Drawing Basic Shapes

Many models start with bones shapes. In SketchUp, the shape tools help you lot draw rectangles, circles, and polygons. Yous find these tools on the Getting Started toolbar, the Cartoon toolbar, and the Large Tool Prepare toolbar.

Tabular array of Contents
  1. Drawing a rectangle or square
  2. Cartoon a rotated rectangle
  3. Cartoon a circumvolve or ellipse
  4. Drawing a polygon
  5. Editing shapes

Drawing a rectangle or square

In SketchUp, you can draw rectangles pretty much anywhere:

  • On the ground airplane
  • On a vertical plane
  • On existing faces
  • Separate from existing geometry (aligned to an axes plane)
  • Inferenced from existing geometry

To describe a rectangle with the Rectangle tool, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Rectangle tool () from the toolbar or press the R key. The cursor changes to a pencil with a rectangle.

    Tip: To start over at whatever point during these steps, press Esc.

  2. Click to fix the offset corner indicate of the rectangle. .
  3. Click to fix the first corner point of the rectangle. To marshal the plane of your rectangle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow fundamental that corresponds your desired alignment, every bit explained later in this department.
  4. Click to prepare the first corner indicate of the rectangle. To marshal the plane of your rectangle with a specific cartoon axis or other geometry, press the arrow primal that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained later in this section. If you prefer to draw the rectangle from the eye, press the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option fundamental (macOS).
  5. Movement the cursor diagonally to find the desired size and shape for your rectangle. To describe the rectangle with precise dimensions, use the Measurements box, which at this signal displays your rectangle'due south dimensions as yous movement the cursor. To assist you place the rectangle in relation to the drawing axes or other geometry, SketchUp's inference engine displays on-screen cues. When the inference yous need appears, move to Step 4. Both the Measurements box and the Rectangle tool inferences are explained a lilliputian subsequently in this section.
  6. Click once again to set the 2nd corner point of the rectangle. Your shape appears with a face, every bit shown in the following figure.
  7. Click again to ready the 2d corner indicate of the rectangle. Or if you're drawing the rectangle from center, click once again to prepare any corner betoken. Your shape appears with a face, as shown in the following figure.
In SketchUp, many 3D models begin with a basic rectangle

As you describe a rectangle, the Measurements box helps you model precisely as follows:

  • Gear up the length and width. Type a length value, a comma, a width value, and so printing Enter. For case, type eight',20' and press Enter. If y'all blazon but a number or numbers, SketchUp uses the current document units setting. You tin can also override the document units setting past specifying imperial (such as one'6") or metric (such as three.652m) units.
  • Specify only a length or width. If yous enter a value and a comma (3',), the new value is applied to the first dimension, and the 2d dimension doesn't modify. Similarly, if you type a comma and then a value (,3'), only the 2nd dimension changes.
  • Change the rectangle's position with negative numbers. If yous enter a negative value (–24, –24), SketchUp applies that value in a direction opposite to the i that yous indicated while drawing.

Tip: You don't need to click in the Measurements box earlier you blazon a value. As yous draw, the Measurements box is waiting for you to type precise measurements if yous cull to do so. Also, until you select some other tool or depict another rectangle, you can use the Measurements box to change a rectangle's dimensions every bit many times as you similar.

Note: If y'all're using a non-English keyboard, use a comma to indicate the decimal place and a semi-colon to separate the dimensions. For example, you might enter 2 sides of a rectangle as: 7,6m;iv,3m

As you motion your cursor with the Rectangle tool selected, the SketchUp inference engine displays the following cues:

  • Square: When the rectangle'south proportions are a perfect square, you encounter blue dots and the Square ScreenTip appear. See Callout one.
  • Golden section: A golden section is a rectangle in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter side is a gilded ratio. When a rectangle is a aureate section, blueish dots and the Golden Section Screen tip appear. See Callout 2.

    You can hold down the Shift key to lock this inference while dragging.

When you draw a rectangle in SketchUp, the inference engine tells you when your rectangle is a square or golden section

In the video, you can see these features of the Rectangle tool in action.

Drawing a rotated rectangle

The Rotated Rectangle Tool can come in handy when you lot need to describe a rectangle whose face up is at an angle to SketchUp's default red, green, or bluish axes or to other geometry.

Like the Rectangle tool, the Rotated Rectangle tool enables yous to create precise rectangles and squares and displays inferences to help you every bit y'all draw. Even so, when you lot create a rectangle with the Rotated Rectangle tool, you position the rectangle at an angle likewise. The post-obit figure is an example of a rectangle created with the Rotated Rectangle tool.

