The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture: Modeling Buildings, Visualizing Design, and Creating Construction Documents with SketchUp Pro and LayOut

A guide for leveraging SketchUp for any project size, type, or style. New construction or renovation.

The revised and updated second edition of The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture offers guidelines for taking SketchUp to the next level in order to incorporate it into every phase of the architectural design process. The text walks through each step of the SketchUp process from the early stages of schematic design and model organization for both renovation and new construction projects to final documentation and shows how to maximize the LayOut toolset for drafting and presentations. Written by a noted expert in the field, the text is filled with tips and techniques to access the power of SketchUp and its related suite of tools.

The book presents a flexible workflow method that helps to make common design tasks easier and gives users the information needed to incorporate varying degrees of SketchUp into their design process. Filled with best practices for organizing projects and drafting schematics, this resource also includes suggestions for working with LayOut, an underused but valuable component of SketchUp Pro. In addition, tutorial videos compliment the text and clearly demonstrate more advanced methods. This important text: 

    Presents intermediate and advanced techniques for architects who want to use SketchUp in all stages of the design process

    Includes in–depth explanations on using the LayOut tool set that contains example plans, details, sections, presentations, and other information

    Updates the first edition to reflect the changes to SketchUp 2018 and the core functionalities, menus, tools, inferences, arc tools, reporting, and much more

    Written by a SketchUp authorized trainer who has an active online platform and extensive connections within the SketchUp community

    Contains accompanying tutorial videos that demonstrate some of the more advanced SketchUp tips and tricks

Written for professional architects, as well as professionals in interior design and landscape architecture, The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture offers a revised and updated resource for using SketchUp in all aspects of the architectural design process. 

Part I: Starting the Flow               

Chapter 1 Introduction

The Updated Workflow

Who Should Read This Book?     

What s in This Book?     

What Are the Prerequisites?      

SketchUp Make or SketchUp Pro?            

Online Content

Mental Preparation        

Portfolio             

Chapter Points 

Chapter 2: Building Information Modeling          

What Is BIM?    

SketchUp and LayOut as BIM     

Filling in the BIM Blanks

BIM Burnout     

The SketchUp Outlook  

Chapter Points 

Chapter 3: Hardware    

Mac vs. PC

Specs

Comparison Shopping

Systems

Chapter Points

Chapter 4: File and Folder Management

Folders and Files

Cloud Storage

Archiving

Chapter Points

Part II: SketchUp             

Chapter 5: SketchUp Basics        

Five Core Concepts        

Leveraging SketchUp     

Precise Modeling

Modeling Strategy

Creating Geometry        

Organizing Geometry with Containers   

Section Planes  

Layers, Styles, and Scenes           

Chapter Points 

Chapter 6: The Professional s SketchUp Template           

Base Template 

Model Info         

Standard Layers

Styles   

Utility Scenes    

Chapter Points 

Chapter 7: The Professional s SketchUp Environment

Toolbars              

Trays and Dialogs            

System Preferences       

Chapter Points 

Chapter 8: SketchUp Collections             

Material Collection         

Component Collections

Styles Collection              

Chapter Points 

Chapter 9: Extensions  

Find Extensions

Installing Extensions      

Using Extensions             

Recommended Extensions         

Chapter Points 

Part III: LayOut 

Chapter 10: Introduction to LayOut        

What Is LayOut?              

Why LayOut?    

Chapter Points 

Chapter 11: The LayOut Interface           

Getting Started

Main Toolbar    

Document Setup             

Preferences Window    

Inspectors          

Chapter Points 

Chapter 12: The Professional s LayOut Environment      

New Presentation          

System Preferences       

Custom Toolbars             

Trays    

Basic LayOut Template 

Chapter Points 

Chapter 13: LayOut Tools            

Navigating LayOut          

Drawing Tools   

Annotation Tools

Tables  

Modification Tools          

Chapter Points 

Chapter 14: Inserting Content   

Working with SketchUp Models

Working with Images    

Working with Text

Working with Tables

Managing References   

Chapter Points 

Part IV: Model Organization      

Chapter 15: Model Organization Overview         

Core Concepts of Model Organization    

Nesting Groups and Layers

Simplify the System       

Expand the System         

Chapter Points 

Chapter 16: New Construction  

New Construction Process

The BLVD Coffee Shop Project

Chapter Points 

Chapter 17: Renovation

Renovation Process

The Milwaukee Street Renovation Project

Chapter Points 

Part V: Visualization

Chapter 18: Introduction to Visualization/Preparation 

Presentations   

Level of Detail   

Real Objects      

Populating a Scene

Preparing a Model          

Chapter Points 

Chapter 19: Rendering 

SketchUp Stills  

SketchUp Animations

Photorealistic Rendering             

Chapter Points 

Chapter 20: Altered Reality        

Virtual Reality   

Augmented Reality

Chapter Points

Part VI: Construction Documents

Chapter 21: Crucial Concepts for Construction Documents

Visual Merge

Representing Objects

Section Planes

Rendering Settings Theory

Line Weight Theory

Stacking Viewports

Hatching

Chapter Points

Chapter 22: Title Blocks

Templates

Chapter Points

Chapter 23: Drawings

Drawings

Chapter Points

Chapter 24: Annotations

Annotations

Scrapbooks

Using Collections

Chapter Points

Chapter 25: Exporting

Exporting to PDF

Exporting to CAD

Conclusion

Chapter Points

Index   

Michael Brightman is President and Lead Instructor at Brightman Designs, a firm of designers, visualization experts, and trainers. He is only one of 10 Trimble authorized "Expert Trainers" of Sketchup. The firm features a 3D helpline on all things SketchUp Pro, LayOut, ConDoc Tools, and Lumion.