Drawing Bones Shapes

Many models start with basic shapes. In SketchUp, the shape tools help you draw rectangles, circles, and polygons. Yous find these tools on the Getting Started toolbar, the Drawing toolbar, and the Big Tool Ready toolbar.

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

Drawing a rectangle or foursquare

In SketchUp, you can depict rectangles pretty much anywhere:

  • On the basis 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 key. The cursor changes to a pencil with a rectangle.

    Tip: To kickoff over at any point during these steps, press Esc.

  2. Click to set the first corner signal of the rectangle. .
  3. Click to set the first corner signal of the rectangle. To align the plane of your rectangle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained after in this department.
  4. Click to gear up the offset corner point of the rectangle. To align the plane of your rectangle with a specific drawing centrality or other geometry, press the arrow cardinal that corresponds your desired alignment, every bit explained later in this department. If you prefer to draw the rectangle from the center, press the Ctrl primal (Windows) or the Option central (macOS).
  5. Move the cursor diagonally to observe the desired size and shape for your rectangle. To draw the rectangle with precise dimensions, use the Measurements box, which at this signal displays your rectangle's dimensions as you move the cursor. To aid you place the rectangle in relation to the cartoon axes or other geometry, SketchUp'southward inference engine displays on-screen cues. When the inference you need appears, motion to Footstep iv. Both the Measurements box and the Rectangle tool inferences are explained a little later in this department.
  6. Click again to set the second corner signal of the rectangle. Your shape appears with a face up, as shown in the following figure.
  7. Click again to prepare the 2d corner point of the rectangle. Or if you're cartoon the rectangle from center, click once more to ready whatsoever corner bespeak. Your shape appears with a face, equally 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:

  • Set the length and width. Blazon a length value, a comma, a width value, and and then printing Enter. For example, blazon 8',xx' and printing Enter. If y'all type but a number or numbers, SketchUp uses the electric current document units setting. You lot tin can as well override the document units setting by specifying imperial (such as ane'half-dozen") or metric (such equally iii.652m) units.
  • Specify only a length or width. If you enter a value and a comma (3',), the new value is applied to the offset dimension, and the second dimension doesn't change. Similarly, if you type a comma and and so a value (,three'), merely the 2d dimension changes.
  • Change the rectangle'due south position with negative numbers. If you enter a negative value (–24, –24), SketchUp applies that value in a direction opposite to the ane that you indicated while drawing.

Tip: You don't need to click in the Measurements box before you type a value. Equally you draw, the Measurements box is waiting for you to type precise measurements if you cull to practice and so. Too, until you select some other tool or draw another rectangle, y'all can apply the Measurements box to change a rectangle'southward dimensions every bit many times as you like.

Note: If yous're using a non-English language keyboard, utilise a comma to bespeak the decimal place and a semi-colon to split the dimensions. For example, y'all might enter two sides of a rectangle as: 7,6m;4,3m

As you movement your cursor with the Rectangle tool selected, the SketchUp inference engine displays the post-obit cues:

  • Square: When the rectangle's proportions are a perfect square, y'all see blue dots and the Square ScreenTip announced. See Callout 1.
  • Aureate department: A gilded section is a rectangle in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter side is a gilded ratio. When a rectangle is a gold section, bluish dots and the Golden Section Screen tip appear. Come across Callout 2.

    Y'all can hold down 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, you can come across these features of the Rectangle tool in action.

Drawing a rotated rectangle

The Rotated Rectangle Tool can come in handy when yous need to describe a rectangle whose confront is at an angle to SketchUp's default ruddy, green, or blue axes or to other geometry.

Like the Rectangle tool, the Rotated Rectangle tool enables you to create precise rectangles and squares and displays inferences to help y'all as yous describe. However, when you lot create a rectangle with the Rotated Rectangle tool, you lot position the rectangle at an angle besides. The following effigy 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 arrow key to set the plane for your rotated rectangle, per the table that appears earlier in this article. For example, press the left pointer key to constrain the airplane of your rotated rectangle to the light-green plane.
  3. Click once to fix the showtime corner of your rectangle.
  4. Create the first edge of your rotated rectangle. You can practise this in two ways:
    • Blazon a precise measurement and press Enter.
    • Or move the cursor where y'all want to place 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 following figure, and then click.

      Tip: Y'all can use a few modifier keys every bit you complete this step. Concur downwardly the Shift fundamental to constrain the first edge to its current management. The Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) key locks the protractor airplane. Or the arrow keys can over again help you marshal the first edge to an axis. Simply printing the arrow primal that corresponds your desired alignment, equally explained earlier in this department. For example, printing the right arrow fundamental to constrain the first edge and so it's aligned with the red axis.

      Create the first edge of a rotated rectangle in SketchUp
  5. At this betoken, you set the width and bending of your rectangle. You tin can set these values in a few different ways:
    • Type an angle and width into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Type a width and bending into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Move around the protractor to set the angle, and movement your cursor away from the centre of the protractor to set the width, as shown in the following figure. To constrain the angle, hold down the Shift key. Click to finish creating the rotated rectangle.

Tip: Press the Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) key to set the protractor baseline at the cursor's electric current position and and then motility the cursor to measure the bending from the baseline yous fix. This method is helpful if you want to mensurate the bending from a betoken other than the baseline set up in Step 3. A dashed line appears so you can 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 yous're using a not-English language keyboard, you'll want to use a comma to indicate the decimal identify and a semi-colon to split up the values in the Measurements box. For case, you lot might enter the angle and width of the 2d edge as 43,two;eight,2m to get an angle that's 43,2 degrees and 8,2 meters long.

