Copy, Move and Scale Tool in Sketchup

Video tutorial 6 - The Editing  Tools - COPY, MOVE AND SCALE TOOL
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Here's another tool commonly used in 3d modeling. The Copy, Move and Scale tool.

1. Video Tutorial   1 - Downloading Free Sketchup

2. Video Tutorial   2 - Getting Started - Choosing a Template 
3. Video Tutorila   3 - The Drawing Tools - LINE TOOLS 
4. Video Tutorial   4 - The Drawing Tools - RECTANGLE OR SQUARE TOOL
5. Video Tutorial   5  - The 3D Creation Tool- FOLLOW ME TOOL
6. Video Tutorials 6  - The Editing Tools - COPY, MOVE AND SCALE TOOL (This tutorial)
7. Video Tutorials 7  - The Editing Tool - OFFSET TOOL 

COPY, MOVE AND SCALE TOOL - These tools are used to edit your drawings. Each of these has it's own function.  The first image is the move tool, the middle image is the rotate tool and the last is the scale tool. The icons are straightforward and easy to remember.

1. COPY TOOL

Once you have done any object, you can copy the entire object using this tool. 

How?

Select the object by picking a point outside the object and drag downward. Then pick the Copy tool,  the object will turn blue when selected. Click the first point of origin and drag to where you want to copy the object.
You can also copy multiple objects by holding the "ctrl" key on your keyboard, the selection tool will show a positive sign. Pick the first point and drag to a distance and pick your second point. Type in any number you want to copy and put x after the number. e.g. 3"x", the "x" value means that you are multiplying your object to 3 at the same distance.

Or you can also divide the distance to a number of times you want to copy by typing " / ". e.g. 3/. The " / " means that you are dividing the distance  by 3. (watch the video tutorial)

2. ROTATE TOOL

The same principle applies to rotate tool, pick the object you want to rotate, the select the rotate tool. An imaginary protractor will appear and it is represented by color. Each color represents that the object you are rotating will be in parallel with the plane, blue, green or red. 

You can also use the rotate tool to copy in an polar array. Once you have selected the object to be copied and rotated, pick the center point and drag at any point along the circumference, either type with " x " for multiple copies or " / " divide the distance being copied to number of times specified.

3. SCALE TOOL

This tool is useful if you want to enlarge the object or reduce the size. Once the object is selected, pick the scale tool and there will be 8 pick points to choose, this is to indicate where will be basis for your object to be enlarged or reduced. Picking at the corner will have a uniform scale, in the middle will scale up or down the object horizontally or vertically.

You can mirror an object by copying first the object and then scale the copied object and drag along the center of the pick-up point. Drag along the middle until the scale factor becomes -1. (You can also type directly -1)

That's how you can use these tools.

Please feel free to comment or ask any question if you have question about this tool.

Choosing a Template

video tutorial 2 - Choosing a Template
3dartrender

 

1. Video Tutorial 1 - Downloading Free Sketchup

2. Video Tutorial 2 - Getting Started - Choosing a Template (this tutorial)
3. Video Tutorila 3 - The Drawing Tools - LINE TOOLS
4. Video Tutorial 4 - The Drawing Tools - SQUARE TOOL, ARCS AND CIRCLES
5. Video Tutorial 5 - The Drawing Tools - FOLLOW ME TOOL

6. Video Tutorials 6  - The Editing Tools - COPY, MOVE AND SCALE TOOL
7. Video Tutorials 7  - The Editing Tool - OFFSET TOOL 

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It would be wise to start using a sketchup by choosing the right template for a particular project you are working. The templates relate to the unit set-up of a drawing. If you are working on a large scale project or a small 3d printing layout, it has a corresponding template. This is how user-friendly and easy to use the sketchup is. This will save you a lot of time and effort.

You can follow through this lesson and watch the video above to get you started .


What Template is suitable for you?

There are a lot of templates you can choose from, you can have the choice of having to set up your drawing to english system or metric system. It can also be either in feet or in inches, meters or millimeters.

From the selection, you can determine what kind of drawing you will produce. It will be on a macro or micro settings. If you are working on a large scale, then millimeter or inches will be irrelevant, or vise versa. Your drawing composition will be affected by the settings you choose. It is better to choose the right template for the right kind of drawing. 

