How to import texture?

I downloaded a texture from Sketchup Texture Club. Specifically, it is an exterior stucco jpeg. I’m under the impression this can be used in the same fashion as native Sketchup textures ie: applied to a surface within the project, etc.

By now, it should be abundantly clear that I am clueless. As such, the downloaded jpeg sits on my desktop- I am unclear where to move it to, and how to access/use it within Sketchup. Any help is apprecieated!

Thanks,
Lance

Which version of SketchUp are you using? Your profile is confusing because it indicates a version that doesn’t exist. Knowing the correct version will help us get you the right answer.

Thanks Dave, sorry about that. It’s the free version, 2017 I believe.

So SketchUp 2017 Make? Please correct your profile to avoid confusion in the future. The steps for many things are different between SketchUp Make and SketchUp Free (Web).

In the desktop versions of SketchUp there are several ways to import an image to use as a texture. My preferred way follows.

Draw a rectangle to the dimensions of the area covered by the material. For example this one indicates 108 cm square.


Go to File>Import. Choose the correct file type and make sure Use as texture is selected.

Click Import or double click on the image. Then click and release at the lower left corner of the rectangle and drag across to the opposite edge and click.

Doing it this way sets the texture size right away and lets you see the texture as applied to the model. If you decide you don’t like it, one Undo step removes it. If you have more than one texture of the same size you can reuse the square as you repeat the import steps. If you want to compare several materials, copy the rectangle and apply each material to a different one.

Dave, thanks for the detailed instructions. It appears Sketchup can utilize a texture .jpeg from wherever it resides in the user’s drive. But is there a preferred place to keep such files? ie: Somewhere in Program Files>Sketchup, for instance.

No. Don’t put the image in Program Files. Instead create a local collection. Go to the Materials panel and set it to In Model.
Screenshot - 7_5_2020 , 12_37_00 PM

Click on the Details menu button–the arrow button below the eye dropper on the far right. Since this is likely to be your first custom material, or at least your first Stucco material, choose Save collection as…
Screenshot - 7_5_2020 , 12_36_08 PM

Create a new folder and click Open. I would name it based on the sort of materials you are putting in it. I create a lot of wood grain textures for my projects. I’ve got so many now that I sort them by species so I would have a folder for walnut and another for pine and so on.

Later if you want to add more materials to an existing collection, open the secondary pane by clicking on the button immediately under the X that closes the panel. Set the secondary pane to your desired collection. Than drag the texture thumbnail from the In Model to the local collection.
Screenshot - 7_5_2020 , 12_43_27 PM