Hello people, welcome to this video! Let's see how to use the LayOut
workspace contained inside SketchUp 2016.
Enable our closed captions clicking on the CC icon in case you have
problems with the accent used in this video.
The LayOut workspace is used to create 2D presentations and 2D projects,
useful to design 2D schematics and building floor maps. Let's see all
key features you need to know to use LayOut properly.
Before starting with LayOut, you need to choose a Template to open a
new project. Go to Open below, and the LayOut workspace opens.
This workspace is composed by three main parts: all basic tools used to
draw and measure on your project on top; all panels used to customize
your objects on the right and, on the centre, your project in progress.
Let's start with the tools available.
The first tools on top are used to draw lines, rectangles, circles and
polygons, in the same way seen for the main SketchUp software.
LayOut itself helps you while drawing, indicating each point or vertex
through small blue circles, dashed guidelines to indicate parallel
directions to the main x and y axes, and easy snappings to other nodes or
object paths.
If you want to enable or disable snappings, go to Arrange on top and
click on Object Snap and Grid Snap.
Also in LayOut, closed paths create polygons that are filled inside. Use
Escape key to stop drawing with the Line tool.
To zoom in and out your workspace, just use your mouse wheel.
Then, you have the Select tool, used to select and edit objects created.
When you select an object, different blue arrows appear on it. Click and
drag the object to move it. Use the arrows in the corners to scale both
height and width; the arrows on the left and right to scale just the
width, and the up or down arrows to scale just the object height. You
can also rotate the object clicking and dragging from the small blue
point on the object itself.
To cut, copy, paste or flip objects, just right-click. Use Arrange to
set the correct order between objects that do overlap.
You can also edit multiple objects at the same time. With the Select tool,
click and drag on your workspace to create a selection area. All that
falls inside this will be selected. In this case, all blue arrows
and nodes will affect all objects selected in the same way.
If you ever mistake, use CTRL+Z to undo your latest action, or enable
the Erase tool to delete lines and polygons from your workspace.
There are also the Split and the Join tools. The Split tool is used to
cut an object in more parts. All you need to do is to define the
direction to follow to cut the object. So enable the Split tool and fix
two points on the object. This will be cut along the direction defined
by the two points.
The Join tool works the opposite. When you enable this tool, click on
all lines and sides you want to join up together.
There also tools to add texts and annotations. The Text Tool adds
pieces of text on your project. Just click and drag to define a text
contour, which is used to define the space available for the text. Then,
type inside, and click elsewhere when you finish. Make sure to have a
text contour big enough, otherwise your text content won't be shown in
full. When this happens, a red down arrow appears in the bottom right
corner.
Then, you can use the Select tool to move, scale and rotate text, as
seen for drawn objects. To adjust the text content, instead,
double-click inside the text contour.
To add annotations and data, use the Label and the Dimensions Tools.
With the Label tool, click to fix points for your label, and then
double-click to type in. With the Dimensions tool, fix three points: the
first two to fix the segment to measure, and the third one to set the
distance between the segment and the annotation that measures it.
Let's now see the panels on the right. The Colors panel is used to pick
a color. You can also add transparency through the bottom bar. Shape
Style is used to fix the basic color properties of the selected object or
the selected text contour. Use Fill to set the filling color; use Pattern
to add a pattern; use Stroke to set color, thickness and style of sides
and lines. Pattern Fill lists all patterns you can choose for the
selected object. Dimension Style edits the properties of your annotation,
following different standards and measurements. Text Style lists all
properties for the content of the selected text contour, such as font,
style, size, color and distribution.
If you miss any of these patterns, you can open them clicking on
Window above.
LayOut can work with SketchUp projects as well. When you have a SketchUp
project, you can send it to LayOut directly on top from the SketchUp
workspace, or going to File and then to Insert...from the LayOut
workspace. The SketchUp project will be imported in your LayOut project
like an image, without its carthesian axes. You can edit it as seen for
normal objects. Although you can't edit its content inside from LayOut,
you can still edit its point of view right-clicking on it and going to
Edit 3D View. This enables an Orbit command that you can use to 3D
rotate. Click elsewhere to finish.
If you want to edit its content, just right-click on it and go to Open
with SketchUp.
To save your LayOut project, just go to File and then to Save As... in
order to open and edit your project later in time. If you need to print
your whole project on your workspace, go to File and then to Export.
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our full guide for SketchUp
2016 to learn more!