Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

Using the Follow Me Tool

You use the Follow Me tool to extrude a two-dimensional shape along a path. As you see, with this project the path can take a few corners, and the extruded shape follows suit, creating corners and angles as needed. In the previous steps, you created a simple building-shaped box and the profile of a roof—or more accurately, the profile of half a roof. In the next steps, with the Follow Me tool, you extrude that path around the top edge of the building.

1. Click the Follow Me tool in the toolbar or choose Tools → Follow Me.

   The cursor changes to the Follow Me tool. The hint in the status bar says "Select face to extrude." When you hold the cursor over different faces in your model, a highlight of blue dots appears on the faces.

2. Click the face that's the profile of the roof.

   After you click the face, the shape is attached to the cursor. It's similar to using the Push/Pull tool. When you hover over an edge like the top edge of the building (Figure 8-8), the edge displays a highlight, and the extruded shape follows, perpendicular to the selected edge.

   

   Figure 8-8. When the Follow Me tool is over an edge, the edge is highlighted, and the selected face is extruded along the path formed by the edge.

3. Move the cursor all the way down the edge on the right side of the building, and then turn the corner and follow the back edge of the building.

   As you turn the corner at the back ...