Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

Exporting Animations

After you've created a perfect animation using the techniques described in Chapter 12, you can export the result as a video file. If you're making an important presentation, you may find it easier to talk while a video is playing than while controlling a SketchUp walkthrough. Fortunately the steps for exporting SketchUp animation are simple. Windows computers create Video for Windows (.avi) files, and Macs create QuickTime (.mov) files.

The biggest decision is figuring out the optimum video format for what you're doing. If you want to put your video on a DVD, you can go for a large video image and film quality video. If you plan to show a video on a website, you'll want to reduce the size and the quality. If you're thinking of emailing the video to anyone other than an enemy, you need to reduce the file size even more. The following steps include guidelines for determining file sizes:

1. Prepare your animation using the techniques described in Chapter 12.

   Your video animation will play just like the animation you see when you use the View → Animation → Play command. However, in SketchUp you can start the animation from any scene. The video file always begins with the first scene that's marked "Include in animation" in the Scenes window and then plays through each of the included scenes.

2. Choose File → Export → Animation.

   The Export Animation window opens.

3. Choose the Export type (Format on Mac).

   Avi File (.avi) is the video format for Windows computers. QuickTime Movie ...