3d room scene tips

SketchUp
1

does anyone know of tutorial or training that would help with generating good 3d renditions of rooms? For instance, a small bathroom, bedrooms, kitchen. I cannot seam to “back away” enough to get a good view before I end up on the other side of a wall. I have seen such superb 3d drawings, but I cannot seam to get the right angle in small spaces.

2

Two tips that come to mind now:

  1. apply a section plane to let you back up (zoom out) without bumping into annoying geometry.
  2. Change the FOV (Field of View) to a larger angle. The tool is in the ‘Camera’ dropdown menu.
    Once the tool is selected you can just type a larger angle and hit [Enter].
    Around 50 degrees might already help you out.
3

There are several techniques used to gain or improve visual access to interior spaces:

  • First, try setting your Field of View to a larger number; this will allow you to see a wider angle, and it helps on indoor scenes. It defaults to about 35; set it up to about 55 or 60 for a good wide view. Higher yet and the scene will become distorted. To set the Field of View: Z (for Zoom) > number of degrees > Enter
  • Use section planes to temporarily cut away parts of the exterior
    structure, allowing you to see inside.
  • Use layer visibility to selectively turn off certain walls and ceilings. You can also use
    Hide to temporarily turn off visibility of obstructions.
  • Save a scene or two inside so you can get there fast.

-Gully

4

In addition to W03Dan and Gully’s tips; every surface has an “inside” and an “outside” face - both of which can be filled with a different texture/colour. If you fill the reverse face of your internal walls with a colour and change the transparency then you can move around your model and see the inside like a selective x-ray.
Tips:

  • use a base colour you wouldn’t normally use
  • re-name it for ease of reference
  • the easiest way to fill only the inside is through the “Entity Info” window
  • don’t use 100% transparency or you will get reallllly confused
5

I created a template for modelling interiors of rooms. It has, for instance, ready-made section planes and corresponding scenes for plan and interior elevation views.

Anssi

6

Thanks for all the input. Great suggestions. This saved a ton of frustration already.