A rotated rectangle in SketchUp

To create a rotated rectangle, follow these steps:

  1. On the toolbar, from the Shape Tools carte du jour, select the Rotated Rectangle tool (). Or select Draw > Shapes > Rotated Rectangle from the menu bar.
  2. (Optional) Press an arrow key to prepare the plane for your rotated rectangle, per the table that appears earlier in this commodity. For example, press the left arrow fundamental to constrain the plane of your rotated rectangle to the dark-green plane.
  3. Click once to set the first corner of your rectangle.
  4. Create the first edge of your rotated rectangle. Yous tin practise this in two ways:
    • Type a precise measurement and press Enter.
    • Or move the cursor where you want to place the second endpoint of this edge, using the SketchUp inference engine to position the endpoint in relation to the axes or other geometry, equally shown in the following figure, so click.

      Tip: Y'all can use a few modifier keys as you consummate this step. Hold down the Shift cardinal to constrain the first edge to its current direction. The Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) fundamental locks the protractor plane. Or the arrow keys can once again help yous align the kickoff edge to an centrality. Simply printing the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained earlier in this section. For instance, press the right pointer fundamental to constrain the first edge so it's aligned with the red axis.

      Create the first edge of a rotated rectangle in SketchUp
  5. At this indicate, you set the width and angle of your rectangle. You tin set up these values in a few different means:
    • Type an angle and width into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Type a width and angle into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Move around the protractor to set the angle, and motility your cursor away from the center of the protractor to set the width, as shown in the following effigy. To constrain the angle, hold downwards the Shift key. Click to finish creating the rotated rectangle.

Tip: Printing the Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) primal to set the protractor baseline at the cursor's current position and and so move the cursor to measure the angle from the baseline you ready. This method is helpful if y'all want to mensurate the angle from a point other than the baseline fix in Step 3. A dashed line appears so you can see the new baseline.

Inferences can help you align a rotated rectangle with nearby geometry

Inferences can help you align a rotated rectangle with nearby geometry

Annotation: if you lot're using a non-English keyboard, you lot'll want to use a comma to betoken the decimal identify and a semi-colon to separate the values in the Measurements box. For example, you might enter the bending and width of the 2d edge as 43,two;8,2m to get an angle that'due south 43,2 degrees and eight,two meters long.

Note: if you're using a non-English keyboard, y'all'll want to utilize a comma to indicate the decimal place and a semi-colon to carve up the values in the Measurements box. For case, you might enter the width and angle of the 2nd edge as 8,2m; 43,ii to get a width that'southward 8,two meters long and angle that's 43,2 degrees .

Drawing a circle or ellipse

Before you lot draw a circle, information technology'southward helpful to understand how SketchUp creates circle entities:

  • Circle entities accept a radius and connect multiple line segments.
  • These segments human activity as a single line in that they can define the border of a face and divide a face. Additionally, selecting one segment selects the entire circle entity.
  • SketchUp'southward inference engine however sees the segments in the circle. And so, if you hover your mouse effectually the circumference of the circumvolve entity, you'll encounter endpoint and midpoint inferences.

To draw a circumvolve, follow these steps:

  1. On the toolbar, select the Circumvolve tool () from the drop-down carte du jour next to the Rectangle tool. Or press the C key. The cursor changes to a pencil with a circle, and the Measurements box indicates the default number of sides: 24, every bit shown in the figure. To change the number of sides, you can type a value now or wait until after you're washed drawing the circle.
  2. Click to identify the center betoken of the circle. The Measurements box changes to display the circle's radius. Yous can blazon a radius value now or immediately after you depict the circle.
  3. Click to place the center point of the circle. To align the plane of your circumvolve with a specific cartoon axis or other geometry, printing the arrow fundamental that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the upward arrow aligns the circle's aeroplane with the blue axis. See the table in Drawing a rectangle or foursquare for details.The Measurements box changes to display the circle'southward radius. You can blazon a radius value now or immediately after yous draw the circle.
  4. Motion the cursor out from the heart betoken to define the circle's radius. As you motility the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. Press Esc at whatever betoken to start over.
  5. Click to end the circumvolve. SketchUp creates a circle-shaped confront, as shown in the figure.

  6. (Optional) Until y'all select a new tool or depict a new circle, you can use the Measurements box to change the circle'south radius or the number of sides every bit follows:
    • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter Southward (for example, blazon 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then printing Enter.
    • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter S (for instance, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then printing Enter. Alternately, you can hold down the Ctrl central (Microsoft Windows) or the Option key (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or decrease the number of sides, respectively. If you lot're using a French Canadian keyboard, agree downwards the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= central to increment the segments. For macOS, printing Command and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
    • To change the radius: Type a number and a unit of measurement (if desired), such equally 6", eight', 34cm, or 7m. Then printing Enter or Return.

