Spinning in Sketchup

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SketchUp allows you to spin flat shapes around circles to get complex solid forms.

  1. Open SketchUp.

  2. Set up your view:
    • With the eraser tool, delete the figure:


    • Select View>Hidden Geometry to see latitudinal and longitudinal lines:


    • If your large tool set is not visible, select View>Tool Palettes>Large Tool Set to make it visible:


  3. Adjust the view with the Orbit tool (O) so that the horizon line is more in the middle of the document:


  4. Select the Rectangle tool (R) to draw a vertical rectangle from the origin point (the point where the red, green, and blue axes intersect) to the left.


  5. Select the Freehand tool:


  6. Draw a line on your vertical plane connecting the top line to the bottom line:


  7. Select the Eraser (E) tool and delete the extraneous lines:


  8. Select the Circle tool (C):


  9. Click on the red axis line near your shape. Make sure your circle is lying on the ground plane:


  10. Drag the radius out to the origin point:


  11. Press spacebar to select the Select tool and select the circular plane:


  12. Click on the Follow me tool and click on the vertical shape:


  13. Select the Orbit tool (O) and move the view to the bottom of the form, then press spacebar and select the circle:


  14. Press the Delete key to erase the circle.

  15. If your form is blue gray
    • Click on the spacebar and triple click on the form to select it:


    • CTRL+ click on the form and select Reverse Faces


  16. Edit the form as you'd like. You can navigate to top view (CTRL+1/Command+1) and select the Scale tool (S):


    To scale from center, click a node while holding ALT/OPTION



Now what?

  1. Create a model by spinning.