Draw Circles Squares Rectangles on Pictures

Drawing Basic Shapes

Many models start with basic shapes. In SketchUp, the shape tools aid you depict rectangles, circles, and polygons. You find these tools on the Getting Started toolbar, the Drawing toolbar, and the Large Tool Set toolbar.

Table of Contents

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

Cartoon a rectangle or square

In SketchUp, you can draw rectangles pretty much anywhere:

• On the footing plane
• On a vertical plane
• On existing faces
• Split up from existing geometry (aligned to an axes plane)
• Inferenced from existing geometry

To draw 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 any bespeak during these steps, press Esc.

2. Click to set the beginning corner indicate of the rectangle. .
3. Click to prepare the kickoff corner point of the rectangle. To align the plane of your rectangle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained after in this section.
4. Click to set the outset corner bespeak of the rectangle. To align the plane of your rectangle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow fundamental that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained after in this section. If y'all prefer to draw the rectangle from the eye, printing the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS).
5. Motility the cursor diagonally to detect the desired size and shape for your rectangle. To draw the rectangle with precise dimensions, employ the Measurements box, which at this bespeak displays your rectangle's dimensions as you motion the cursor. To help yous place the rectangle in relation to the drawing axes or other geometry, SketchUp's inference engine displays on-screen cues. When the inference you need appears, motility to Pace 4. Both the Measurements box and the Rectangle tool inferences are explained a trivial afterward in this section.
6. Click over again to set the second corner point of the rectangle. Your shape appears with a face, as shown in the following figure.
7. Click again to set up the 2nd corner point of the rectangle. Or if yous're drawing the rectangle from center, click once again to set whatever corner bespeak. Your shape appears with a face, as shown in the following figure.

As you draw a rectangle, the Measurements box helps you model precisely every bit follows:

• Set the length and width. Type a length value, a comma, a width value, and and then printing Enter. For case, type 8',xx' and printing Enter. If you type only a number or numbers, SketchUp uses the current document units setting. Yous tin also override the document units setting past specifying imperial (such as 1'6") or metric (such as 3.652m) units.
• Specify just a length or width. If you enter a value and a comma (3',), the new value is practical to the first dimension, and the second dimension doesn't change. Similarly, if you type a comma then a value (,3'), but the 2d dimension changes.
• Modify the rectangle's position with negative numbers. If you enter a negative value (–24, –24), SketchUp applies that value in a direction contrary to the one that you lot indicated while drawing.

Tip: Y'all don't need to click in the Measurements box before y'all type a value. Every bit you draw, the Measurements box is waiting for you to type precise measurements if you cull to do so. Also, until you select another tool or depict another rectangle, you can use the Measurements box to change a rectangle's dimensions as many times equally yous like.

Annotation: If you lot're using a non-English language keyboard, use a comma to indicate the decimal place and a semi-colon to separate the dimensions. For example, you might enter ii sides of a rectangle as: seven,6m;4,3m

Every bit you move your cursor with the Rectangle tool selected, the SketchUp inference engine displays the post-obit cues:

• Square: When the rectangle's proportions are a perfect square, you encounter blue dots and the Foursquare ScreenTip appear. Encounter Callout ane.
• Golden section: A golden section is a rectangle in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter side is a golden ratio. When a rectangle is a golden section, blue dots and the Golden Department Screen tip appear. Run across Callout ii.

  Y'all tin can hold downwardly the Shift key to lock this inference while dragging.

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

Cartoon a rotated rectangle

The Rotated Rectangle Tool tin come up in handy when you demand to draw a rectangle whose face up is at an angle to SketchUp'south default cherry, green, or blue axes or to other geometry.

Like the Rectangle tool, the Rotated Rectangle tool enables you to create precise rectangles and squares and displays inferences to assist you lot as you draw. However, when you create a rectangle with the Rotated Rectangle tool, you position the rectangle at an angle besides. The following figure is an example of a rectangle created with the Rotated Rectangle tool.