      Tip: The Entity Info dialog box offers a handy mode to edit the sides and radius values anytime. See Editing shapes afterward in this article for details.

To depict an ellipse or oval, follow these steps:

  1. Draw a circle with the Circle tool.
  2. Select the Calibration tool ().
  3. Click the circumvolve. A bounding box with eight green grips is displayed effectually the circle.
  4. Click ane of the center grips (not ane of the corner grips) and move the mouse to pull the circle into an ellipse, as shown hither.
  5. Click over again when you're done scaling the circle.

Drawing a polygon

You can create polygon entities with the Polygon tool. (No surprise at that place.) However, here are a few facts that y'all may not know almost polygons, but that are handy to know equally you draw them:

  • In SketchUp, a polygon has a radius and iii or more sides. So the size of your polygon is measured from a center point, and the number of sides determines the blazon of polygon yous draw. A pentagon as v sides; an octagon has 8 sides.
  • Polygon entities act equally a single line in that they can ascertain the edge of a face and also divide a face. Selecting one side of the polygon selects the entire polygon.
  • The SketchUp inference engine interprets each side of a polygon as a segment. Every bit you hover your cursor over a polygon, you see endpoint, midpoint, and from point inferences.
  • You can draw polygons on faces or separate from existing geometry.

Follow these steps to depict a polygon:

  1. Select the Polygon tool () on the toolbar. The cursor changes to a pencil with a polygon. The Measurements box indicates the current number of sides. To modify the number of sides in your polygon, you can blazon a number value now or wait until after you're washed drawing.
  2. Click to place the center point of the polygon. The Measurements box changes to brandish the radius. You can type a radius value now or immediately subsequently you lot draw the polygon.
  3. Click to place the heart betoken of the polygon. To align the airplane of your polygon with a specific drawing centrality or other geometry, press the arrow central that corresponds your desired alignment. For case, the upward pointer align's the polygon's plane with the blueish centrality. See the earlier tabular array in Cartoon a rectangle or foursquare for details.The Measurements box changes to display the radius. You lot can type a radius value now or immediately after y'all describe the polygon.
  4. Move the cursor out from the center point to define the radius of your polygon. As you movement the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. To specify the radius, blazon a value and press Enter. You can too printing Esc to start over.
  5. Click a second time to finish the polygon. Hither, yous meet a 5-sided polygon.
  6. (Optional) Until yous select a new tool or draw a new polygon, y'all can use the Measurements box to change the radius or the number of sides as follows:
    • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter Due south (for example, blazon 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter.
    • To modify the number of sides: Blazon a number and the letter Due south (for example, type 5s for v sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then printing Enter. Alternately, yous tin concur down the Ctrl cardinal (Microsoft Windows) or the Option primal (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or subtract the number of sides, respectively. If y'all're using a French Canadian keyboard, concur down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increment the segments. For macOS, press Command and = to increase segments or - to subtract segments.
    • To change the radius: Type a number and a unit (if desired), such as 6", 8', 34cm, or 7m. Then printing Enter or Return.

    Tip: Although the Polygon tool works similarly to the Circle tool, the difference between the tools becomes apparent when you push/pull a circumvolve or polygon into a 3D shape. The circle's edges expect smooth, but a polygon'due south edges bear witness singled-out sides, as shown here.


In this live-action video, you tin can see the Circle and Polygon tools demonstrate all their stunts.

Editing shapes

The Entity Info dialog box enables you to change a circle or polygon'south radius or sides anytime after y'all create the shape. Here's how:

  1. Context-click an border (non the face) of a circle or polygon that you want to edit.
  2. Select Entity Info from the context menu that appears, as shown here.
  3. In the Entity Info panel, click in the Radius or Segments box, change the value, and press Enter (Microsoft Windows) or Return (Mac). After you press Enter or Return, your shape immediately reflects your changes.

SketchUp doesn't enable yous to modify the width or length of a rectangle at anytime. If y'all've already selected another tool or drawn additional rectangles, you demand to erase the rectangle you want to modify and redraw it. Run across Cartoon a rectangle for details. Or resize the rectangle with the Calibration tool if yous don't demand to enter precise dimensions.

Of course, yous tin can do much more than just change a shape's size. You tin can turn a 2D shape into a 3D shape with the Push/Pull tool. You lot can distort shapes with the Move tool or scale all or office of your model.