Drawing Basic Shapes

Many models start with basic shapes. In SketchUp, the shape tools help you draw 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 foursquare
  2. Drawing a rotated rectangle
  3. Drawing a circle 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
  • Divide 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 primal. The cursor changes to a pencil with a rectangle.

    Tip: To first over at any point during these steps, press Esc.

  2. Click to set the commencement corner point of the rectangle. .
  3. Click to fix the first corner point of the rectangle. To align the aeroplane of your rectangle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow key that corresponds your desired alignment, equally explained subsequently in this department.
  4. Click to set the first corner betoken of the rectangle. To align the plane of your rectangle with a specific drawing centrality or other geometry, press the pointer key that corresponds your desired alignment, as explained later in this department. If you lot prefer to depict the rectangle from the centre, printing the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS).
  5. Move the cursor diagonally to find the desired size and shape for your rectangle. To depict the rectangle with precise dimensions, use the Measurements box, which at this point displays your rectangle's dimensions equally you move the cursor. To help you identify the rectangle in relation to the drawing axes or other geometry, SketchUp'southward inference engine displays on-screen cues. When the inference yous need appears, motility to Stride 4. Both the Measurements box and the Rectangle tool inferences are explained a little after in this department.
  6. Click again to set the second corner point of the rectangle. Your shape appears with a face, as shown in the following effigy.
  7. Click again to set the second corner indicate of the rectangle. Or if you're drawing the rectangle from center, click again to prepare any corner point. Your shape appears with a face up, as shown in the following figure.
In SketchUp, many 3D models begin with a basic rectangle

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

  • Set the length and width. Type a length value, a comma, a width value, and then press Enter. For example, type 8',xx' and press Enter. If you type simply a number or numbers, SketchUp uses the current certificate units setting. You can also override the document units setting by specifying majestic (such as 1'half dozen") or metric (such every bit 3.652m) units.
  • Specify only a length or width. If you enter a value and a comma (three',), the new value is applied to the starting time dimension, and the second dimension doesn't alter. Similarly, if you blazon a comma and then a value (,iii'), merely the 2d dimension changes.
  • Change the rectangle's position with negative numbers. If you enter a negative value (–24, –24), SketchUp applies that value in a direction opposite to the ane that y'all indicated while drawing.

Tip: You lot don't demand to click in the Measurements box before yous blazon a value. As you draw, the Measurements box is waiting for you lot to type precise measurements if yous choose to do then. Also, until you select another tool or draw another rectangle, you tin can use the Measurements box to modify a rectangle's dimensions as many times as you like.

Note: If you're using a non-English keyboard, utilize a comma to indicate the decimal identify and a semi-colon to separate the dimensions. For example, you might enter two sides of a rectangle as: seven,6m;4,3m

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

  • Foursquare: When the rectangle's proportions are a perfect square, you see blue dots and the Foursquare ScreenTip appear. See Callout 1.
  • Golden department: A golden department is a rectangle in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter side is a golden ratio. When a rectangle is a gilded department, bluish dots and the Aureate Section Screen tip appear. See Callout 2.

    Y'all tin 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 meet these features of the Rectangle tool in activeness.

Drawing a rotated rectangle

The Rotated Rectangle Tool tin come in handy when you demand to depict a rectangle whose face is at an bending to SketchUp's default red, greenish, or bluish axes or to other geometry.

Like the Rectangle tool, the Rotated Rectangle tool enables you lot to create precise rectangles and squares and displays inferences to assist you as you lot draw. However, when y'all create a rectangle with the Rotated Rectangle tool, you position the rectangle at an angle every bit well. The following 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 menu, select the Rotated Rectangle tool (). Or select Depict > Shapes > Rotated Rectangle from the bill of fare bar.
  2. (Optional) Press an pointer primal to set the plane for your rotated rectangle, per the table that appears earlier in this article. For case, press the left arrow cardinal to constrain the plane of your rotated rectangle to the green plane.
  3. Click in one case to fix the showtime corner of your rectangle.
  4. Create the first edge of your rotated rectangle. You can do this in two means:
    • Type a precise measurement and press Enter.
    • Or move the cursor where yous want to place the 2nd 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 following figure, and and then click.

      Tip: You tin use a few modifier keys as you consummate this step. Hold down the Shift cardinal to constrain the beginning edge to its current management. The Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) cardinal locks the protractor plane. Or the arrow keys tin over again assistance you align the start edge to an axis. But press the arrow primal that corresponds your desired alignment, equally explained earlier in this section. For example, press the right arrow central to constrain the first border so information technology's aligned with the red centrality.

      Create the first edge of a rotated rectangle in SketchUp
  5. At this point, you lot set the width and bending of your rectangle. You lot tin fix these values in a few different ways:
    • Type an bending and width into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Type a width and bending into the Measurements box, following the prompt.
    • Movement effectually the protractor to set up the angle, and move your cursor abroad from the eye of the protractor to set the width, as shown in the post-obit figure. To constrain the bending, concord down the Shift cardinal. Click to cease creating the rotated rectangle.

Tip: Press the Alt (Windows) or Command (macOS) key to set the protractor baseline at the cursor'due south current position and then move the cursor to mensurate the bending from the baseline you lot ready. This method is helpful if you desire to measure the bending from a point other than the baseline prepare in Step 3. A dashed line appears so yous can run across 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 y'all're using a non-English keyboard, you'll desire to use a comma to indicate the decimal place and a semi-colon to separate the values in the Measurements box. For instance, yous might enter the angle and width of the second edge as 43,ii;eight,2m to get an angle that's 43,2 degrees and 8,2 meters long.