To create a rotated rectangle, follow these steps:

1. On the toolbar, from the Shape Tools menu, select the Rotated Rectangle tool (). Or select Depict > Shapes > Rotated Rectangle from the carte bar.
2. (Optional) Press an arrow key to set the plane for your rotated rectangle, per the table that appears earlier in this article. For instance, press the left arrow key to constrain the plane of your rotated rectangle to the green plane.
3. Click once to set the commencement corner of your rectangle.
4. Create the outset border of your rotated rectangle. You can do this in two ways:
   • Type a precise measurement and printing Enter.
   • Or movement the cursor where y'all desire 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, as shown in the post-obit figure, and then click.

     Tip: Y'all can utilize a few modifier keys as you consummate this pace. Agree down the Shift key to constrain the first border to its current direction. The Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) central locks the protractor plane. Or the pointer keys can again aid yous align the first edge to an axis. Simply press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment, every bit explained earlier in this section. For example, press the right arrow key to constrain the outset edge then it'due south aligned with the reddish axis.

     
5. At this signal, yous set the width and angle of your rectangle. You can set these values in a few different ways:
   • Type an bending and width into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
   • Type a width and angle into the Measurements box, post-obit the prompt.
   • Move around the protractor to set the angle, and movement your cursor away from the center of the protractor to ready the width, as shown in the following effigy. To constrain the angle, agree downward the Shift key. Click to finish creating the rotated rectangle.

Tip: Press the Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) primal to prepare the protractor baseline at the cursor's current position and then movement the cursor to measure the bending from the baseline you set up. This method is helpful if you want to measure the angle from a indicate other than the baseline set in Step 3. A dashed line appears and then you can see the new baseline.

Note: if you're using a non-English keyboard, you'll want to use a comma to indicate the decimal place and a semi-colon to split the values in the Measurements box. For instance, yous might enter the angle and width of the second border every bit 43,2;eight,2m to get an angle that's 43,2 degrees and viii,two meters long.

Notation: if you're using a non-English language keyboard, you'll want to use a comma to point the decimal place and a semi-colon to dissever the values in the Measurements box. For case, yous might enter the width and angle of the second border equally eight,2m; 43,two to become a width that'southward 8,2 meters long and angle that's 43,2 degrees .

Drawing a circle or ellipse

Before you depict a circle, it'southward helpful to empathise how SketchUp creates circle entities:

• Circumvolve entities have a radius and connect multiple line segments.
• These segments act equally a unmarried line in that they tin ascertain the edge of a face up and divide a face. Additionally, selecting i segment selects the entire circumvolve entity.
• SketchUp'south inference engine nevertheless sees the segments in the circle. So, if you hover your mouse around the circumference of the circle entity, you'll see endpoint and midpoint inferences.

To draw a circle, follow these steps:

1. On the toolbar, select the Circle tool () from the driblet-downwardly carte du jour side by side to the Rectangle tool. Or press the C key. The cursor changes to a pencil with a circumvolve, and the Measurements box indicates the default number of sides: 24, as shown in the effigy. To change the number of sides, you tin blazon a value at present or expect until afterwards you're washed drawing the circle.
2. Click to place the heart point of the circle. The Measurements box changes to display the circle's radius. Y'all can type a radius value now or immediately after yous depict the circle.
3. Click to place the eye betoken of the circle. To align the plane of your circle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the upward pointer aligns the circumvolve's plane with the blue axis. Meet the table in Drawing a rectangle or square for details.The Measurements box changes to display the circle's radius. You can type a radius value now or immediately after you lot draw the circle.
4. Motility the cursor out from the center point to define the circle's radius. As yous motion the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. Press Esc at any indicate to first over.
5. Click to finish the circumvolve. SketchUp creates a circle-shaped face, equally shown in the figure.
   
