Introduction to LayOut

LayOut is a page-creation program that has 3D presentation capabilities coupled with two-dimensional 2D drafting tools. In LayOut, you arrange 3D perspective views and scaled 2D orthographic views on a sheet of paper to graphically explain a design. Then use LayOut's sleek drawing toolset to add informative annotations on top of those views to provide an additional layer of information.

Dynamic Link

The 3D SketchUp model space and the 2D LayOut paper space are connected. The dynamic link between them is critical to the efficiency of the SketchUp Workflow. After you modify and save the SketchUp model, LayOut will let you know that the link needs to be updated. When you update or refresh the model within LayOut, all the linked 2D drawings in your presentation will reflect the most current design. This dynamic link eliminates the need to re-export every time you make a presentation, gives you the freedom to make last-minute design changes in 3D and then simply update your presentation before a meeting. When a SketchUp model is dynamically linked to a LayOut presentation, all drawings are derived from one model and updated simultaneously.

Model Space

SketchUp is equivalent to CAD's model space. SketchUp is where your design comes to life. Everything built in SketchUp 3D is drawn at a 1:1 real-world scale. This means that if a wall is to be built 10 feet tall in the real world, you draw the wall 10 feet tall in your SketchUp model. You don't need to crunch the numbers into an architectural scale while working in model space. Everything in SketchUp is built to the size it is intended to be built to in the real world

Paper Space

LayOut is SketchUp's equivalent to CAD's paper space. LayOut's is where your drawings comes to life. Place the viewports, or windows looking into your SketchUp model, on a standard sheets with title blocks. Arrange the viewports on the sheet and set the orthographic views to architectural scales. Layer on annotations, dimensions, callouts, and symbols. Finally, export the drawing set to a PDF to share with clients and consultants.

Welcome to LayOut

When you first open LayOut, you are greeted with the "Welcome to LayOut" window. This window provides access to recent files and learning links, but it's primary use is to select a title block. Follow these steps...

If you don't see the "Welcome to LayOut" window, you can access it by clicking the Help dropdown > Welcome to LayOut

Click "More Templates" to access the full library

Click on "Titleblock" to narrow your search.

Dig Deeper... The default templates provided by LayOut are pretty weak. Chapter 00 of "The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture" walks you through building a professional title block. Also, the ConDoc Tools extension includes the same title blocks already created and formatted to several standard sizes.

Navigation

Similar to SketchUp, navigating in LayOut is best accomplished with a 3-button scroll wheel mouse. Keep these tips in mind when navigating LayOut...

Roll the scrollwheel towards the screen to zoom in, away from the screen to zoom out.

Push down on the scroll wheel button and move your cursor to pan

Click the View dropdown for additional navigation options

Click the zoom percentage dropdown at the bottom of the screen to select a zoom option. It is helpful to check your presentation at 100%.

Just like SketchUp, your cursor is the focus of all navigation in LayOut. Be sure to hover on the object of interest before performing the navigation.

Select Tool

The Select tool is the most common tool you will use in LayOut. It allows you to move, rotate, copy, array, enter groups, and view and entity's properties. Keep these tips in mind...

Click on any LayOut entity to select it. Once selected, the entity's properties will be displayed in the relevant inspectors.

Once an entity is selected, hover on the geometry, then click and drag to move.

While moving an entity, hold Ctrl (Option on Mac) to leave a copy behind.

Link a Model

Your SketchUp model can be inserted into LayOut as a reference. Once inserted, the SketchUp model is displayed in a viewport. Moving forward, changes made to the SketchUp model will be reflected in the LayOut viewports. Follow these steps...

Click the File dropdown > Insert...

Navigate to the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it

Click "Open"

Link your 3D SketchUp model to 2D LayOut...

Once your SketchUp model is inserted, it appears as a viewport that is already selected. While selected, the settings of the viewport can be adjusted in the SketchUp Model inspector. Start by choosing a scene that you created in SketchUp, then an appropriate rendering setting.

Heads Up! An architectural scale can only be applied to "Ortho" views. This is also called "Parallel Projection" in SketchUp.

