It's back to the basics! We're taking a look at Guides in today's SketchUp Square One series. Follow along as we teach you how to edit, input, and remove Guides from your model.
To create a dot guide, create a circle around where you need the dot to be, then bring up the context menu for the circle and hit Find Center to generate the dot. When you delete the circle the "dot guide" remains.
To make a guide dot, select a point, draw a circle. Select the edge of the circle, right-click, select FIND CENTER. Then delete the edge of the circle - in fact, the edge will still be selected so you can just mash the DEL key. The guide dot will remain. Presto.
Thanks for the tip Dave! I've moved and copied guides one at a time. I never thought to use the X or / keys. I use Didier Burr's Projections extension for things like that. It's a really handy extension for creating all kinds of guides.
Thank you for your work. May I ask you something about guides that I hate a lot? If I create a guide inside a group also the guide is inside the group. I know it sounds logic but all the other 3d applications don't do that. Guides usually are "something else" and not geometry that can be grouped. One day on a complex architectural model I want mad to move all the guide outside groups. Is there a way to select all the guides, also the one inside groups and components and move all of them outside every group?
Hey Aaron, I’ve notice occasionally if I’m in parallel projection and for example front view. Semi complex drawing, I’ll pull out a few guides and start drawing off them only to later realize some are on the wrong plane or I should say wrong face. When there are stacked lines/entities is there a way the assure the guides will be on for instance the face closes to me? Hope I explained it to well enough to make sense. Thanks, stay safe.
I'm guessing there's probably an easier way, but the workaround I'm most familiar with is to select groups of guides you're not currently using, and 'group' them, then hide the group. The 'hide' command, as it is implemented in sketchup, is kind of clumsy - you only have options to unhide either the last object group, or ALL object/groups. If anyone out there is making plugins for sketchup, expanding the hide/unhide features somewhat would be incredibly useful.
@@xaenon I find the "eyes" in Outliner go quite a long way to mitigate what you fairly describe as clumsy. Edit>Unhide>Last does exist and sort of works, but I can't get much use out of it.
OK, so you can create guides. But, how are they used once created? What techniques can you show us for putting guides to good use? Thanks for doing these, btw.
Do you have videos for these tools for your online version of sketchup? I am teaching remotely and all my students are using the online version which has a VERY different interface then the downloaded desktop version.
I would caution everyone about putting guides within a group. If you manually delete such a guide without being in that group, it deletes the entire group. I’ve had this happen several times only to learn later I’ve deleted large parts of my model without knowing it. Now I make sure all my guides are separate and outside any group.
I'm wondering if I can create multiple guides for say laying out a framed wall, like guides on 16" centers without having to create a guide, go to the next and create another guide and then go to the next, and so on? It would be a feature similar to creating multiple objects along a line...like with the studs, BUT, I would not want to lay out the studs yet, only to have the guide lines to determine other factors first.
You should be able to add a guide, use the move tool with the modifier key to create a copied second guide 16" in one direction then type "x" and the number of replications you want, e.g. x13 for 13 replications and you'll see the action you made to copy a guide 16" from your first guide replicated 13 times.
Aaron, I had sketch up 2017 on my computer and then had to send it out for repair. I deleted all my apps before sending it out. Now I find out Sketchup 2017 Make is no longer available and they want $300 per year to use the program. I can use the web version but I understand it does not have the cut list feature. I am trying to learn for my personal use and my woodworking. Do I have any free options anymore. I can’t afford $300 per year on a retirement budget. Thanks for your help. I really like your videos.
Not sure if you are checking comments on a 2 yr old video but Justin case…..there is a silly but quite annoying thing that happens to those if us who come from a CAD or Revitalize world or who are working back and forth among these softwares. Typically commands that do a certain thing are ubiquitous among various popular software and most unique commands do not repeat in others but in CAD or Revit, when you enter a value or type something in the command line, in order to confirm and finalize it, you can hit enter or the space bar. Now most of us architects and designers the use of SketchUp’s guides is a given. Unfortunately, it so happens that in SketchUp, the space bar is a keyboard short cut for turning off the visibility of guides (hiding them). So many beginner and even advanced users with a CAD background think they have not placed a guide properly and keep using the tool and get frustrated and re-start or even reinstall SketchUp (believe me I have seen that). The funny thing is that when they insert another one and, following their CAD habit, and hit the space bar, it shows up again and then they think “oh there it is, I must have done something wrong the last time” and then the cycle of mistake happens again and again, hence the re-installation of SketchUp in case of a friend of mine. So, CAD people, beware of the space bar!
