I downloaded Sketchup2017 and am in the trial period, but it still does not allow me to set a line thickness, color or to draw dashed or dotted lines. Perhaps Sketchup is just not a good program for producing 2D drawing for woodworking projects. Can you help or is my conclusion mostly correct? If that is the correct conclusion, perhaps you could suggest a good and easy to learn 2D cad program for home use.
Thanks,
vern
SketchUp is a powerful 3D modeler, but it is overkill if all you want to produce are 2D drawings.
Try this … http://www.cadstd.com/
I’m curious where you got the idea that SketchUp is a 2D drawing program.
SketchUp is an excellent tool for making 3D models for woodworking projects. And LayOut is a good tool for taking the 3D model and creating plans and such for those projects. Since you’re using SketchUp’s trial period, you have access to LayOut.
Things like line color and weight are needed for 2D work. Not as important for 3D models.
It’s certainly not intended to be a 2D drawing package. However, many of us do use it for that purpose a lot of the time and it works well (subject to certain well worn limitations). Essentially, you have to change the camera view from perspective to parallel and use an aerial (Top) orientation.
One of the limitations is the way SU handles arcs and circles. Basically, it doesn’t do them at all. It uses facets instead, though you can specify a high enough number of them to make it look OK.
I used DraftCad as a 2D package before migrating full time to SU. It’s a free AutoCad clone. I wouldn’t say it’s as intuitive or as quick to learn as SU and it is not as advanced as proper AutoCad, but hey, it’s free! But if you can work with SU’s limitations, I would say you’re better off sticking with it.