Sketchup make tutorial how to#

Is this mech bipedal or quadrupedal? How does it move? Does it use weapons? What is it for? These basic questions define how the 'big chunks' of the silhouettes are arranged and proportioned. Since we are designing something mechanical, there are a few things we should ask when doing thumbnails. The point of thumbnailing is to figure out an interesting and exciting silhouette which will define the general shape of the final design.

I know where to put what, so the design not only looks cool but makes sense, without me having to stop too often from the creative process to go back to look up things that I might be able to use. Collecting this information is like preparing all the carving tools and materials when sculpting. I also pay attention to where the power source might be located and how big it has to be to move the machine, and what elements such vents, wires, hydraulics, rivets, joints, handles and sensors look like and where they're located. To name a few good references: DARPA robots and drones, car assembly machines, sand buggies, garden machinery, generators, street-cleaning machines, and so on. I sometimes just draw from references to build an almost subconscious awareness of how the mechanical parts distribute, and are concealed and exposed. I look into references that have a lot of mechanical parts. Before I even start making thumbnails, I usually research online for inspiration, especially when I don't have a specific idea in mind.

In the next article, we'll take the completed model into KeyShot to add materials, make a render, and then finish the image in Photoshop using basic photo-compositing techniques.

Sketchup make tutorial how to#

You'll be introduced to essential SketchUp plugin tools needed for following the tutorial, examples of how to use them, important modeling tricks and demonstrations of how to achieve certain shape results. We'll talk about the process of designing the mech, developing thumbnails into a detailed sketch. In this tutorial, we will learn how to complete a portfolio piece of a mech design in SketchUp, KeyShot and Photoshop. Jessica TC Lee shares her expertise in SketchUp and mech design.