Designing with SketchUp

[snowdog140]

Hi everyone, I'm wanting to start using Google SketchUp to do some of my designs, but I haven't a clue where to start, so can anyone sort of tell me what I need to do in order to be able to design in the program?

[Tathrim]

It's quite intuitive. Draw a rectangle to the desidred simension, then use the line tool to draw, along wiht the parallel draw tool to get uniform lines.

[atomik99]

I'm actually in the process of recreating a track in SU for the first time. SU is very simple and intuitive, like Tathrim mentioned. The best advice is to just start learning the tools and experimenting... that's how I started. At first, don't try to learn how to make a track, instead first just learn how to use basics of the program. Once you know how to navigate around your layout, and use the basic tools to do basic things, then you can try to make a track. Use the tutorials included with the program. Hope that helps

[duke_toaster]

I've got certain aspects thought out in sketchup - just a few questions. Is there a more controlled way of rotating straights, and how do you make a corner that's a constant width? Also, is there any way to make a surface slope rather than lifting all of it? That way my global conspiracy to add figures of eights to circuits would work

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

I've got certain aspects thought out in sketchup - just a few questions. Is there a more controlled way of rotating straights, and how do you make a corner that's a constant width? Also, is there any way to make a surface slope rather than lifting all of it? That way my global conspiracy to add figures of eights to circuits would work

Consistant width is the easiest thing of all.

Draw the circuit as a single line. Highlight the infield area and use the offset tool to create a parallel circuit however many metres away you wish (the width of the track).

For slopes, from your raised area, bring out a lline on the ground , 90 degrees to the vertical surface. From however far out make a triangle. you can then either do another triangle and connection them together at the lower level to form a slope.
Alternatively and not quite as easy to use, the "push/pull" on the triangle or the "follow me" tool which if used right will drag that triangle around the shape of the raised area creating a slope on all sides.

Hope that helps.