Drawing Bones Shapes

Many models start with basic shapes. In SketchUp, the shape tools help y'all depict rectangles, circles, and polygons. You lot find these tools on the Getting Started toolbar, the Drawing toolbar, and the Large Tool Set toolbar.

Table of Contents
  1. Cartoon a rectangle or square
  2. Cartoon a rotated rectangle
  3. Cartoon a circle or ellipse
  4. Drawing a polygon
  5. Editing shapes

Cartoon a rectangle or square

In SketchUp, you tin can draw rectangles pretty much anywhere:

  • On the footing plane
  • On a vertical plane
  • On existing faces
  • Separate from existing geometry (aligned to an axes plane)
  • Inferenced from existing geometry

To draw a rectangle with the Rectangle tool, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Rectangle tool () from the toolbar or press the R central. The cursor changes to a pencil with a rectangle.

    Tip: To start over at whatsoever point during these steps, press Esc.

  2. Click to set the first corner point of the rectangle. .
  3. Click to set the first corner point of the rectangle. To align the airplane of your rectangle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, printing the pointer cardinal that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained afterwards in this section.
  4. Click to fix the first corner point of the rectangle. To align the plane of your rectangle with a specific cartoon centrality or other geometry, printing the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained later in this section. If yous prefer to draw the rectangle from the center, press the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS).
  5. Motion the cursor diagonally to find the desired size and shape for your rectangle. To draw the rectangle with precise dimensions, apply the Measurements box, which at this point displays your rectangle'southward dimensions equally you lot motility the cursor. To help yous place the rectangle in relation to the drawing axes or other geometry, SketchUp'due south inference engine displays on-screen cues. When the inference yous need appears, move to Step 4. Both the Measurements box and the Rectangle tool inferences are explained a petty afterwards in this section.
  6. Click again to set the second corner point of the rectangle. Your shape appears with a face, as shown in the following figure.
  7. Click again to set the 2d corner point of the rectangle. Or if y'all're drawing the rectangle from heart, click again to set whatsoever corner point. Your shape appears with a face, every bit shown in the following figure.
In SketchUp, many 3D models begin with a basic rectangle

As you draw a rectangle, the Measurements box helps you model precisely as follows:

  • Fix the length and width. Blazon a length value, a comma, a width value, and then press Enter. For instance, type viii',20' and printing Enter. If yous type just a number or numbers, SketchUp uses the current document units setting. Yous can too override the document units setting by specifying royal (such every bit ane'vi") or metric (such as three.652m) units.
  • Specify merely a length or width. If you enter a value and a comma (3',), the new value is practical to the get-go dimension, and the second dimension doesn't change. Similarly, if y'all blazon a comma then a value (,3'), only the 2nd dimension changes.
  • Alter the rectangle's position with negative numbers. If you enter a negative value (–24, –24), SketchUp applies that value in a direction opposite to the one that you lot indicated while cartoon.

Tip: You don't need to click in the Measurements box before you type a value. As y'all depict, the Measurements box is waiting for yous to type precise measurements if you choose to do so. Besides, until yous select another tool or draw another rectangle, you can use the Measurements box to alter a rectangle'due south dimensions as many times as you like.

Note: If you're using a non-English keyboard, apply a comma to point the decimal place and a semi-colon to dissever the dimensions. For instance, y'all might enter two sides of a rectangle as: seven,6m;iv,3m

As you lot move your cursor with the Rectangle tool selected, the SketchUp inference engine displays the following cues:

  • Square: When the rectangle's proportions are a perfect square, you run across blue dots and the Square ScreenTip appear. See Callout 1.
  • Golden section: A gold section is a rectangle in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter side is a gold ratio. When a rectangle is a golden department, blue dots and the Golden Section Screen tip appear. See Callout 2.

    You can concord downward the Shift key to lock this inference while dragging.

When you draw a rectangle in SketchUp, the inference engine tells you when your rectangle is a square or golden section

In the video, y'all can come across these features of the Rectangle tool in activity.

Drawing a rotated rectangle

The Rotated Rectangle Tool can come in handy when you lot need to depict a rectangle whose face is at an angle to SketchUp's default ruby-red, green, or blue axes or to other geometry.

Similar the Rectangle tool, the Rotated Rectangle tool enables yous to create precise rectangles and squares and displays inferences to aid you every bit you draw. However, when you create a rectangle with the Rotated Rectangle tool, yous position the rectangle at an bending also. The following figure is an example of a rectangle created with the Rotated Rectangle tool.