   
6. (Optional) Until you select a new tool or draw a new circumvolve, y'all tin apply the Measurements box to change the circle's radius or the number of sides as follows:
   
   • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter South (for example, type 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 case, type 5s for v sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter. Alternately, you can hold downwardly the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Selection key (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or subtract the number of sides, respectively. If yous're using a French Canadian keyboard, agree downward the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increase the segments. For macOS, press Command and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
   • To change the radius: Blazon a number and a unit (if desired), such equally 6", 8', 34cm, or 7m. Then press Enter or Return.

     Tip: The Entity Info dialog box offers a handy way to edit the sides and radius values anytime. Run into Editing shapes later in this article for details.

To draw an ellipse or oval, follow these steps:

1. Draw a circumvolve with the Circle tool.
2. Select the Scale tool ().
3. Click the circle. A bounding box with eight light-green grips is displayed around the circle.
4. Click one of the middle grips (non one of the corner grips) and motility the mouse to pull the circle into an ellipse, as shown here.
5. Click again when you're done scaling the circle.

Drawing a polygon

You tin can create polygon entities with the Polygon tool. (No surprise in that location.) However, here are a few facts that you may not know about polygons, but that are handy to know as 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 eye point, and the number of sides determines the type of polygon you draw. A pentagon equally 5 sides; an octagon has viii sides.
• Polygon entities act as a unmarried 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 equally a segment. As you hover your cursor over a polygon, you run across endpoint, midpoint, and from signal inferences.
• Y'all can describe polygons on faces or dissever from existing geometry.

Follow these steps to draw a polygon:

1. Select the Polygon tool () on the toolbar. The cursor changes to a pencil with a polygon. The Measurements box indicates the electric current number of sides. To change the number of sides in your polygon, you can blazon a number value now or wait until after you're done drawing.
2. Click to place the center betoken of the polygon. The Measurements box changes to display the radius. You tin can type a radius value now or immediately afterwards yous draw the polygon.
3. Click to place the eye point of the polygon. To align the plane of your polygon with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment. For instance, the up pointer align's the polygon's plane with the blue axis. See the earlier table in Drawing a rectangle or square for details.The Measurements box changes to display the radius. Yous can type a radius value now or immediately after you depict the polygon.
4. Motility the cursor out from the center betoken to define the radius of your polygon. As you lot motion the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. To specify the radius, type a value and press Enter. You can besides printing Esc to start over.
5. Click a second time to stop the polygon. Here, you run into a five-sided polygon.
   
6. (Optional) Until yous select a new tool or describe a new polygon, you can use the Measurements box to modify the radius or the number of sides as follows:
   • To modify the number of sides: Type a number and the alphabetic character South (for example, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter.
   • To change the number of sides: Type a number and the letter S (for example, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter. Alternately, you can hold downward the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Option key (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increase or subtract the number of sides, respectively. If you're using a French Canadian keyboard, hold down the Ctrl cardinal (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= primal to increment the segments. For macOS, press Control and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
   • To change the radius: Type a number and a unit of measurement (if desired), such as vi", eight', 34cm, or 7m. Then press Enter or Render.

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

   
   

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 modify a circumvolve or polygon's radius or sides anytime subsequently yous create the shape. Hither'south how:

1. Context-click an edge (not the face) of a circle or polygon that you want to edit.
2. Select Entity Info from the context menu that appears, as shown hither.
   
3. In the Entity Info panel, click in the Radius or Segments box, alter the value, and press Enter (Microsoft Windows) or Return (Mac). After you press Enter or Render, your shape immediately reflects your changes.

   

   

SketchUp doesn't enable y'all to modify the width or length of a rectangle at anytime. If y'all've already selected some other tool or fatigued boosted rectangles, you demand to erase the rectangle you want to change and redraw it. See Drawing a rectangle for details. Or resize the rectangle with the Scale tool if you lot don't demand to enter precise dimensions.

Of form, you tin can do much more than simply change a shape's size. Yous can turn a 2nd shape into a 3D shape with the Push/Pull tool. You tin distort shapes with the Move tool or scale all or function of your model.

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Source: https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/drawing-basic-shapes

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