Diorama Model making

SketchUp
1

Hi all.

Im using the free version on Skechup so the answer to this question might not be possible.

I want to design and build buildings for my diorama projects. To be cut on my Cricut machine.
Been using the programme for a while but only for simple 3d printing jobs.

What i want to do is draw brick shapes on the building walls. At the moment im doing a line of shapes, then copy and paste them till i cover the whole area.

Is there a simpler way of covering an area with design?

Thanks in advance.

Phil

2

In the browser-based version, that’s about the most straightforward way there is, since you can’t use any extensions like in the Pro version.

3

Thanks for replying.

What would i need to be serching for?

4

If the OP’s forum profile is correct, they meant SketchUp 2017 Make (which was free of charge), not the browser-based SketchUp Free. Many extensions are backward compatible with Make, though there is no guarantee.

2 Likes
5

Thanks for replying.

But i dont know what program is called that i will need to be able to cover an area with my design.

Phil

6

I might not understand what you mean by “draw brick shapes”, but if I guess correctly, there is a very efficient way that does not need any extension: use the array copy function of the Move tool. Draw just one rectangle representing a brick. Use the move tool to copy it to the adjacent location. Then type (for example) 10* to repeat the copy a total of 10 times. If you want a typical running bond, select the first row, copy it down below and shift it half a brick to the side for the bond. Then you can select both rows and use the Move array copy on them together to generate the rest of the wall. If the wall length or shape doesn’t exactly match the brick size, you will need to do some trimming at the ends to get rid of extra. The whole process should take a fraction of a minute.

7

Thank you

Thats the answer i needed. I knew there must be a way.

Will give that a go next time i fire up Skechup.

Phil

8

To help achieve your goals, some time spent at the SketchUp Campus and at the SketchUp - YouTube channel will be very worthwhile. Both sites are from the SketchUp team. On the YouTube channel, pay attention to the Square One Series. It covers the basics for each tool.

9

Thanks will check up on that