A rotated rectangle in SketchUp

To create a rotated rectangle, follow these steps:

  1. On the toolbar, from the Shape Tools menu, select the Rotated Rectangle tool (). Or select Depict > Shapes > Rotated Rectangle from the menu bar.
  2. (Optional) Press an pointer key to set the plane for your rotated rectangle, per the table that appears earlier in this article. For example, printing the left arrow key to constrain the plane of your rotated rectangle to the green plane.
  3. Click in one case to prepare the first corner of your rectangle.
  4. Create the first edge of your rotated rectangle. You lot tin can do this in two ways:
    • Type a precise measurement and press Enter.
    • Or move the cursor where you desire to identify the second endpoint of this edge, using the SketchUp inference engine to position the endpoint in relation to the axes or other geometry, every bit shown in the post-obit effigy, and and then click.

      Tip: You can use a few modifier keys as you complete this step. Agree down the Shift cardinal to constrain the first edge to its electric current direction. The Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) central locks the protractor plane. Or the arrow keys tin can again assist yous align the start edge to an axis. But printing the pointer key that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained earlier in this section. For example, press the right arrow fundamental to constrain the start edge so it's aligned with the reddish centrality.

      Create the first edge of a rotated rectangle in SketchUp
  5. At this point, y'all fix the width and angle of your rectangle. You tin can set these values in a few different means:
    • Type an angle and width into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Blazon a width and angle into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Move around the protractor to set the angle, and move your cursor away from the middle of the protractor to set the width, equally shown in the following figure. To constrain the angle, hold down the Shift primal. Click to finish creating the rotated rectangle.

Tip: Printing the Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) key to set the protractor baseline at the cursor's current position and and then move the cursor to measure the bending from the baseline you lot set. This method is helpful if yous want to measure the angle from a point other than the baseline set in Step three. A dashed line appears so you tin see the new baseline.

Inferences can help you align a rotated rectangle with nearby geometry

Inferences can help you align a rotated rectangle with nearby geometry

Note: if you're using a non-English keyboard, you'll want to apply a comma to point the decimal place and a semi-colon to dissever the values in the Measurements box. For example, you lot might enter the angle and width of the 2nd border as 43,2;8,2m to get an angle that's 43,2 degrees and eight,2 meters long.

Note: if you're using a non-English keyboard, you'll want to utilize a comma to indicate the decimal place and a semi-colon to split up the values in the Measurements box. For example, y'all might enter the width and angle of the 2d edge as 8,2m; 43,2 to get a width that'south 8,two meters long and bending that'southward 43,2 degrees .

Drawing a circle or ellipse

Before you draw a circle, it's helpful to understand how SketchUp creates circle entities:

  • Circumvolve entities accept a radius and connect multiple line segments.
  • These segments human activity every bit a single line in that they can define the edge of a face and divide a face. Additionally, selecting one segment selects the unabridged circle entity.
  • SketchUp's inference engine even so sees the segments in the circle. Then, if you hover your mouse around the circumference of the circle entity, you'll see endpoint and midpoint inferences.

To draw a circle, follow these steps:

  1. On the toolbar, select the Circle tool () from the driblet-down menu next to the Rectangle tool. Or printing the C key. The cursor changes to a pencil with a circumvolve, and the Measurements box indicates the default number of sides: 24, every bit shown in the figure. To change the number of sides, you can type a value now or await until subsequently you're done drawing the circle.
  2. Click to place the centre point of the circle. The Measurements box changes to brandish the circle's radius. You tin type a radius value now or immediately after you draw the circumvolve.
  3. Click to place the center point of the circle. To marshal the plane of your circle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the upwards pointer aligns the circle's plane with the blue axis. See the tabular array in Drawing a rectangle or square for details.The Measurements box changes to display the circle's radius. You can type a radius value now or immediately later yous draw the circle.
  4. Move the cursor out from the eye indicate to define the circle's radius. As you move the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. Press Esc at any signal to start over.
  5. Click to finish the circumvolve. SketchUp creates a circle-shaped face up, as shown in the effigy.

  6. (Optional) Until you select a new tool or draw a new circle, you can use the Measurements box to modify the circle'south radius or the number of sides every bit follows:
    • To alter the number of sides: Type a number and the letter S (for example, blazon 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter.
    • To change the number of sides: Blazon a number and the alphabetic character Southward (for instance, blazon 5s for five sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then printing Enter. Alternately, you tin concord down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Option key (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or decrease the number of sides, respectively. If you lot're using a French Canadian keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= central to increase the segments. For macOS, press Command and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
    • To alter the radius: Type a number and a unit (if desired), such equally half-dozen", 8', 34cm, or 7m. Then press Enter or Return.

