SketchUp Quick Reference Card Update discussion

Tutorials Requests & Discussion
1

Hello!

I have redesigned the SketchUp QRC and have been using a version of it for the past ~7 years. I give it out to my students and SketchUp users in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. On the other side of the page I print Tips, Hints and Guidelines.Tips, Hints and Guidelines for working with SketchUp

The main changes:

  1. Adding tool icons greatly increases recall of the tools;
  2. Adding Mac modifiers eliminates need for two versions, helps teachers as well;
  3. Coloring the words for directional snaps helps understanding.
  4. I have added some extra tips for some tools.

This is how the card looks like in Latvian. Would love to see other ideas, how mine or the official version could be improved.

Rīku darbības špikeris 2024
Rīku darbības špikeris 20241920×2715 401 KB

2

I’ve been referencing the one from SketchUp a lot lately: QRC2024-SU-Windows-en.pdf (sketchup.com)

Maybe “Quick Tips” or “Best Practices”, or even “Trouble Shooting” cards would be useful?

For example, Saving Files - Save to Disk and TC. Or, using some other online storage, save to disk first.

Save / Backup:

Screenshot 2024-06-02 182942

Purge Unused:

Screenshot 2024-06-02 183109

Disable Length Snapping:

Screenshot 2024-06-02 183324

Or, you could have “Menu Guides”…

Screenshot 2024-06-02 183109
…Screenshot 2024-06-02 183931
…Screenshot 2024-06-02 184056

Whatever you have to tell your students 100x might be worth putting on a card.

My 2 cents.

3

I have most of the higher level Tips, Hints and Guidelines in the second page. Keeping the first page just with main tools and shoertcuts.

How are you using the reference card in practice?

4

Ah - so you have that covered.

My use is that I’m creating icons for extensions. The goal is to try to ‘speak’ the SU icon design language. I keep the reference open so I can compare.

For example, the “Make Component” icon I use as “Make Group” icon (but my group box is only one color). Then “Make Component” is eight boxes. That’s because the Outliner shows components with four boxes (2d box of eight) and groups as one box. Then there’re tags… and move tool is red arrows, so I have a red (down) arrow… So, I want my icons to be ‘readable’ to anyone who knows what the SU icons do:

Screenshot 2024-06-02 235141

Sorry if that answer is a little far afield, but that’s why I keep the reference card open.