3D Press With SketchUp: An Like shooting fish in a barrel Introduction

| August 14, 2014

SketchUp is a free beginner-friendly Computer Assisted Blueprint (CAD) software that tin create highly detailed, 3D printable architecture (i.e. houses), furniture (i.e. cabinets), and mechanical parts (i.eastward. drone propeller blades). Formerly owned by Google, SketchUp can cause some troubles when it comes to 3D printing, however. That's why nosotros put together with3D printing manual featuring beginner-friendly tips on how to use SketchUp for preparing printable 3D models.

Houses made by an i.materialise customer using Google Sketchup

Houses made by Sergey Vasenkov on Google Sketchup, printed in multicolor by i.materialise. The print comes out in full color, information technology is not mitt-painted.

Basic facts nigh SketchUp

SketchUp is a rather user-friendly 3D modeling software that is easy to acquire. Information technology's internal measurement organisation is precise and easy to use, making it a skillful selection for creating tightly fitted pieces (such as wheels, lids, hinges, hinge ball joints, and some types of activeness figure jointing.)

SketchUp also has useful 2D capabilities, such every bit creating blueprints from multiple angles and creating photo-realistic preview renders of your designs.

  • Download Link:Via the official SketchUp website.
  • Price: Free (for the Basic Version, used in this tutorial).
  • You Will Need: A mouse with a click-bicycle.

SketchUp is a great 3D modeling programme expert for:

  • Architecture Design
  • Furniture Blueprint
  • Mechanical office Blueprint
  • 3D Designs With Text (i.e. 2D logo design or 3D printed logos)
  • Creating miniature scale houses, trains, and cars.
  • Blueprints
  • Rendering (via add-ons) and creating designs that render well.
  • Coloring and texturing items (yous tin use premade textures or upload your own.)

But information technology's non super easy to 3D print with SketchUp:

  • SketchUp doesn't consign files in .STL format (but has other popular consign formats, like .OBJ and STL plugins are available).
  • In gild for 3D printers to be able to print SketchUp models, they need some training start.
  • You lot'll likewise find out that it's hard to create rounded, organic shapes (such as human faces) with SketchUp. You tin can make curved shapes and spheres, but this isn't enough to hands make a realistic 3D man face. For these kind of operations 3D modeling software with more pattern freedom and sculpting options like Blender, ZBrush, Meshmixer, or Sculptris might make more sense.

learn how to use sketchup for 3d printing

You cannot export .STL files with Google SketchUp, and its "builder"-style interface makes sculpting organic, man-like shapes hard. This townhouse blueprint includes some bend and arc-based features, and was created by Erik de Zeeuw.

SketchUp's absurd features:

  • 3D Warehouse
    Location: File => 3D Warehouse => Get Models
    Share and download hundreds of user-uploaded, pre-made designs. Populate your 3D printed house with matching furniture!
  • Extensions Warehouse
    Location: https://extensions.SketchUp.com/
    Basic features are, well, bones. Desire to add in extra features, such as a "render engine" to generate photo-realistic previews of your piece of work? This is the place to go.
  • Follow Me Tool
    The "Follow Me" tool creates a 3D object from a 2D silhouette by rotating the silhouette around itself. Information technology is similar a digital version of the archetype "paper foldout," only it creates an entirely solid object. It is a handy option for anything from chess pieces to rounded, 18thursday Century antiquarian tabular array legs.

hollow your model in sketchup to 3D print it

SketchUp'due south Follow Me tool rotates an object around itself, turning 2D lineart into a printable 3D file. It can print this mode, just needs to be hollowed out first in order to save money. Click hither to read about the children who fabricated these designs.

SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Select Objects: The Black Pointer button in the upper far-left corner. Repeat to yourself: "I volition non forget the blackness pointer'south being. I demand information technology to select things." Click this arrow earlier selecting annihilation.
  • Select Multiple Objects: Click the blackness pointer. Move it abroad from the bill of fare, and toward the area where you build models. Hold downward left mouse push button. Elevate your cursor across the screen until y'all see a bounding box. Elevate the box effectually the area you wish to select.
  • Undo: Ctrl+Z on Windows; Cmd + Z on Mac
  • Redo: Ctrl+Y on Windows; Cmd Shift Z on Mac
  • Zoom In/Out: Gently scroll up and down with the clickwheel in the center of your mouse.
  • Pan Around Object: Click down on the clickwheel. Equally you hold your finger downward in this position, motion your mouse back, forth, left, right, and and then on.
  • Make a Line: Apply the pencil tool in the upper far-left corner. Click down in one part of the working area beneath the top menu buttons. Move your cursor, and click downwardly on another function of the screen. Join them into squares and other shapes to create walls.
  • Delete a line or wall piece: Right click on it, and then click "Erase."
  • See All Vertices: Your pattern is a quilt, and vertices are the points at the polygon-shaped edges that make upwards the quilt. SketchUp hides vertices by default, simply y'all tin see them by selecting VIEW => HIDDEN GEOGRAPHY.

