Welcome to the Get and Use SketchUp page! • SketchUp is a powerful tool for 3D modeling • Find out how to download it, install it, and set it up • See how easy it is to learn to use—this page shows you how! • You'll be able to visualize your projects before cutting the first board • Easily see how well each piece of a project fits—or doesn't fit • Let SketchUp keep track of dimensions for you • Spot interferences in your design, not in your build • Make the creation of your project's design as much fun as building the project

SketchUp's Old and New Logos

There are Several Ways to Get SketchUp

SketchUp has changed its offerings several times over the past few years. The descriptions given here were current as of the time of this writing.

Paid Versions

  • SketchUp Go is for use on a web browser, Chromebook, or iPad. It is not a desktop app, so it's somewhat limited in my opinion.
  • SketchUp Pro is for use on your desktop, a web browser, Chromebook, or iPad. I prefer this version because I can run it on my desktop, which is much more convenient in my opinion.
  • SketchUp Studio is for use on your desktop, a web browser, Chromebook, or iPad. It's significantly more expensive than SketchUp Pro and is probably best suited for the professional designer with an unrestricted budget.

All of these versions are described and available here:

https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing#commercial

Free Version

  • SketchUp Free runs in a browser. It comes with 10 GB of Trimble Connect cloud storage. You can view your model in a mobile device using the free SketchUp Viewer app.

The Free version is described and available here:

https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-free


Compare All Versions

Trimble provides a table for easy comparison of the prices and features of the 4 versions:

https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/compare


Free SketchUp Viewer

SketchUp Viewer is a free app available from Trimble. The Viewer will allow you to view a SketchUp model the same way you can from inside any version of SketchUp. You can change your position and the type of view. You won't be able to edit and save the model, but you can print the model and use many of the other features of SketchUp:

https://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-viewer

Introduction to SketchUp

Using SketchUp for Woodworking

SketchUp can become an indispensable tool when your woodworking expands beyond the simplest projects. It makes the design clear so that you can tell if the design makes sense—or if it even looks good—before you build it. It keeps track of dimensions. It can show you when parts don’t fit correctly.

SketchUp has two built-in templates dedicated to woodworking. One template uses inches. The other uses millimeters. Just tell SketchUp what you want to use the first time you use it and you’re all set. You can change your choice at any time.

SketchUp Isn’t Hard to Use!

Learning to use SketchUp might seem daunting at first. After all, it looks very complicated when you open it for the first time. Don’t be fooled! It will quickly begin to make sense once you’ve had some of the features explained to you. This page points you to multiple free sites that explain how to use SketchUp.

Download, Install, and Start SketchUp

Downloading SketchUp

Get SketchUp by using one of the options cited above.

Much of the information that follows on this page applies only to the paid desktop versions of SketchUp. You can skip down to more information about the Free web version if you're strictly interested in using that version.

Installing SketchUp

Once you’ve downloaded the installation file, double-click to install it. It should put three icons on your desktop. We will work only with the SketchUp icon.

Starting SketchUp for the First Time

  1. Double-click the SketchUp icon to start it
  2. Sign in to activate your trial or subscription the first time you try to open SketchUp
  3. A Welcome window will appear with a short list of template icons
  4. Click on "More templates" in the upper-right corner
  5. Scroll down in the new list to find Woodworking – Inches or Woodworking – Millimeters
  6. Click the little circle on your preference. This will assign your favorite.
  7. Click on the template image to open SketchUp

If you’ve never used SketchUp before, this is the place where things might begin to seem overwhelming. Not to worry! Just follow along as described below.

Setting Up SketchUp

Explaining Following Info is Based on SketchUp Pro 2021

I'm going to explain how I like SketchUp to be set up. You might discover that you have different preferences. But start with what I explain here. This procedure will begin your exposure to the SketchUp environment. And, it will arm you with the ability to select different preferences if you choose to do that later.

  1. Click on the Window menu.
  2. Hover your mouse over Default Tray.
  3. Make sure that only these items are selected:
  1. Entity Info
  2. Materials
  3. Components
  4. Tags (used to be Layers in earlier versions of SketchUp)
  5. Scenes
  6. Deselect all other choices

You should now see these items on the right side of the SketchUp window:

List of Items in the Default Tray

If the items are not in the order shown, click and drag them up or down until they’re in this order.

  1. Click on the View menu and be sure only these items are selected:
List of Selected Items in the View Menu
  1. Click on the View menu again.
  2. Click on Toolbars… and be sure only these checked items are selected. (Ignore Solid Inspector2. That is a third-party feature added to my SketchUp but is not part of this presentation.):
List of Selected Toolbars
  1. Click Close.
  2. Be sure the toolbars are arranged as shown here. You can simply drag the drag bar of each toolbar to move it into position as shown here:
Toolbar Locations

Finally, SketchUp has many built-in keyboard shortcuts. They’re great time savers that you will want to use. But you’ll be glad to have 5 additional keyboard shortcuts. Here’s how to set them up.