Render Settings

Raster

Only setting that can display sketchy edge styles

Usually used for perspectives

If it doesn't render right, raster will work

Vector

Sharp black and white CAD style output

Usually used for simple plans and building sections

Can't represent shadows

Hybrid

Overlays vector line work on a raster background

twice the render time since it is compositing two images

Best for color plans and CAD style elevations with shadows.

DIG DEEPER... Check out page 389 of "The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture" for more information on rendering settings.

Line Weights

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Find the right line weight for your drawings based on the architectural scale...

Suggested Line Weights per Architectural Scale

5 Step Recipe for Any Drawing Viewport

Here's a predictable formula and some tips for creating any drawing viewport, follow these steps...

STEP 01: Link Your Model

STEP 02: Select a Scene

STEP 03: Choose a Render Setting

Keep in mind...

Raster render setting creates a digital image out of pixels. This is best for complex sketchy styles.

Vector render setting creates the drawing with line objects that can be scaled up infinitely without loss.

Hybrid render setting creates a stack of two viewports containing different entities of one scene, raster on bottom vector on top.

Shadows can only be represented with raster, or hybrid render setting.

Plans are typically set to Vector.

Exterior elevations are typically set to Hybrid.

Interior elevations are typically set to Vector.

Building sections are typically set to Vector.

STEP 04: Set the Line Weight

Keep in mind...

The thickness of lines in LayOut viewports are a product of the SketchUp style multipliers and a value assigned in the SketchUp Model inspector.

Typically, a smaller drawing requires thinner line weights to read well, and a larger drawing requires thicker line weights.

Avoid using the Scene overrides in LayOut. Any property that can be saved to a scene should be, rather than toggling in LayOut.

STEP 05: Render

Keep in mind...

Right click on the page background and choose "Render Models on Page".

Right click on a specific viewport and choose "Render".

In the SketchUp inspector, check "Auto" on. This will render all references in your presentation and can take awhile.

It's best to disable auto, then render pages and viewports on demand. Consider adding keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + R for Render Images on Page.

Drawings

Create a drawing with each of the drawing scenes we created in the last lesson.

Exterior Perspective Drawing

1. Click the File dropdown > Insert...

2. Find the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it, click "Open"

3. In the SketchUp Model inspector,

Scene: "Exterior Perspective"

Line scale: 1

Render Setting: Raster

Architectural Scale: N/A

4. Render the viewports, or check Auto on.

Watch the steps below...

Interior Perspective Drawing

1. Click the File dropdown > Insert...

2. Find the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it, click "Open"

3. In the SketchUp Model inspector,

Scene: "Interior Perspective"

Line scale: .5

Render Setting: Hybrid

Architectural Scale: N/A

4. Render the viewports, or check Auto on.

Watch the steps below...

Exerior Elevation Drawing

1. Click the File dropdown > Insert...

2. Find the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it, click "Open"

3. In the SketchUp Model inspector,

Scene: "Exterior Elevation"

Line scale: .3

Render Setting: Hybrid

Architectural Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0"

4. Render the viewports, or check Auto on.

Watch the steps below...

Interior Elevation Drawing

1. Click the File dropdown > Insert...

2. Find the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it, click "Open"

3. In the SketchUp Model inspector,

Scene: "Interior Elevation"

Line scale: .4

Render Setting: Hybrid

Architectural Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"

4. Render the viewports, or check Auto on.

Watch the steps below...

Building Section Drawing

1. Click the File dropdown > Insert...

2. Find the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it, click "Open"

3. In the SketchUp Model inspector,

Scene: "Building Section"

Line scale: .3

Render Setting: Vector

Architectural Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0"

4. Render the viewports, or check Auto on.

Watch the steps below...

Plan Drawing

1. Click the File dropdown > Insert...

2. Find the folder containing your SketchUp model and select it, click "Open"

3. In the SketchUp Model inspector,

Scene: "Plan"

Line scale: .4

Render Setting: Vector

Architectural Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"

4. Render the viewports, or check Auto on.

Watch the steps below...

Instruction

You will need these files to follow along...

SW_Permit Set Title Block - 24 x 36

SW_ADU Design Model - MOG'd with Scenes.skp