Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

Importing 2-D Images

You can import 2-D graphics into SketchUp for a number of reasons. You can use them as textures for materials or as templates for creating 3-D models. In some cases, you may keep the 2-D image in the model.

When you import 2-D images, you should do your image editing, cropping, and scaling in the native program such as Photoshop, Fireworks, or iPhoto. Crop your image to remove any unneeded portions. SketchUp doesn't import images that are larger than 1024 x 1024 pixels. If an image is larger than that, SketchUp automatically scales it down. Your image editing software can probably do a better job at scaling the image than SketchUp, so you might as well downsize your image in its native program. (If possible, use bicubic resampling if you see it listed among the scaling options.)

Tip

If you want to force SketchUp to import images larger than 1024 pixels, go to Windows → Preferences → OpenGL (SketchUp → Preferences → OpenGL), and then turn on "Use maximum texture size". Depending on your computer and graphics card, though, these images can dramatically slow your system.

The basic steps for importing 2-D graphics are pretty much the same regardless of the file format:

1. Choose File → Import.

   A file browser window opens where you can navigate through your file and folder system.

2. Use the "Files of type" or Format drop-down menu to select the file type you want to import.

   The types of 2-D image files SketchUp imports are shown in Table 13-2. This menu determines which files ...