Traditional drawing is about translating what you see onto a flat piece of paper: going from 3D to 2D, which is hard to do for most people. Do you need to know how to draw to use SketchUp? In SketchUp, you’re always in 3D, so no translation is involved — you just build, and SketchUp takes care of stuff like perspective and shading for you.

SketchUp was invented back in 1999 by a couple of 3D industry veterans to make it easier for people to see their ideas in three dimensions. That was it, really — they just wanted to make a piece of software that anyone could use to build 3D models. People use SketchUp so that they can build 3D models.

By making SketchUp free for everyone, Google is leading the 3D charge.
Rather than relying on a small number of 3D nerds to get around to modeling everything in the universe, Google made SketchUp available to anyone who wants to participate. After all, Google is about organizing the world’s information — not creating it.

I am compiling a list of ten things that you’ll definitely struggle with when you’re first using SketchUp; remember to check here before you do anything drastic.

This list of ten such nifty add-ons, along with a little bit of information about them and where you can go to find them. I’ve split them up into four categories, just to make things clearer: components, Ruby scripts, renderers, and hardware.

Architecture Nexus

1. Components

Why make your own sofa when you can grab one from somewhere else?
If the zillions of components that you can download from the Google 3D
Warehouse aren’t enough for you, the following sections provide some additional Web sites where you can buy what you need.

1.1 Form Fonts

Form Fonts is a Web site that sells components “all you can eat, buffet style.” You pay a (surprisingly low) monthly fee, and you have access to thousands of high-quality models of just about anything you can

1.2 Sketchupmodels.com

Along the same lines as Form Fonts, Sketchupmodels.com is an online spot where you can buy and Free Download SketchUp components. This place isn’t a buffet, though; you only buy what you need. Some of its models might seem a little expensive, but when you consider how much time it would take you to make them yourself, it might be worth it to buy them — especially if you use SketchUp for work.

2. Ruby Scripts

What’s a Ruby script? Google provides a way for people to make their own plugins for SketchUp. These plugins are just mini-programs
(scripts) written in a computer programming language called Ruby. The best thing about Ruby scripts (Rubies, for short) is that you don’t have to know anything about Ruby, or programming in general, to use ones that other people have created.

To install Rubies, you just drop them into a special folder on your computer:

Windows: C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/
Plugins

Mac: Hard Drive/Library/Application Support/Google
SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins

The next time you launch SketchUp, Rubies you put in the preceding location become available for you to use. Helpfully, most Rubies also come with a set of instructions that tells you how to use them.
Here are three places you can go to find some Rubies.

2.1 Smustard.com

Smustard.com is a Web site run by a few of these smart folks. You can choose from dozens of helpful Rubies that add functionality
to SketchUp, and best of all.

2.2 Ruby Library Depot

The Ruby Library Depot (search for ruby library depot on the Web) is a
huge collection of Rubies from helpful software developers around the world. You’ll find tons of stuff to make your SketchUp life better there.

2.3 SketchyPhysics

This is only one plugin (so I’m not sure that it really needs its own giant heading) but it’s so earth-hatteringly cool that I couldn’t leave it out. SketchyPhysics (search for sketchyphysics on the Web) is an extension that lets you apply real-world physical constraints (like gravity) to your SketchUp models.

3. Renderers

One thing SketchUp does not do is create photorealistic renderings. Its styles are great for making your models look hand drawn, but none of them can make your work look like a photograph. Most SketchUp users are okay with that, but for those who aren’t, you can find some nice solutions out there.
Of course, SketchUp Pro’s 3D export formats make it possible to render SKP files with just about any of the dozens of über-powerful renderers on the market, but the ones that I describe in the following list have three important things in common: They work with the free version of SketchUp, they were
developed with SketchUp in mind, and you don’t have to work for George
Lucas to figure them out. Here’s the list:

3.1 SU Podium

SU Podium is a plugin that lets you create photorealistic views right inside SketchUp. It’s relatively inexpensive, straightforward to use, and the results you get are impressive. SU Podium is available for both Windows and Mac, and there’s a free, lowerresolution trial version you can get to see if it suits you.

3.2 IDX Renditioner

This software evolved from another renderer called TurboSketch. Like SU Podium, it’s a plugin, it’s available for Windows and Mac computers, and you can try a free version that creates smaller (640 x 480 pixels) images. I recommend trying both SU Podium and IDX Renditioner, and seeing which one you prefer.

3.3 Artlantis R

If you’re really serious about making images that look like photographs, take a good look at Artlantis
R. Instead of running as a plugin inside SketchUp, it’s a fully functional, separate piece of software that works with lots of other 3D modeling programs.

4. Hardware

All you really need to use SketchUp is a computer with a decent video card, a keyboard, and a mouse. On the other hand, having specialized hardware can come in handy — especially if you find yourself using SketchUp all the time:

4.1 A better video card

This isn’t really an option if you’re on a laptop, but if you use a desktop machine, upgrading your computer’s video card (also called a graphics card) is the single best way to improve your
SketchUp experience.

4.2 SpaceNavigator from 3Dconnexion

Using a scroll-wheel mouse to fly around in three-dimensional space works great for most people, but lots of SketchUp power users swear by dedicated 3D navigation tools like the SpaceNavigator.
Basically, the SpaceNavigator lets you orbit, pan, and zoom with subtle movements of your hand — it really is a much more natural way to interact with a 3D model. You’ll find a bit of a learning curve, but that’s nothing for serious SketchUp users. Anything that makes software easier and more fun to use is worth the time it takes to master it.