  1. Click the Window menu and select Preferences.
  2. Select Shortcuts in the left window.
  3. Scroll down the Function window and select Edit/Delete Guides.
  4. Enter “N” (without the quotes) into the Add Shortcut window and then click “+” next to that window.
  5. Scroll down the Function window and select Edit/Hide.
  6. Enter “X” (without the quotes) into the Add Shortcut window and then click “+” next to that window. ("H" can't be used for "Hide" since it's assigned to "Pan".)
  7. Scroll down the Function window and select Edit/Unhide/All.
  8. Enter “U” (without the quotes) into the Add Shortcut window and then click “+” next to that window.
  9. Select the next item down, Edit/Unhide/Last.
  10. Enter "V" (without the quotes) into the Add Shortcut window and then click "+" next to that window.
  11. Scroll down the Function window and select Tools/Dimensions.
  12. Enter “D” (without the quotes) into the Add Shortcut window and then click “+” next to that window.
  13. Click OK to close the Preferences window.

Steps 11-12 arm you with the ability to delete all of the guides. The shortcut lets you delete the guides without opening the Edit menu to do it.

Steps 13-14 arm you with the ability to hide an object by simply clicking on it and then pressing the X key. The shortcut lets you hide objects without opening the Edit menu to do it.

Steps 15-16 arm you with the ability unhide all hidden items by simply pressing the U key. The shortcut lets you unhide all objects without opening the Edit menu to do it.

Steps 17-18 arm you with the ability unhide the last hidden item (that is, not all of the hidden items) by simply pressing the V key. The shortcut lets you unhide the last hidden object without opening the Edit menu to do it.

Finally, steps 19-20 arm you with the ability to enable dimensioning by simply pressing the D key. You can avoid clicking on the Dimension icon in the Large Tool Set.

These shortcuts might not make much sense right now but TRY TO REMEMBER THESE SHORTCUTS. Write them down if necessary. Use them whenever possible to avoid going to a menu. They can make your SketchUp experience much simpler and much more enjoyable.

Complete List of All Keyboard Shortcuts

This is the list of ALL keyboard shortcuts. Each of the 5 additional keyboard shortcuts that you added using the above procedure is shown in brackets: [•]. You should copy this list and keep it handy to facilitate your design editing.

  1. Arc
  2. Paint Bucket
  3. Circle
  4. [Tools/Dimensions]
  5. Eraser
  6. Offset
  7. Edit/Make Component
  8. Pan
  1. Line
  2. Move
  3. [Edit/Delete Guides]
  4. Orbit
  5. Push-Pull
  6. Rotate
  7. Rectangle
  1. Tape Measure
  2. [Edit/Unhide All]
  3. [Edit/Unhide Last]
  1. [Edit/Hide]
  1. Zoom
  • SPACE BAR: "Select" arrow

Ready to Go!

You are now ready to begin using SketchUp. If you find out later that you don’t like my preferred setup, the information given above should have provided you with enough knowledge to do things differently.

Starting to Use SketchUp

So how is SketchUp used? The links in the next section provide a broad spectrum of how-to advice for beginners.

You might like some presenters more than others, so pick and choose, and mix and match.

Beware that you will encounter references to SketchUp Make 2017. That was a free version that is no longer available.

The more you use SketchUp, the more comfortable you will feel using it. So, dive right in and begin using SketchUp. Then, when you think you're ready, try your hand at making your own designs.

There is a lot more help and advice on YouTube, so be sure always to check there. Have fun!

Use YouTube to Learn to use SketchUp Like an Expert

These are some links that you might find helpful. For beginners, you might try this excellent series from The SketchUp Essentials:

SketchUp Woodworking Tutorial for Beginners - Part 1

https://youtu.be/u80grW1zjOw

SketchUp Woodworking Tutorial for Beginners Part 2

https://youtu.be/xJdpbmUnw_Y


Steve Ramsey

Steve Ramsey makes YouTube videos primarily for beginning woodworkers. He has a video for SketchUp beginners that takes you from downloading SketchUp through building a project. It's an excellent introduction.

https://youtu.be/r2K6gmcc_jA


April Wilkerson

April Wilkerson is a clever, inventive, self-taught woodworker who has published many interesting YouTube woodworking videos. She has recently published a pair of videos aimed at the most basic SketchUp beginner. It's a good way to learn first things first. Take a look:

First Video: The Very Basics of Using SketchUp

https://youtu.be/rjSE28T3u78

Second Video: Familiarize Yourself with SketchUp by Drawing a Simple Table and a Simple Cabinet

https://youtu.be/vNf_YiBC_g0


Jay Bates

Jay Bates is an accomplished woodworker who can be found on many YouTube woodworking videos. He sometimes creates videos that show his use of SketchUp. He talks a little fast but he does real things with his SketchUp designs, so what he does is of practical use. If you feel that you’re getting past the beginner stage, take a look at some of his videos:

