House Directions for SketchUp Computational Media Description: These directions will walk you through creating a 3D house design in SketchUp. The tools of Push-Pull, Rectangle, Offset, Dimensions, Pencil, Materials, and Components are used to create the house. The goal of this lesson is to gain facility with the tools and use 3D objects for all the parts of the house to create a realistic model. Process: 1. Start SketchUp and select the Simple Template (Feet and Inches). Click the “Start using SketchUp” button

2. Select “File – Save” and save your project as “lastname_house_practice” in your SketchUp folder.

3. Make sure the “Large Tool Set” is displayed by selecting “View -> Toolbars” and then checking “Large Tool Set”

4. The Large Tool Set should appear to the left of the workspace.

5. We will start the house be creating a 40 by 30 foot rectangle on the surface. We create an exact 40 by 30 foot rectangle by typing 40’, 20’ in the Measurements box after drawing the rectangle. First, click the rectangle tool and click-drag a rectangle on the surface. Then, type 40’, 30’ in the Measurements Box and press Enter on the keyboard.

6. The goal in creating 3D objects with SketchUp is to have every object has width, height, and depth. Currently, the grey rectangle on the surface is a plane, having only length and width.

We will use the “Push Pull” tool to pull the floor to 1 foot (1’) in height. Click on the “Push Pull” tool and drag the floor up a short distance. Then type 1’ in the Dimensions Box.

7. We need to create the walls next. Using the “Offset” tool

( ) Click and drag on the top of the floor. Type 1’ in the measurements box to make the walls 1 foot thick.

8. Now we will use the “Push Pull” tool to extend up the walls. Click on the “Push Pull” tool and then extend up the perimeter wall. Type 14’ in the dimensions box to make the wall 14 feet tall. (14 feet is about the height of one story in a building).

9. We will now create the ceiling and roof. Click on the pencil tool and orbit the view so you are looking down the long side of the structure.

10. Use the pencil tool and draw a line on the top of the wall.

11. Use the Push-Pull tool and extrude the rectangle down the shape to create the roof.

12. To create the roofline, click on the Pencil tool draw a line down the middle of the roof. Make sure that the line tool “snaps to midpoint” when drawing the line.

13. We will use the “Move” tool ( ) to drag up the center roof line to create a slanted roof. Click on the “Move” tool and drag up center line up.

14. Use the Pencil tool and draw a line between where the side of the roof and the wall meets on both ends of the house.

(Right Side) (Left Side)

15. Orbit the house so you are viewing it from the front.

16. We will now create a door and step. On the front side of the house, use the rectangle tool and draw a rectangle that is 5 feet wide and 1 foot tall.

17. Use the “Push-Pull” tool and drag the step out about 4 feet.

18. Use the rectangle tool and draw a rectangle on the wall of the house that is about 4 by 8 feet.

19. Use the rectangle tool again and draw an inner rectangle for the door itself.

20. Use the Push-Pull tool and pull out the door frame a short distance.

21. Now we will use the “Push Pull” tool and push the door in until you see the words “on face” appear. Lift the mouse button and the door will disappear. This “cuts” a hole in the wall of the house. (You might need to practice this a few times before getting a good feel for the process). Use ‘control-z’ to undo and try again.

22. Use the rectangle tool and draw a new rectangle over the opening of the door. (Dragging from the lower right to upper left).

23. Use the Push-Pull tool and push the new rectangle into the doorframe to create a 3D door.

24. Will now repeat the process to create a window. Using the rectangle and offset tool, create two rectangles for the window. (Use your best judgment for sizing).

25. Use the “Push-Pull” tool and pull the window frame out a short distance.

26. Use the “Push-Pull” and push in the center rectangle of the window until “on-face” appears to cut a hole in the wall.

27. Use the Rectangle tool and draw a new rectangle over the window opening. Then use Push-Pull and push the new window in slightly.

28. The house should now look something like:

29. SketchUp provides a tool for adding color or texture to the face of an object. Select “Window – Materials” to bring up the Materials Window.

30. Use the drop down menu and select “Brick and Cladding”

31. Select a brick texture and then click on the four walls of the house to create the brick.

32. Select a texture for the triangle shaped parts of the roof. (This is called cladding).

33. Select “Roofing” from the Materials menu and add texture to the roof of the house.

34. For the Window, select “Translucent” from the Materials drop down menu. Select a glass type and click on the window.

35. Use other Materials to surface the Window Frame, Door, Door Frame, and Step:

36. Zoom out from the house slightly to have room to import another object.

37. SketchUp has the ability to import other objects called ‘Components’ that people have created and shared in an online library. Select “Window – Components” to view the Components Window.

38. In the Text Box, type the same of something you wish to import. I am going to type “Car”. (You can chose your own . . .)The computer will then search and find several examples of cars that people have made and shared.

39. Another window will open showing the details of the model.

40. Click “Download” and then select “Yes” when the program asks you to “Load directly into your SketchUp model”

41. The new component will appear.

42. If the size of the new component is not to scale with your model, use the “Scale” tool (

) and click and drag the corners to resize the component to scale.

43. This completes the tutorial! See the requirements for the “House Exercise” to complete the assignment. (http://nebomusic.net/sketchuplessons/SketchUp_House_Checklist.pdf )