SketchUp Workflow Map

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Smart‑Book: SketchUp Workflow Map (Fast & Easy for General Contractors)
A step‑by‑step map to model faster with organization, accuracy, and clean deliverables
1. Preparation
Template, units, tags, import plan
2. Base Modeling
Site outline, slab, guides
3. Structure
Columns, beams, walls as groups
4. Openings
Doors & windows as components
5. Roof & Stairs
Slopes, arrays, follow‑me trims
6. Materials & Tags
Clean naming, tag by system
7. Visualization
Scenes, styles, shadow presets
8. Add‑Ons
1001bit, Eneroth, FredoScale…
9. Export
Images, DWG, quantities (CSV/JSON)

1) Preparation — Plan First, Draw Fast Later

Goal: setup model for speed & accuracy
  • Choose template: Architectural Design — Meters. (Window → Model Info → Units)
  • Set units to mm or m (no fractions). Precision 0–0.0 for clean snaps.
  • Tags to create: 00_Site, 01_Foundation, 02_Structure, 03_Wall, 04_Roof, 05_Furniture, 99_Dimension.
  • Import plan: DWG preferred (File → Import). If PDF, trace key axes only.
  • Open Outliner & Entity Info panels for strict organization.
Tip: Save a “Project Starter” file containing tags, scenes, and typical components (doors, windows, columns) to reuse.
Keyboard habits (time savers)
  • Q Rotate, M Move + Ctrl copy, type distance then Enter.
  • R Rectangle → P Push/Pull → M Move with inference (green/red/blue).
  • Array: Move+Ctrl once → type x10 → Enter.

2) Base Modeling — Ground First

Goal: strong base to reference all floors
  • Trace the site/floor outline; Make Group and name “Ground Floor Slab”.
  • Use Tape Measure for guides (wall thickness, grid, column lines).
  • Extrude slab to thickness with Push/Pull.
  • Set tag 01_Foundation or 00_Site as needed.
Pro: Duplicate slabs between floors with Move + Ctrl, then type level height (e.g., 3m) to align accurately.

3) Structure — Columns, Beams, Walls

Goal: skeleton first, then details
  • Place columns from grid points. Make Component (e.g., Column_200x200).
  • Beams: rectangle → Push/Pull → Group per beam line.
  • Walls: offset path to thickness, Push/Pull to height (e.g., 3.0m), group by room/axis.
  • Name groups in Outliner: Wall_GF, Beam_L1, Column_B1.
Keep geometry isolated: Group early to prevent sticky faces; tag each system for clean visibility control.

4) Openings — Doors & Windows

Goal: reusable components with correct heights
  • Mark opening with Rectangle; Push/Pull through wall to cut.
  • Convert to Component, set insertion point at finished floor.
  • Standard sizes: Door 900×2100; Window 1200×1200 (adjust to project).
  • Tag under 04_Doors_Windows.
Save your component library in a local folder and add it to the Components panel for drag‑and‑drop reuse.

5) Roof & Stairs

Goal: finish massing; arrays for treads
  • Roof: draw perimeter on top of walls → Move ridge edges to create slope.
  • Stairs: model one tread as component → Array using xN.
  • Follow Me: for gutters, trims, handrails along a path.
Keep roof as a single group per roof plane; use tags for Structure_Roof and Finish_Roof to isolate layers.

6) Materials & Tags

Goal: clean visuals + quantity sanity checks
  • Assign neutral materials for systems (walls = light gray, slab = concrete, roof = tile).
  • One material per system = easier quantity counting.
  • Use consistent tag naming; avoid duplicates.
Later, run your Material Quantifier to export surface/volume per material for cost take‑off.

7) Visualization & Presentation

Goal: communicate instantly with owner/site
  • Create Scenes: Plan, Isometric, Section A‑A, Interior 1.
  • Styles: Hidden Line (docs) or Shaded with Textures (client).
  • Shadows for time‑of‑day checks; export 2D graphics (PNG/JPG).
For print sets, send to LayOut to generate A4/A3 title blocks with scale and dimensions.

8) Smart Add‑Ons (Recommended)

Goal: accelerate repetitive tasks
  • 1001bit Tools — walls/roof/stairs helpers
  • Eneroth Openings — clean openings & placement
  • FredoScale — advanced scaling & transforms
  • CleanUp³ — purge & fix model before delivery
  • Skalp/CutList — sectioning & parts listings
Folder path (Windows)
C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\SketchUp 2023\SketchUp\Plugins

9) Export & Coordination

Goal: handoff to estimating & site
  • Images: File → Export → 2D Graphic (PNG/JPG).
  • DWG: File → Export → 2D/3D DWG for CAD teams.
  • Quantities: export CSV/JSON from your quantifier → upload to blog calculators.
Before export, run Purge Unused and Fix Problems to reduce file size and avoid missing textures.
Speed Principles: Group early · Tag by system · Reuse components · Array smartly (xN) · Keep Outliner clean · Save Scenes · Purge before save.
Made for Sarim Insight — dark‑mode aware, mobile‑friendly, and ready to print/export.
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