The best way to answer the question is to determine what kind of drawing will you produce?
e.g. Doing a masterplan of a community or preparing a drawing for the construction of a cabinet. You will see the difference and notice a slowing down of your computer's performance if the setting is wrong.


For Sketchup Pro 2014, this is the sample of the template availabe in sketchup 

If you are using google sketchup pro, this is what it looks like;

Which one is best for you - you choose 

Drawing Tools - Square, Circles & Arcs

Video Tutorial 4 -  
Drawing Tools - SQUARE, CIRCLES & ARC with the introduction to PUSH/PULL
3dartrender

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1. Video Tutorial 1 - Downloading Free Sketchup

2. Video Tutorial 2 - Getting Started - Choosing a Template 
3. Video Tutorila 3 - The Drawing Tools - LINE TOOLS 
4. Video Tutorial 4 - The Drawing Tools - SQUARE TOOL, CIRCLE & ARC with Introduction
to PUSH/PULL TOOL (this tutorial)
5. Video Tutorial 5 - The 3D Creation Tool - THE FOLLOW ME TOOL



After learning to use the Line Tool  from previous tutorial, this time you will be introduced to the use of square or rectangle too, circle and the arc tool.

This is also similar to the line tool, where you click the rectangle tool. You can choose a first point to create the first corner of the square/rectangle. You can also specify the length and the width from your keyboard. This is a good way to start a plan in architecture. 

Downloading Free Sketchup

video tutorial 1 - Downloading Free Sketchup

3dartrender 

1. Getting Started - Downloading Free Sketchup (this tutorial)
2. Getting Started - Choosing a Template in Sketchup
3. Getting Started - The Drawing Tools - LINE TOOLS
4. Getting Started - The Drawing Tools - SQUARE TOOLS, ARC AND CIRCLES
5. Getting Started - The Drawing Tools - THE FOLLOW ME TOOL
6. Video Tutorials 6  - The Editing Tools - COPY, MOVE AND SCALE TOOL 
7. Video Tutorials 7  - The Editing Tool - OFFSET TOOL 

You can Download Free Sketchup and get yourself started with the use of Sketchup. Follow these simple steps as shown on the video.

1. Go to the the official website www.sketchup.com
2. Click "download sketchup"
3. Save the file to your hard drive
4. Click and run - installs automatically

Before Downloading, you will fill out a form stating your name and email address.
You will be ask to what purpose you are downloading sketchup and pick "for educational purpose"
Indicate what operating system you are using - Mac or Windows

Lastly, choose the product you are downloading - choose "sketchupmake"

That's it and you are good to go. Once you have installed in your computer, you can go over with the tutorials here.

Go Back to 3dartrender Online Resources

The Follow Me Tool

Video Tutorial 5 -  
The FOLLOW ME TOOL 

1. Video Tutorial 1 - Downloading Free Sketchup

2. Video Tutorial 2 - Getting Started - Choosing a Template 
3. Video Tutorila 3 - The Drawing Tools - LINE TOOLS 
4. Video Tutorial 4 - The Drawing Tools -  SQUARE TOOL, CIRCLES AND ARCS
5. Video Tutorial 5 - The 3D Creation Tool - THE FOLLOW ME TOOL (this tutorial) 
6. Video Tutorials 6  - The Editing Tools - COPY, MOVE AND SCALE TOOL 
7. Video Tutorials 7  - The Editing Tool - OFFSET TOOL 

I came across the use of follow me tool in Sketchup. There are 3 easy methods to use this tool. This is what I have discovered using this tool.




Using the "Follow Me" tool

Here's the procedure on how to use the Follow Me Tool

Method 1 - following a specific path 

Draw a section of the object you want to model in 3D and the path where you want your 3d object to follow as shown on this sample figure:

section 1

path to follow

Select the section and pick "follow me tool" then drag the section towards the path, a red line will appear on the path and the section you have created is turning into a 3d model following the path.

drag the section towards the red line following the path

the final 3d model using "follow me tool"

Method 2 - Following a path by picking the path " follow me tool" 

This is another easy method using this tool. Having your section ready, pick the path first

If the path is complicated and hard to drag when using the first method, this method will be very helpful.

Method 3 -  by picking a surface

If you have a surface regardles of its shape, you can still use the follow me tool by picking the surface first and then the section. The section you are creating will follow the perimeter of the surface.

The Section

The Surface

The Final 3D model

Hope this will help you use the follow tool mor effectively and efficiently.