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

Drawing a circumvolve or ellipse

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

  • Circle entities take a radius and connect multiple line segments.
  • These segments act equally a single line in that they can define the border of a face and divide a face. Additionally, selecting i segment selects the unabridged circumvolve entity.
  • SketchUp'due south inference engine still sees the segments in the circle. So, if you hover your mouse around the circumference of the circumvolve 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 drib-downward menu next to the Rectangle tool. Or press the C key. The cursor changes to a pencil with a circumvolve, and the Measurements box indicates the default number of sides: 24, as shown in the figure. To alter the number of sides, you can type a value now or wait until after you're done cartoon the circle.
  2. Click to place the center point of the circle. The Measurements box changes to display the circumvolve's radius. You can type a radius value now or immediately after you draw the circle.
  3. Click to place the center point of the circle. To marshal the plane of your circle with a specific cartoon centrality or other geometry, press the arrow cardinal that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the up arrow aligns the circle'south aeroplane with the blue centrality. See the tabular array in Drawing a rectangle or square for details.The Measurements box changes to display the circle's radius. You tin type a radius value now or immediately after you lot draw the circumvolve.
  4. Move the cursor out from the center point to define the circle'due south radius. Every bit you lot move the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. Press Esc at whatsoever indicate to start over.
  5. Click to finish the circle. SketchUp creates a circle-shaped face, as shown in the figure.

  6. (Optional) Until y'all select a new tool or draw a new circle, you tin utilise the Measurements box to alter the circle's radius or the number of sides equally follows:
    • To modify the number of sides: Blazon a number and the letter S (for example, type 5s for five sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter.
    • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter Due south (for instance, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). And then press Enter. Alternately, y'all tin hold downwardly the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Pick cardinal (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increment or subtract the number of sides, respectively. If yous're using a French Canadian keyboard, concur downward the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increment the segments. For macOS, printing Control and = to increment segments or - to decrease segments.
    • To change the radius: Blazon a number and a unit (if desired), such equally vi", 8', 34cm, or 7m. Then press Enter or Return.

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

To depict an ellipse or oval, follow these steps:

  1. Describe a circumvolve with the Circumvolve tool.
  2. Select the Scale tool ().
  3. Click the circle. A bounding box with eight light-green grips is displayed around the circumvolve.
  4. Click i of the middle grips (not one of the corner grips) and move the mouse to pull the circumvolve into an ellipse, as shown here.
  5. Click once again when yous're done scaling the circle.

Cartoon a polygon

You can create polygon entities with the Polygon tool. (No surprise there.) However, here are a few facts that you may not know well-nigh polygons, but that are handy to know as you describe them:

  • In SketchUp, a polygon has a radius and 3 or more sides. Then the size of your polygon is measured from a center point, and the number of sides determines the type of polygon you describe. A pentagon as v sides; an octagon has eight sides.
  • Polygon entities human activity every bit a single line in that they tin can define the edge of a face and as well divide a face. Selecting 1 side of the polygon selects the unabridged polygon.
  • The SketchUp inference engine interprets each side of a polygon as a segment. As yous hover your cursor over a polygon, you see endpoint, midpoint, and from point inferences.
  • You can depict polygons on faces or split from existing geometry.

Follow these steps to depict a polygon:

  1. Select the Polygon tool () on the toolbar. The cursor changes to a pencil with a polygon. The Measurements box indicates the current number of sides. To change the number of sides in your polygon, you tin type a number value now or wait until after you lot're done drawing.
  2. Click to place the center point of the polygon. The Measurements box changes to display the radius. You lot can blazon a radius value now or immediately after you depict the polygon.
  3. Click to place the center betoken of the polygon. To align the plane of your polygon with a specific cartoon axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment. For instance, the upwards arrow align'southward the polygon'south aeroplane with the blue axis. Run into the earlier table in Drawing a rectangle or square for details.The Measurements box changes to brandish the radius. You can type a radius value now or immediately subsequently y'all draw the polygon.
  4. Movement the cursor out from the center betoken to define the radius of your polygon. Every bit you move the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. To specify the radius, type a value and press Enter. You tin can also press Esc to start over.
  5. Click a 2nd time to finish the polygon. Here, you see a v-sided polygon.
  6. (Optional) Until you select a new tool or depict a new polygon, you can utilise 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 S (for example, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter.
    • To modify the number of sides: Type a number and the letter S (for instance, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then printing Enter. Alternately, you tin can hold downwards the Ctrl central (Microsoft Windows) or the Option primal (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or decrease the number of sides, respectively. If y'all're using a French Canadian keyboard, agree down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= primal to increase the segments. For macOS, printing Command and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
    • To change the radius: Type a number and a unit (if desired), such as 6", viii', 34cm, or 7m. Then printing Enter or Return.

    Tip: Although the Polygon tool works similarly to the Circle tool, the deviation between the tools becomes apparent when you push/pull a circle or polygon into a 3D shape. The circumvolve's edges wait smooth, merely a polygon'southward edges evidence distinct sides, as shown hither.


In this live-activeness video, you can see the Circle and Polygon tools demonstrate all their stunts.

Editing shapes

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

  1. Context-click an edge (not the face) of a circle or polygon that yous desire to edit.
  2. Select Entity Info from the context menu that appears, as shown here.
  3. In the Entity Info panel, click in the Radius or Segments box, change the value, and printing Enter (Microsoft Windows) or Return (Mac). Later on 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 desire to change and redraw it. See Drawing a rectangle for details. Or resize the rectangle with the Scale tool if y'all don't need to enter precise dimensions.

Of course, you can practice much more than simply modify a shape's size. You tin plow a 2nd shape into a 3D shape with the Push/Pull tool. You can distort shapes with the Move tool or scale all or part of your model.