Here’s a beginning SketchUp video from Jay Bates:

Familiarize Yourself With SketchUp

https://youtu.be/h1pMe_fXdoM

A simple table design by Jay Bates:

Notice his clever but simple techniques. He makes things even simpler by stressing “never draw what you can copy.” He can talk fast, so pay attention. There’s a lot of useful information in this single video:

SketchUp - Sofa Table With Hidden Storage

https://youtu.be/LAVZZlw4_Uo

A simple but visually appealing set of shelves by Jay Bates:

He adds little touches to turn an ordinary set of shelves into shelves that are simple, strong, and visually appealing. As he often does, through the course of this SketchUp design example, he offers quick suggestions on how to speed up the SketchUp design process. But he can talk fast, so you'll have to pay close attention. There's a lot to be learned from this video:

SketchUp - Proud Halflap Shelving System

https://youtu.be/MAZurkPip4A?si=Tj5Zfb9XQCEoPurF

Here's a whole lot of SketchUp information from Jay Bates' website:

Jay provides a lot of general information here as well as links to his many YouTube SketchUp videos. He describes and uses only one custom keyboard shortcut (for Dimension) and also provides a list of his favorite built-in keyboard shortcuts. Note that 5 custom keyboard shortcuts were described above, so Jay's list of shortcuts might not be a complete reference for you.

https://jayscustomcreations.com/sketchup/


Matthias Wandel

Matthias Wandel is a very clever woodworker who has prepared a series of SketchUp YouTube tutorials for beginners. Take a look at this YouTube page with a list of those tutorials:

https://youtu.be/BKIeUxofprs


Robert W. Lang

Robert W. Lang used to be the Executive Editor of Popular Woodworking Magazine. He produced a very complete series of SketchUp tutorials. Everyone can benefit from viewing these.

Part 1: Getting Started

1-4: https://youtu.be/k4AgIgK0u_o
5-7: https://youtu.be/VDqzAfQm-bA
8-10: https://youtu.be/DiVeK5QnleA
11-12: https://youtu.be/mmycQeDtVZU

Part 2: Advanced Techniques

1-3: https://youtu.be/XCWYGNDClv4
4-7: https://youtu.be/ic9zOe1gTtg
8-11: https://youtu.be/7eQhrU1O1Ks
12-13: https://youtu.be/nJUgTiQz9b4


Advanced SketchUp Joinery Techniques from The SketchUp Essentials

The techniques discussed in these links are best suited to any woodworker who is already familiar with SketchUp and who just wants to polish his skills. Basic instructions from The SketchUp Essentials can be found at the beginning of this section. All of the links cited here are from a single video.

Using the Free Web Version of SketchUp

You'll probably want to get your feet wet with the Free web version of SketchUp. It's an opportunity to use SketchUp and decide if you like it enough to invest in a paid version. Or, you might be perfectly happy to stay with the Free version. Either way, the links below will introduce you to the web features of SketchUp.


Here is a very good 2-part introduction to the Free web version of SketchUp. It's presented by Justin Geis who hosts TheSketchUpEssentials on YouTube. He's a SketchUp expert who gives very clear, easy-to-follow instructions.

  1. Accessing SketchUp and learning the basics. https://youtu.be/vFVwPnDxNY4
  2. Creating your first drawing. https://youtu.be/vXMQomOKeBU

This is a 7-part introduction by someone who provides a very complete introduction to using the Free web version of SketchUp.

  1. Absolute basics. There is a discussion of the versions of SketchUp, and then the host spends his time on the Free web version of SketchUp. https://youtu.be/s-6dEbIuwB0
  2. Descriptions of the online user interface. He uses millimeters but he makes it clear how you can choose to use inches. https://youtu.be/NuQVSxpjTdE
  3. Making the basic carcass of a Shaker table. https://youtu.be/-LjT6QG1UVw
  4. Make the joinery for the carcass that was drawn in Part 3, above. https://youtu.be/oWKMssE3CK0
  5. Make a drawer for the table that was drawn in Parts 3 & 4, above. https://youtu.be/1kVHMbKPjFU
  6. Add color and details to the table of Parts 3-5, above. https://youtu.be/IqAK1X299dE
  7. Dimensioning, exporting, and creating scenes. https://youtu.be/dVXwhFaqMEw

Look for other resources on YouTube for beginners and for the web version.

Conclusion

This page provides a foundation for getting, installing, setting up, and using SketchUp in your woodworking projects. There is a lot of other information and tutorials available on the internet. Be sure to search the internet and YouTube for more SketchUp hints and techniques.

Also, be sure to visit my SketchUp ‘Cut List 4.1' Supplement page for an app that can help to make your SketchUp and woodworking experience even easier.

Good luck, and keep on using SketchUp!