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Creating a plan of your SketchUp model in LayOut

Earlier this year, we shared a snapshot of how architect Nick Sonder uses SketchUp Pro and LayOut to work up construction documents. In comments on this blog and our YouTube channel, we noticed that folks wanted to learn more about the ins and outs of this process, so we tapped Paul Lee, author of “Construction Documents using SketchUp Pro & LayOut to walk through the basic process for porting SketchUp scenes to plan views in LayOut:

Creating a plan in LayOut is a snap. In this tutorial we will take a pre-formed model, apply a Section Cut and create a Plan Scene for display in LayOut. Below is a view of a house construction model you can download from here. Once you've opened this model (or one of your own), select the Section Plane tool from the Tools menu. Use this tool to align the desired sectioned view of the model. (Remember: Hold down the shift key to maintain alignment while positioning your section cut.)

With your model queued up, you're ready to slice and dice with the Section Plane tool
Sectioning a SketchUp model

Under the Camera Menu, Set the view to Parallel Projection; notice that you've now provided straight-on view for your plan. Next, under Window, select the Scenes console. (Tip: you can hide the Section Plane itself in your LayOut document by opening the Styles window in SketchUp, and editing the default style of your scene to hide the section plane).

Now click on the “+” button and create a scene called “PLAN”. Open LayOut and access your SketchUp model by selecting File > Insert. From here, simply right-click on the SketchUp window and select Scenes: “PLAN”. Then right-click and go to Scale = 1mm:50mm. Your scaled plan is now finished in LayOut, and you're all set to start dimensioning and annotating the important details.

Setting up your plan as a scene in prep for LayOut

Voila: a SketchUp scene imported to LayOut

Posted by Paul Lee, Viewsion Virtual Environments, SketchUp ATC

This tutorial is based on techniques found in Paul's new book “Construction Documents using SketchUp Pro & LayOut” available here from SketchUcation and also on the Viewsion Authorized Training Center website.

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10 comments :

Ahmad Munji Syarif said...

nice share

Makna

drblues said...

Hello,
Please activate the subscription by email, on feedburner.

:o)

Unknown said...

A good post, it gives a proper explanation about the building lay-out. Definitely this would help the beginners who wants to learn building layout.

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jojopig.com said...

Thanks for the Interesting stuff. Great Blog.

Unknown said...

Yeh that is all pretty basic but what about line weight? I would love to see a great Layout export to PDf that is clear. Maybe I am doing something wrong but I get a much better job using export 2d image Via DXF and then altering in A/CAD. BTW I am not a fan of Cad but currently it is the only professional looking solution. I would love to see one of the communities best LO files or PDF. I am waiting for Paul to send me an example but yet to see it

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Anonymous said...

Hey Andrew, thanks for your comments. Here is the link to a PDF document showing construction documentation from LayOut to PDF. When colour and shadow settings are available the emphasis on lineweight changes. However, don't forget that there are three lineweights available using SU-LO (same as generally used in CAD), except with the availability of colour and shadow you now have more opportunity for differentation.

Dead said...

Eu gosto tanto do programa Google SketchUp 8 que eu tenho um Blog aonde eu posto meus desenhos 3D , acessem :

desenhosdosketchup.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

hoi, Paul,
nice done,
you know, I actually paid for your PDF's
and it was the start for me to draw in a complete other way
not that the PDF-file were very good, but after a while I begin to experiment and now I do a find job
whith what you first brought to me
when I have the time (:-) i make a movie about this stuff
because when you look at all the details
and a good overall organisation (that is IMPORTANT)
everyone can do that (an better)
greetings,
arQiRIeK