      Tip: The Entity Info dialog box offers a handy way to edit the sides and radius values someday. See Editing shapes later in this commodity for details.

To draw an ellipse or oval, follow these steps:

  1. Depict a circumvolve with the Circle tool.
  2. Select the Scale tool ().
  3. Click the circle. A bounding box with eight green grips is displayed around the circumvolve.
  4. Click one of the eye grips (not one of the corner grips) and move the mouse to pull the circumvolve into an ellipse, as shown here.
  5. Click again when you're washed scaling the circle.

Drawing a polygon

You can create polygon entities with the Polygon tool. (No surprise there.) Even so, here are a few facts that y'all may non know about polygons, but that are handy to know every bit you describe them:

  • In SketchUp, a polygon has a radius and 3 or more than sides. So the size of your polygon is measured from a heart indicate, and the number of sides determines the type of polygon you depict. A pentagon as 5 sides; an octagon has 8 sides.
  • Polygon entities act as a single line in that they can ascertain the edge of a face and also divide a face. Selecting one side of the polygon selects the entire polygon.
  • The SketchUp inference engine interprets each side of a polygon as a segment. As you hover your cursor over a polygon, you see endpoint, midpoint, and from indicate inferences.
  • Y'all can draw polygons on faces or split from existing geometry.

Follow these steps to draw a polygon:

  1. Select the Polygon tool () on the toolbar. The cursor changes to a pencil with a polygon. The Measurements box indicates the electric current number of sides. To change the number of sides in your polygon, you lot can type a number value now or wait until after you're washed drawing.
  2. Click to place the center point of the polygon. The Measurements box changes to brandish the radius. You can type a radius value at present or immediately after you draw the polygon.
  3. Click to place the center betoken of the polygon. To align the plane of your polygon with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the pointer key that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the up arrow marshal'due south the polygon'south plane with the bluish centrality. Encounter the earlier table in Drawing a rectangle or square for details.The Measurements box changes to display the radius. You tin blazon a radius value at present or immediately after y'all draw the polygon.
  4. Move the cursor out from the center betoken to define the radius of your polygon. Equally you move the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. To specify the radius, blazon a value and press Enter. You can also press Esc to start over.
  5. Click a 2d time to finish the polygon. Hither, y'all come across a 5-sided polygon.
  6. (Optional) Until you select a new tool or describe a new polygon, you tin use the Measurements box to change the radius or the number of sides equally follows:
    • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter of the alphabet Southward (for instance, blazon 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). And then printing Enter.
    • To modify the number of sides: Type a number and the letter S (for example, blazon 5s for v sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then printing Enter. Alternately, you can hold downwards the Ctrl cardinal (Microsoft Windows) or the Selection key (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or decrease the number of sides, respectively. If y'all're using a French Canadian keyboard, hold down the Ctrl fundamental (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increment the segments. For macOS, press Command and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
    • To change the radius: Blazon a number and a unit (if desired), such every bit 6", 8', 34cm, or 7m. Then press Enter or Return.

    Tip: Although the Polygon tool works similarly to the Circle tool, the difference between the tools becomes apparent when you button/pull a circle or polygon into a 3D shape. The circle's edges wait smooth, but a polygon'south edges show distinct sides, equally shown here.


In this alive-action video, you lot can come across the Circle and Polygon tools demonstrate all their stunts.

Editing shapes

The Entity Info dialog box enables yous to change a circle or polygon's radius or sides anytime later you create the shape. Hither'southward how:

  1. Context-click an edge (not the face) of a circle or polygon that y'all want to edit.
  2. Select Entity Info from the context card that appears, as shown here.
  3. In the Entity Info console, click in the Radius or Segments box, change the value, and printing Enter (Microsoft Windows) or Return (Mac). After yous press Enter or Return, your shape immediately reflects your changes.

SketchUp doesn't enable you to modify the width or length of a rectangle at anytime. If you've already selected another tool or drawn boosted rectangles, you need to erase the rectangle yous want to modify and redraw it. See Drawing a rectangle for details. Or resize the rectangle with the Scale tool if you don't need to enter precise dimensions.

Of form, y'all tin practise much more than just change a shape's size. You can turn a 2D shape into a 3D shape with the Push button/Pull tool. You can distort shapes with the Move tool or scale all or role of your model.