Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

Drawing Polygons and Circles

Drawing polygons and circles is easier than drawing shapes with the Line tool. For perfect shapes like the ones in this section, the radius—the distance from the center to an endpoint on the perimeter—is the key dimension that determines its size. The other defining element is the number of sides. Begin with a new document (File → New), and then follow these steps to create the simplest of polygons—the triangle.

1. Click on the Polygon tool in the toolbar, or choose Draw → Polygon from the menu.

   The cursor for polygons is the pencil, just like the one for drawing lines.

   

   Figure 2-8. When you erase a perimeter edge that defines a face (top), the face disappears (bottom), because the edges are no longer a closed loop.

2. Click a point in the drawing area, and then release the mouse button.

   Remember to click-move-click—don't click and drag. Your first click defines the center point for the polygon.

3. Move the cursor to define the radius of the polygon (but don't click yet).

   As shown in Figure 2-9 SketchUp initially uses a six-sided polygon, but it's easy enough to change the number of sides, as shown in the next step.

   

   Figure 2-9. You draw polygons by clicking a center point and then clicking a perimeter point to set the radius. As you move the cursor, the VCB lists the radius. ...