How to Design Furniture on Sketchup
SketchUp is a powerful 3D modeling software and a great tool for designing furniture. This presentation will introduce you to the basics of furniture design in SketchUp.
Getting Started
Install SketchUp
SketchUp is available for free from the official website.
Model your room
Open a new file
Start a new project and set up the scene.
Choose a design approach
Create a simple model of the room where the furniture will be placed.
Decide on a design approach for the furniture.
Creating Shapes
Starting with blocks
Create basic shapes with the rectangle, circle and line tools
Cylinders & Tubes
Create cylinders and tubes for legs and supports.
Boxes & Cubes
Create boxes and cubes for the main structure.
Use the protractor tool
Measure angles and create angled shapes with the protractor tool.
1 Edit Adjust shapes and sizes as needed.
2 Refine Add details such as bevels, fillets, and patterns to your furniture.
3
Check your Dimensions
Ensure all dimensions are accurate for a realistic model.
& Refine
Edit
Textures & Materials
Add Materials
Open source libraries
Add textures and materials to your model such as wood grain and polished metal.
Use open-source libraries such as 3D Warehouse and Sketchfab to browse for furniture models and materials.
Color Selection
RGB color codes can be used to select specific colors for your designs.
Exporting & Sharing
Export options
Choose from different file formats including STL and OBJ, for use in other software packages.
Share
3D Printing
Share your designs on social media or export them for sharing with friends and clients.
Export for 3D printing using STL format.
Best Practices
1 Start simple Start with simple designs and gradually work your way up to more complex ones.
2 Stay organized
Organize your design into components and layers.
3 Work in sections
4 Be Creative Experiment with different shapes and material textures to create unique designs.
Work on one piece of furniture at a time.
With a little practice, you will be able to create a beautiful and functional furniture design on SketchUp.
Next Steps
Practice and Learn
Community
YouTube
Practice and learn by creating more complex designs using SketchUp.
Join the SketchUp community to ask questions and share tips with other designers.
Watch tutorials on YouTube and other websites to learn more about SketchUp and 3D furniture design.