3D Connection Basics for SketchUp

Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

• Intro/TOC
• What is the 3D Connection Tool?
• SketchUp Resources
• Considerations for the Setup Process When Creating a Base File
  • Setting Up Directly in SketchUp
  • Setting Up Using CAD
• Working with Large CAD Files and Topography
• Working with Existing SketchUp Models
• Bringing a CAD file into SketchUp and Cleaning Up Linework
• Importing/Exporting Plant Material and Site Amenities Across Supported Platforms

0:00 – 3:55: Intro/TOC

3:56 – 5:53: What is the 3D Connection Tool?

Our 3D Connection Tool is a plugin designed to “link” your construction drawing to a 3D model. It assigns all the 2D symbols in your 3D CAD files with 3D symbols in a 3D model and maintains their exact placements with the same origin and insertion points.

5:54 – 7:09: SketchUp Resources

Land F/X resources:

• SketchUp documentation
• SketchUp webinars
• SketchUp Power Tips
• SketchUp Knowledge Base
• Additional SketchUp resources

 

Other resources:

• YouTube
• SketchUp Website
• SketchUp for Dummies (book)
• Daniel Tal

7:10 – 37:19: Considerations for the Setup Process When Creating a Base File

Setting Up Directly in SketchUp (8:15)

 

Adding a location using Google Earth (8:28)

 

Creating a window around the site (9:10)

 

Grabbing and geolocating the location image (9:20)

 

Tracing objects in the image in SketchUp (such as buildings) and creating surfaces (10:25)

 

Pulling the surface up to create a 3-dimensional object using the Push-Pull tool (11:30)

 

Turning the 3-dimensional object into a group (11:50)

 

Realigning and resetting the axes in SketchUp using the Axis tool (12:45)

 

Bringing in your own base from a saved image (15:10)

 

Resizing the model to a chosen scale using the Tape Measure tool (16:20)

 

Building your own location from scratch (18:30)

 

Creating surfaces (such as buildings) from scratch (19:10)

 

Setting up the view of the model to bring into CAD (20:25)

 

The SketchUp axes (21:05)

The blue axis represents up, the red axis represents east, and the green axis represents north.

 

Creating a parallel projection view of the model (21:30)

 

Zooming to extents (22:30)

 

Before bringing the site base into CAD, remember to turn off all layers except the base linework (22:45)

 

Exporting the model file as a 2D graphic file (23:15)

 

Setting Up Using CAD (23:50)

 

Opening the 2D graphic file in CAD (23:50)

 

Using our SuperJoin tool to clean up linework for best performance in CAD (24:50)

 

Assigning a Land F/X project to the drawing (25:52)

 

Verifying that the project is assigned correctly in SketchUp as well (26:15)

 

Using our 3D Connection tool to export the design into SketchUp (27:28)

 

Checking the insertion point in SketchUp (28:10)

 

Correcting the insertion point in CAD using our New UCS tool (29:30)

 

Exporting the design into SketchUp again (30:20)

 

Ensuring that the units match between the CAD drawing and SketchUp model (31:40)

 

Using the Position Camera to view a SketchUp model at eye level and “walk around” the model (32:39)

37:20 – 45:14: Working with Large CAD Files and Topography (37:20)

Sending layers to SketchUp (37:49)

 

Overview of the Land F/X plugin for SketchUp (available from the Extension Warehouse) (40:50)

 

Importing the CAD file’s base Xref into SketchUp Pro (41:50)

 

Lining up the SketchUp insertion point with the CAD insertion point using our New UCS tool and exporting/importing into SketchUp again (44:20)

 

Making changes in SketchUp and sending the design back to CAD (45:00)

45:15 – 51:29: Working with Existing SketchUp Models (46:15)

Lining up the insertion points (46:15)

 

Establishing a reference point (47:30)

 

Bringing the CAD design into SketchUp and continuing to design (48:30)

51:30 – 57:50: Bringing a CAD file into SketchUp and Cleaning Up Linework (51:30)

Sending a CAD design over to SketchUp layer by layer (51:30)

 

Importing the layers into SketchUp (54:20)

 

Using the Profiles feature to correct an unclosed line (55:30)

 

Locating and correcting edge gaps (56:15)

57:51 – end: Importing/Exporting Plant Material and Site Amenities Across Supported Platforms

Moving site amenities and plants between 2D and 3D (57:51)

 

Overview of Rhino and our new Rhino plugin (59:55)