Tutorial
Tool Overview

Tutorial

Groups in Sketchup

screenShot.png


What is it?

Groups are great for keeping your models organized. They allow you to easily move forms around without connecting the geometries.



What's the tutorial?

Groups
  1. Open SketchUp

  2. Press spacebar to select the Select tool. Click and drag a box around the entities you want in the group. Release the mouse button when all of the elements are either partially included (left-to-right selection) or fully included (right-to-left selection) in the selection box.

  3. CTRL+click and select Make Group from the context menu. The geometry you selected appears grouped within a highlighted bounding box.

  4. You can make group hierarchies by grouping other Group entities within a group. Additionally, you can mix your hierarchies by including components and groups within other components and groups.

  5. You can ungroup grouped entities by context-clicking on the group and then selecting Explode .





  1. Create a sphere:
    sphere.png

  2. Change the view to the Right (Command+3)
    right_view.png

  3. If you do not see sections click on View>Hidden Geometry

  4. With the Selection tool (spacebar) drag right to left to select the top three rings
    drag_right_to_left.png

  5. Orbit to make sure your selection is complete:
    orbit_sphere.png

  6. Delete the selection
    delete_selection.png

  7. Select the Line tool (L) and draw a line connecting endpoints
    draw_line.png

  8. Select the Eraser tool (E) and erase the line
    erase_line.png

  9. Select the Offset tool (F) click on the outside ring and drag in:
    offset.png

  10. Select the Push/Pull tool (P) push in:
    push_pull.png

  11. Make a copy of the selection.
    select_to_copy.png
    copy.png

  12. Triple click on the sphere
    triple_click.png

  13. CTRL+click and select Make Group from the Context Menu
    group.png

  14. Select File>Paste in Place
    paste_in_place.png
    pasted.png

  15. Select the Move tool (M) and move the pasted circle away from the sphere
    move.png

  16. Select the Line tool (L) and divide the circle into quarters
    divide_into_quarters.png

  17. Select the Tape Measure tool and drag from the center to and endpoint. Make a note of the value in the lower right side
    measure.png

  18. Select the Circle tool (C) and create a circle with the same radius as the pasted circle, but subtract a mm from it:
    new_circle.png

  19. Select the Push/Pull tool (P)and extrude the circle:
    push_pull2.png

  20. Slice off the bottom of the sphere and print (this could be an eye. Print the disc, this could be a pupil.



Now what?

  1. Create a model with groups.