Note: if you lot're using a non-English keyboard, you'll want to apply a comma to signal the decimal place and a semi-colon to carve up the values in the Measurements box. For example, you lot might enter the width and bending of the second edge as viii,2m; 43,2 to get a width that'southward 8,two meters long and angle that'southward 43,2 degrees .

Drawing a circle or ellipse

Before you draw a circle, it'due south helpful to sympathize how SketchUp creates circle entities:

  • Circle entities have a radius and connect multiple line segments.
  • These segments act equally a single line in that they can define the edge of a face and divide a face. Additionally, selecting one segment selects the unabridged circle entity.
  • SketchUp'southward inference engine still 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-down card 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 alter the number of sides, you can type a value now or wait until after y'all're done drawing the circle.
  2. Click to place the center point of the circle. The Measurements box changes to display the circle's radius. You can blazon a radius value now or immediately later on you draw the circumvolve.
  3. Click to place the middle point of the circumvolve. To align the aeroplane of your circle with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the arrow central that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the upwards arrow aligns the circle'south plane with the blue axis. See 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 subsequently you depict the circle.
  4. Move the cursor out from the heart bespeak to define the circle's radius. Every bit you lot movement the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. Press Esc at any point to beginning over.
  5. Click to finish the circumvolve. SketchUp creates a circle-shaped face, as shown in the figure.

  6. (Optional) Until you select a new tool or depict a new circle, you can employ the Measurements box to change the circle'due south radius or the number of sides every bit follows:
    • To change the number of sides: Blazon a number and the letter S (for example, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). Then press Enter.
    • To alter the number of sides: Type a number and the letter S (for example, blazon 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). And then press Enter. Alternately, you tin hold down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Option key (macOS) while pressing the + or - to increment or decrease the number of sides, respectively. If y'all're using a French Canadian keyboard, hold downward the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increase the segments. For macOS, printing Command and = to increment 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 Render.

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

To depict an ellipse or oval, follow these steps:

  1. Draw a circle with the Circumvolve tool.
  2. Select the Calibration tool ().
  3. Click the circle. A bounding box with eight green grips is displayed around the circle.
  4. Click 1 of the middle grips (not one of the corner grips) and move 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 lot can create polygon entities with the Polygon tool. (No surprise there.) However, hither are a few facts that you lot may not know about polygons, simply that are handy to know as you draw them:

  • In SketchUp, a polygon has a radius and 3 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 you lot describe. A pentagon as 5 sides; an octagon has 8 sides.
  • Polygon entities human action every bit a unmarried line in that they can define the edge of a face and likewise divide a face up. Selecting 1 side of the polygon selects the entire polygon.
  • The SketchUp inference engine interprets each side of a polygon every bit a segment. Equally you hover your cursor over a polygon, y'all see endpoint, midpoint, and from point inferences.
  • Yous can describe polygons on faces or separate from existing geometry.

Follow these steps to describe 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 type a number value now or wait until later you lot're washed drawing.
  2. Click to place the middle indicate of the polygon. The Measurements box changes to display the radius. You can blazon a radius value now or immediately after you depict the polygon.
  3. Click to place the middle point of the polygon. To marshal the airplane of your polygon with a specific drawing axis or other geometry, press the pointer key that corresponds your desired alignment. For example, the up pointer align's the polygon's aeroplane with the blue axis. Run into the earlier tabular array 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 describe the polygon.
  4. Motility the cursor out from the eye betoken to ascertain the radius of your polygon. As yous move the cursor, the radius value is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box. To specify the radius, blazon a value and printing Enter. You can besides press Esc to starting time over.
  5. Click a 2d time to finish the polygon. Hither, you come across a 5-sided polygon.
  6. (Optional) Until y'all select a new tool or draw a new polygon, you tin can utilise the Measurements box to modify the radius or the number of sides every bit follows:
    • To change the number of sides: Blazon a number and the letter S (for example, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). And so press Enter.
    • To change the number of sides: Blazon a number and the alphabetic character S (for example, type 5s for 5 sides or 42s for 42 sides). And then press Enter. Alternately, you can hold down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Option central (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 primal (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increase the segments. For macOS, press Control and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.
    • To alter the radius: Blazon a number and a unit of measurement (if desired), such as 6", 8', 34cm, or 7m. And 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 circumvolve or polygon into a 3D shape. The circumvolve's edges look smooth, but a polygon's edges evidence distinct sides, equally shown here.


In this live-activeness video, yous 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's radius or sides someday after you 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 card that appears, every bit shown here.
  3. In the Entity Info console, click in the Radius or Segments box, alter the value, and printing Enter (Microsoft Windows) or Return (Mac). Later you printing Enter or Return, your shape immediately reflects your changes.

SketchUp doesn't enable you to modify the width or length of a rectangle at someday. If yous've already selected another tool or drawn additional rectangles, you demand to erase the rectangle you desire to change and redraw information technology. See Cartoon a rectangle for details. Or resize the rectangle with the Scale tool if you don't need to enter precise dimensions.

Of course, you can exercise much more only change a shape'south size. You tin can plow a 2d shape into a 3D shape with the Push/Pull tool. Yous can distort shapes with the Motility tool or scale all or part of your model.