I am not new to Sketchup, have been using it through many free versions for about 20 years. I love it!! But I have ALWAYS found it difficult to print a model or often a section of a model. I have finally decided to consider paying my way, still only for personal use, and am currently using the 30 day trial Sketchup Pro to see it is what I need. Is there anything anywhere that explains printing with Sketchup from the beginning without assuming what one already knows. I’ve looked at many sources/posts and it seems that all of them reference one or more icons to click on that do not appear on the screen of the version I’m using. HELP
You might start here: https://learn.sketchup.com/
Go through the SketchUp Fundamentals and then LayOut Essentials.
Since your title mentions printing you may find LayOut to be very useful. You don’t say what you are modeling or want to print but LayOut is specifically intended for creating content for printing.
I have not looked at Layout since it first appeared and believe at that time it was not available in the free version. I will look again. I just decided a couple of days ago it was high time I did exactly what you suggest: Learn Sketchup! Up until now i have simply looked up how to do do what I needed at the time and got on with the current project. Never was successful using that approach with printing. Thank you for the tips.
Yes. LayOut is only available to SketchUp Pro users. Since you are going to switch to Sketchup Pro you might as well use it.
Out of curiosity, what sort of projects are you doing?
Right now it’s mostly the “homestead” and (small) property. Main thing I’m trying to learn right now is Sandbox (and printing) so I can add the landscaping. I started the drawing years ago and learning as I go adding any changes and you can imagine what a mish mash drawing its turned out to be, knowing very little when I started about layers, now known as “components” I believe, and many other things I’ve picked up along the way. But the main thing, I can build a lot of things but not even a box without drawing it first. I’ve on occasion needed a part for something such as air duct fittings for an addition to the house and have drawn it and emailed it to a local fabricator to make. When I built a roof over one of our decks it had to be drawn first. We recently started to change the landscaping and the drawing for it is very crude because I didn’t know how to use Sandbox. I’m getting there on that. That sort of thing. I am long since retired and always do most of the maintenance & building around this house.
When SU was bought by Trimble it seems I kind of lost track of the learning sources available. That probably was maybe one of the several months I sometime go without using it. I’m finding there’s plenty of such sources available now. I guess mostly I just love to draw such things.
During the course of this landscaping project I decided that I needed to start from scratch and replace the drawing and as I do so fill in the blanks in my knowledge of SU starting with the fundamentals course that you mentioned which I discovered existed a day or two ago. Sorry to be so long winded but you did ask. Thanks for your help Dave.
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They are now and always have been QUITE DIFFERENT concepts.
Layers (relabelled as Tags since v2020 in Desktop versions of SU, and in all the Web versions) ONLY control visibility of objects.
ALWAYS set Layer0/Untagged as the default, and LEAVE it there, and ALWAYS draw geometry - edges and faces - on Layer0/Untagged.
Unlike some other programs Layers or Tags in SU do NOT separate geometry.
Components or Groups DO separate geometry. So when you have drawn some new object in your model, immediately make it into a Component. Some people use Groups when there’s only one of that object in the model, but I usually find it easier always to use Components. If you edit any one copy of a component, all the other copies with change the same way.
If you want a copy (or several copies) of a Component to be different from the original, select all you want to be different, R-click, and select Make Unique. Changes to this copy (or these copies) will not be copied back to the original(s).
A copy of a Group, however, is independent of its original, and will NOT change if you edit the original.
Bear in mind that SU Pro is moving to a subscription only basis later this year. Those of use who bought one off licences for SU2020 and earlier can use the software in perpetuity. If you only use SU for personal purposes, it might be thought quite expensive on a subscription.
Of course the OP could buy a Classic license now and be in good shape for a long time. Or he might figure that 82 cents per day isn’t a huge amount to of money to pay to have access to SketchUp Pro, LayOut and the other stuff included in the Subscription and to keep the software up to date.
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I am so sorry I used the word “components”, I had a brain freeze, couldn’t remember “Tags” which is new to me. I do know about components and I also know about groups but HAVE NOT used them much so your comments are helpful…I’ve given up trying to learn how to type.
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Thank you for that information. I did not know.
And for yours Dave.
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Glad to know it was a slip between brain and fingers, not a fundamental misconception.
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