Suppose you want an infinite guide that aligns with an edge that is part of some geometry - a ridge of a roof for example. The tape measure tool will not create a guide that occupies the same space as the edge.
It would be helpful if when guides are turned off if any new guides created were visible and not automatically hidden. If you forget you have guides turned off and create new guides you won't see them and get no reminder from SketchUp that guides are turned off. So if you're like me you end up creating a couple guides before your brain kicks in and you remember you turned guides off 45 minutes ago. 😞 Also, I have searched and watched many of the Square One videos but I have not come across anything about drawing center lines for circles. If I place a circle on a surface and wanted to draw a centerline that had the properties of a guideline how do I do that. It should be perpendicular to the plane of the circle and SU should treat it as a guide. If this functionality exists I have not found it please tell me where it is located. I use SU Make 2017 so maybe this exists in newer versions or this functionality is in Layout and would explain why I don't see them in SU Make 2017.
@@madwani That shouldn't be a problem. You're drawing the circle specifically to create a reference dot and then immediately deleting the circle. It's not going to be part of the model geometry.
To create a dot guide, create a circle around where you need the dot to be, then bring up the context menu for the circle and hit Find Center to generate the dot. When you delete the circle the "dot guide" remains.
I am starter using this skectup and appreciate that basic of using guides.
another good video. I always learn something from these, this time it was more than one. Keep up the good work.
Thanks. I didn't realize guides could be hidden. That's a helpful tip for me.
To make a guide dot, select a point, draw a circle. Select the edge of the circle, right-click, select FIND CENTER. Then delete the edge of the circle - in fact, the edge will still be selected so you can just mash the DEL key. The guide dot will remain. Presto.
Guides can also be Move/Copy and Rotate/Copy - the "X" and "/" option also work for creating multiple Guides - even in an Array.
Thanks for the tip Dave! I've moved and copied guides one at a time. I never thought to use the X or / keys. I use Didier Burr's Projections extension for things like that. It's a really handy extension for creating all kinds of guides.
how I create a dot : I click with tape measure on the origin (or on a point), then move the cursor, and tape 0, enter
Every one of these has something I did not know. Been using SU for years too
Thanks for all these videos.
Verry good teacher !
Thank you for your work. May I ask you something about guides that I hate a lot? If I create a guide inside a group also the guide is inside the group. I know it sounds logic but all the other 3d applications don't do that. Guides usually are "something else" and not geometry that can be grouped.
One day on a complex architectural model I want mad to move all the guide outside groups.
Is there a way to select all the guides, also the one inside groups and components and move all of them outside every group?
One thing I wish you would have touched on with guides is how double clicking on an edge creates an infinite guide.
Muy bueno. Thanks
Thanks Aaron
Hey Aaron, I’ve notice occasionally if I’m in parallel projection and for example front view. Semi complex drawing, I’ll pull out a few guides and start drawing off them only to later realize some are on the wrong plane or I should say wrong face. When there are stacked lines/entities is there a way the assure the guides will be on for instance the face closes to me? Hope I explained it to well enough to make sense. Thanks, stay safe.
I'm guessing there's probably an easier way, but the workaround I'm most familiar with is to select groups of guides you're not currently using, and 'group' them, then hide the group. The 'hide' command, as it is implemented in sketchup, is kind of clumsy - you only have options to unhide either the last object group, or ALL object/groups. If anyone out there is making plugins for sketchup, expanding the hide/unhide features somewhat would be incredibly useful.
@@xaenon I find the "eyes" in Outliner go quite a long way to mitigate what you fairly describe as clumsy. Edit>Unhide>Last does exist and sort of works, but I can't get much use out of it.
OK, so you can create guides. But, how are they used once created? What techniques can you show us for putting guides to good use? Thanks for doing these, btw.
Hello. Is there a Square one or Skill Builder video about the Intersect tools? If not, I'd love to see that as a topic. Thanks.
Do you have videos for these tools for your online version of sketchup? I am teaching remotely and all my students are using the online version which has a VERY different interface then the downloaded desktop version.
