Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

Chapter 10. Matching Your Photos in SketchUp

Google SketchUp is far from being a one-trick pony. As you saw in earlier chapters, SketchUp lets you quickly design models from scratch and determine the dimensions as you work. But say you already took a photograph of what you’re trying to model. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just show the picture to SketchUp and say, “I want this. Same shape. Same size. Just do it.” It may not be quite that easy, but you can use a photograph as a reference when you create a 3-D SketchUp model. Using a little magic called Photo Match, SketchUp identifies the perspective and focal length of the photograph. Then it recreates that view in the modeling window. Using the drawing tools, you trace over parts of the image to create edges and faces of a three-dimensional model. You can use the original photo to create textured surfaces in your model, or you can use the standard SketchUp methods to add details.

This chapter shows you how to do it all. It begins with a detailed explanation of Photo Match and some tips to consider when you’re shooting photos for Photo Match. Then, in the exercises, you get to see Photo Match in action as you create a model of the famous Villa Savoye, located in Poissy, outside of Paris, which was designed by the noted architect Le Corbusier.

How Photo Match Works

When you work in SketchUp, you create three-dimensional models using a two-dimensional tool—your computer’s monitor. SketchUp provides visual clues that simulate the ...