I am a simple but aging real estate appraiser using software generated sketching programs for over 30 years. All I really want to start with is a basic two dimensional floor plan and cannot seem to get off the ground. Using a test version, and would like to purchase, but several hours into this and only 21 days left it is a little frustrating. Any thoughts or direction? I’ve tried searching “sketch”, “floorplan”, “two dimensional” and coming up empty.
Hello dgkues and welcome to the SketchUp forums. Sorry to hear you are having a hard time with SketchUp. In order to try and help you out on this, can you post some screenshots of your issue or better yet, share the model with us so we can get a better idea of what is going on?
Hi Doug! Glad to hear you are considering SketchUp, but sorry to hear you are getting frustrated!
One reason you may not be finding may tutorials on 2D drawing is that SketchUp’s toolset is primarily geared toward drawing in 3D. While it is possible to draw on a flat plane, extra steps need to be taken to assure that you continue drawing in 2D.
Your best bet for getting assistance here is to share an example of what you are trying to accomplish, then I am sure someone can help point you toward a solution or walk you through getting what you need.
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You should have a look at Nick Sonder’s excellent workflow, tutorials, and book about doing architectural designs using SketchUp and LayOut. Do a quick search for his name and SketchUp on the web to find lots more info.
The biggest hurdle people seem to have when using SketchUp for floor plans is keeping all their edges on the same plane. SketchUp is a 3D modeling program. It can do 2D plans, but they are always really 3D shapes that just happen to be planar. Having the third direction available offers the potential for error, so the modeler has to be extra careful. One common technique is to first draw a large rectangle on the red-green plane and then draw all the edges for the floor plan making sure to stay on the surface of that rectangle. It also helps to orient the view so that you are looking directly down at the red-green plane. SketchUp usually (but not always - pay attention!) assumes that things drawn in free space were meant to land on the axis plane that is closest to flat-on in the view.
Basically your problem finding information stems from that SketchUp is a 3D modeler, and not a 2D CAD drafting program like you’ve been previously antiquated with.
But drawing 3D often starts with creating 2D shapes upon the XY plane, and pulling them up. (Think walls of a house.)
It can be a lot easier if you create a rectangular plane to draw on. Use the RectangleTool to draw a large area on the ground plane and then draw the outlines of your walls on this.
Bookmark the online User Guide and be sure to read the first few chapters, then watch the tutorial videos.
You should go through (completely) this chapter and all it’s pages:
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Well, so far very impressed with this forum, and thanks! Unfortunately, unable to get to first base. What I need to be able to do to post a screenshot is draw something. What would help is to know how to control the line dimension. Seems to be defaulting at a level that won’t allow me to draw a line, say, 40 feet long like the width of a home. The line goes clear off the page and is only, say, 12 feet long. This sounds so simple that it’s embarrassing, but some direction on controlling the screen size or line dimension would help. Once I’m past the basic hurdle things should roll faster.
Will do that before asking any more questions…thanx
As already mentioned, you should read the basic getting started help and view some tutorials to get the basic concepts clearer.
In this specific case, the zoom tool controls the displayed size of objects in the view. And, as you draw a line (properly an “edge”) you can click once to set the first end, start to move the mouse, let go and type the length you want + enter. Then if you do zoom-extents you will see all of the edge regardless of how long it is and whether it was initially all visible in the view.
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Try looking at some of the pages at my wiki site for ET365 (an Engineering Technology course that I assisted as lab teaching assistant).
This link takes you to a page with a linked video on drawing a 2D floorplan from a drawing of a Tumbleweed Tiny House. There are other videos with other steps. It’s not really organized, but it might give you some ideas.
This is a nice site with information about house blueprints
I also have a collection of 2D floorplan symbols in the 3D Warehouse. These are useful for putting in symbols for doors, windows, electrical outlets, etc.