How do guides function in Layout? do they print? are they visible in different modes?, can their visibility be controlled in LO?
Not related but can you recommend a good extension for making nuts and bolts
I would caution everyone about putting guides within a group. If you manually delete such a guide without being in that group, it deletes the entire group. I’ve had this happen several times only to learn later I’ve deleted large parts of my model without knowing it. Now I make sure all my guides are separate and outside any group.
Yes. Sometimes that behavior is useful, other times not so much, but it IS good to be aware of it. Excellent point!
I'm wondering if I can create multiple guides for say laying out a framed wall, like guides on 16" centers without having to create a guide, go to the next and create another guide and then go to the next, and so on? It would be a feature similar to creating multiple objects along a line...like with the studs, BUT, I would not want to lay out the studs yet, only to have the guide lines to determine other factors first.
You should be able to add a guide, use the move tool with the modifier key to create a copied second guide 16" in one direction then type "x" and the number of replications you want, e.g. x13 for 13 replications and you'll see the action you made to copy a guide 16" from your first guide replicated 13 times.
Aaron, I had sketch up 2017 on my computer and then had to send it out for repair. I deleted all my apps before sending it out. Now I find out Sketchup 2017 Make is no longer available and they want $300 per year to use the program. I can use the web version but I understand it does not have the cut list feature. I am trying to learn for my personal use and my woodworking. Do I have any free options anymore. I can’t afford $300 per year on a retirement budget. Thanks for your help. I really like your videos.
Not sure if you are checking comments on a 2 yr old video but Justin case…..there is a silly but quite annoying thing that happens to those if us who come from a CAD or Revitalize world or who are working back and forth among these softwares. Typically commands that do a certain thing are ubiquitous among various popular software and most unique commands do not repeat in others but in CAD or Revit, when you enter a value or type something in the command line, in order to confirm and finalize it, you can hit enter or the space bar. Now most of us architects and designers the use of SketchUp’s guides is a given. Unfortunately, it so happens that in SketchUp, the space bar is a keyboard short cut for turning off the visibility of guides (hiding them). So many beginner and even advanced users with a CAD background think they have not placed a guide properly and keep using the tool and get frustrated and re-start or even reinstall SketchUp (believe me I have seen that). The funny thing is that when they insert another one and, following their CAD habit, and hit the space bar, it shows up again and then they think “oh there it is, I must have done something wrong the last time” and then the cycle of mistake happens again and again, hence the re-installation of SketchUp in case of a friend of mine. So, CAD people, beware of the space bar!
Thanks
Can you make multiple guidelines from one point or one edge like array tool?
@@tcfonts thanks
Aha, the next thing for SketchUp to work on.... space points!
dope
Suppose you want an infinite guide that aligns with an edge that is part of some geometry - a ridge of a roof for example. The tape measure tool will not create a guide that occupies the same space as the edge.
Actually with the tape measure on all you have to do is double click on the edge and an infinite guide is created on that edge
@@ScrewThisGlueThat This works!!! Thanks.
@@rshawiii Your Welcome
@@ScrewThisGlueThat 😮 Wish I would have known about that weeks ago. 👍🏻
It would be helpful if when guides are turned off if any new guides created were visible and not automatically hidden. If you forget you have guides turned off and create new guides you won't see them and get no reminder from SketchUp that guides are turned off. So if you're like me you end up creating a couple guides before your brain kicks in and you remember you turned guides off 45 minutes ago. 😞
Also, I have searched and watched many of the Square One videos but I have not come across anything about drawing center lines for circles. If I place a circle on a surface and wanted to draw a centerline that had the properties of a guideline how do I do that. It should be perpendicular to the plane of the circle and SU should treat it as a guide. If this functionality exists I have not found it please tell me where it is located. I use SU Make 2017 so maybe this exists in newer versions or this functionality is in Layout and would explain why I don't see them in SU Make 2017.
I've been beaten to the circle Find Center. Twice already. 😢
Don't feel bad. It's just a matter of luck and timing, brother. The point is you figured it out and were willing to share. Speaks well of you.
If your circle has an exploded geometries it won't be recognized as a circle and hence no center is defined.
@@madwani That shouldn't be a problem. You're drawing the circle specifically to create a reference dot and then immediately deleting the circle. It's not going to be part of the model geometry.
@@xaenon Kind words. Thanks. 😁