp when you open the program, including the Getting Started and Google toolbars. The Getting Started toolbar combines tools from a number of toolbars to give you the basic tools needed to start and edit a drawing. The Google Toolbar offers several commands for accessing and downloading online information. The contents of the Getting Started toolbar are listed in Table 32.2.

Table 32.2: Tools on the Getting Started Toolbar
Open table as spreadsheet
 

Name of Tool

Purpose

image from book

Select

Use for selecting one or more objects that are then modified by other tools or commands

image from book

Make Component

Combines two or more objects into a single unit that is a named, separate object

image from book

Line

Use to draw lines or edges of objects

image from book

Eraser

Use to erase objects one at a time

image from book

Tape Measure

Use for measuring distance, scaling a model, or creating construction guidelines for placing objects

image from book

Paint Bucket

Use for creating and selecting materials and colors, and then applying them to entities

image from book

Rectangle

Use to draw a rectangular Face entity

image from book

Circle

Use to draw a circular Face entity

image from book

Arc

Use to draw an Arc entity

image from book

Push/Pull

Use to either add or remove volume from a model by pushing or pulling Face entities

image from book

Move

Use to move, copy, or stretch entities

image from book

Rotate

Use to rotate, stretch, distort, or copy entities along a curved path

image from book

Offset

Use to create copies of lines that are at a uniform distance from the original lines

image from book

Orbit

Use to rotate the camera around the model

image from book

Pan

Use to move the camera view vertically or horizontally

image from book

Zoom

Use to move the camera view inward toward you, or outward away from you

image from book

Zoom Extents

Use to fill the view to a distance where the entity is centered in the drawing window at a magnification that shows the entire content



Google Power Tools Bible
Google Power Tools Bible
ISBN: 0470097124
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 353

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net