Total newbie so please forgive me, I’ve spent the day watching youtube tutorials.
My issue is I am struggling with being able to add a material to part of the roof - Could someone guide me on how to fill it in? I have tried going around all the lines again to no avail.
Reasons for using this software is I am thinking of making some home improvements, namely;
a porch 4.5 x 1.6m
part cladding part rendering property as there is some cosmetic damage to the brickwork (1940’s home)
Taking 5 meters of the front garden in to the L shaped rear garden to give us more usable outside space - so adding 6 foot fencing
Using sketchup for 2 reasons, one to see how the changes would look from the front of the property and secondly I’m hoping to be able to use the images to submit to planning
I have also messed the inside up some of the windows failed to disappear when using push/pull and filled up the house instead but I’m not too worried about having a working 3d model of the inside of my home as nice as it may have been!
Original plan from 1940's showing what the property looks like (bar garage extension to left) 
The reason you can’t apply a material is you have no face to paint and that’s because the edges aren’t coplanar. Here I’ve made a copy of the group and added coordinates to the points. They all need to be the same but the one in the lower left corner is different.
Do you really want the roof show as a vertical face?
Here I’ve moved that lower left corner back in the green direction until it is in the same plane as the rest of the points. Then I traced one edge with the Line tool and the face filled in. It could now have a material added to it.
Thanks Dave, you’re right I don’t even want it as a vertical face do I, it needs to go on a slant! Oh dear, I think I need to go back to the tutorials, I’m presuming I would draw this from a top down camera view?
Since what you want is a 3D shape, I think it would be best to work in a perspective view. This is sculpture, not painting after all.
The image didn’t get attached in your original post so I don’t know what the roof is supposed to look like. This is surely not perfect but maybe something like this?
Hi Dave, thanks so much I have no idea how you managed that so quickly! Would likely have taken me 3 hours Is there a way I can open this in sketchup now?
Thanks so much, really appreciate that, tried following your instructions but I’m just not getting it, it is only my first day using this and I have no background in this type of thing so definitely in need of more youtube videos going forward.
Thanks you so much I have something workable now
I’m definitely no pro! I could only see the pro section or comments for improvements section to post in. When I looked for sketchup earlier it took me to the download a free trial for 30 days option so I am using the pro but wouldn’t purchase as I’m only using it for our own home I don’t think my skills will ever stretch to do others extensions etc!
I’m not entirely sure they will be ok for planning at all! I’ve ordered some tracing paper and an architects tape measure to see if I can do any better on paper!
Only looked at the “post improvements” file. As far as being adequate for planning, it depends on what they expect. You should be able to get a list of requirements from them. They may need information like how is the roof supposed to be supported over that big window opening above the door and is there to be any sort of floor? Before you do any more SketchUp stuff or even hand drawing, you should find out what they will be expecting.
While you’re waiting, spend some time with that link i provided and go through the SketchUp Fundamentals.
Will do Dave
I need to speak to builder re. components etc
I’ve just had a look at your Flikr account - WOW! You’re really talented, I presume some sort of engineer by day?
Good luck. The builder should be able to give you a good idea of what you need to show to planning to get this approved. It maybe that you don’t need to show the whole house since it’s only the porch that is being added but you may need to provide more detail about the porch. They may want something that shows how the porch will be constructed.
Can you get a good, clear photo of the house from a roughly 3/4 angle? If so you might be able to use it instead of modeling the house and then just add the porch. You can import the photo into SketchUp using Match Photo. It does take a suitable photo, though.
Thank you for the kind words. Prior to retiring I was an instructor of anesthesiology in the Mayo College of Medicine teaching doctors and nurses how to use anesthesia machines and other equipment. I also maintained critical life support equipment.
Is there a way I can open this in sketchup now?
