Google SketchUp® 7 For Dummies®

Chapter 3. Getting Off to a Running Start

In This Chapter

• Building a simple model

• Changing the way the model looks

• Exporting a JPEG file that you can e-mail

If you can't wait to get your hands dirty (so to speak), you've come to the right chapter. Here, I help you make a simple model step by step, spin it around, paint it, and even apply styles and shadows. You don't need to read another word of this book to be able to follow along, although I do refer you to chapters where you can find out more. Above all, these pages are about doing and about the basics of putting together the various SketchUp features to produce a knockout model in no time.

So what are you going to build? Perhaps a doghouse. The nice thing about doghouses is that they're a lot like peoplehouses in the ways that count: They have doors and roofs, and just about everybody has seen one.

Note

One last thing: Just about every other piece of this book is written so that you can jump around to the bits you need; you don't have to follow a particular order. I'm afraid this chapter is the exception to that rule. If you want to follow along, you should start on this page and work your way to the end. Otherwise, things just won't make sense.

Setting Things Up

I know — setup is boring. Who wants to flip through menus and options dialog boxes instead of jumping in? I completely agree, so I'll keep this short and sweet. This section is just about making sure that you're starting at the right place. That's it.

Follow these steps to get ...