Create a basic 3D printable object with Sketchup

Here is a bones fashion to make a basic 3D printed object. Over time, you'll discover hundreds of more circuitous ways.

Starting time thing in order to use SketchUp for 3D printing is selecting the right template (scale). Make certain to utilise a 3D printing template in inches or millimeters to first from.

Screenshot of SketchUp's templates for 3d printing

There are many templates inside SketchUp… you lot can make a 3D printable file on whatsoever ane of them.

To exist 3D printable, a design needs walls, a hollow inside, and an "escape hole" for extra material during the 3D printed process. This shape is a basic cylandrical tower, and contains all those features.

make a sketchup model 3d printable

1. Create a shape:Click Describe. Select "SHAPES" for generic premade shapes, or click on LINES => FREEHAND to hand-draw  a shape. Note that a hand-drawn shape might crave additional make clean-upwardly and processing. Since this tutorial is beginner-friendly, nosotros're working with a pre-made  circle.

make a sketchup object 3d printable

2. Click the "Commencement" button to create walls, and to marking where the interior begins: The start push button is at the heart left at the menu on top. The offset characteristic is crucial for creating 3D printable shapes! Go out enough space for wall thickness! On a hand-drawn part, you might run into ugly overlapping lines. Correct click and select "erase" to remove lines you don't want, and use the pencil tool to create new ones when needed.

learn to 3d print with sketchup

Most 3D printed objects have a hollow interior. Brand your SketchUp pattern hollow by using the offset tool to marker where the inside is, and so erasing the inside of your shape.

3. Erase the interior to brand your design hollow inside:Click on the black "selection" pointer at the far upper right corner of the menu. Then right click the interior of the circle.  Click "Erase." You lot should remain with a hollow "o" or "donut-style" shape. Even circuitous shapes should accept hollow interiors to save money and textile.

learn 3d printing with sketchup

4. Raise the walls of your design: Correct click on the frame-like part that remains backside. Make sure it stays selected equally you lot click the "Push/PULL" push. Drag the selected border upwardly to create a 3D shape.

5. Post process your part to brand certain it prints correctly: Steps 1-iv volition yield a basic 3D printable shape, but it still needs post processing to cheque if it volition print correctly. Postal service-processing is similar proofreading: a good habit to get into.

a 3d print created with sketchup

Articulated Cube, designed by Kurt Plagge. SketchUp's measurement organization is precise, and skillful for created tight joints or hinges. No affair what yous make, be certain to "mail-procedure" information technology! This is particularly important for "jointed" or "articulated" pieces.

Fix your SketchUp model for 3D printing

To post-process your file, download Meshlab (a gratuitous program useful for converting file formats), and a "3D file-checking" program. At that place are many free programs that do this, including Materialise'due south MiniMagics (gratis version here). What spell check is to your e-mails, Magics is to 3D printed files.

Create cute 3D renders with SketchUp

You can return (i.e. create photo-realistic previews) of your design in two ways:

  • Using an add-on right inside SketchUp. Ariel Vision is a pop option.
  • Exporting your model, and then importing it into rendering software (i.eastward. VRay, Kerkythea, Blender Cycles). Nigh CAD (Computer Assisted Design) software tin can render files you import from SketchUp. Yous can likewise import your design into browser-based rendering apps like Sketchfab (Sketchfab is not affiliated with SketchUp).

Do you lot need more info near SketchUp? Check out our beginner-friendly step-past-stride guide on how to create your showtime 3D model in SketchUp hither. Want to 3D print your SketchUp model in high quality and in diverse different materials – without even owning a printer? Then upload your 3D file here and get an instant price for your 3D print. Still having trouble to brand your SketchUp file 3D printable? Then ask a professional 3D designer on our 3D modeling service for help.