ONLINE COURSE

Introduction to SketchUp Pro (Online - Educational)

Course style: Online
Experience level: Beginner / Student
Software: Eligibility for educational SketchUp Pro license
Duration: One year

About this course

NOTE:
This course is specifically for students in the UK. Once enrolled, you're eligible for an educational license (details are provided after purchase). This cannot be used for any commercial work and is purely to allow students to learn the software. You will have access to this course and the license for one year from purchase date. This is currently only available to those who reside in the UK.

SketchUp is a flexible, easy-to-use yet powerful 3D modelling tool. It's easy to use and create 3D models from imported plan drawings, yet gives a huge amount of customisability in terms of how you can present drawings, as well as integrates which most of the best rendering tools for those wanting to take their visualisation even further.

Many people learn SketchUp through YouTube videos and trial and error and while this can get you started, it can often lead to frustration, bad habits, inefficient workflows and models that become difficult to manage as projects grow.

This course provides a structured introduction to SketchUp, built around the workflows used by landscape architects and garden designers. You'll learn not only which tools to use, but when to use them, how to organise your models correctly and how to work efficiently from day one.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to model key design elements like decking, paving, pergolas etc., apply materials, add plants and furniture and produce presentation-ready images that help clients understand and engage with your ideas.

When you sign up you'll be sent invitations to the Zoom sessions as well on-boarding materials including a full set of notes for the course.

Course Objectives:

  • Learn how to draw simple 3D shapes (Line, Rectangle, Circle etc.)
  • Manipulate objects into more complex 3D forms
  • Understand how Groups and Components work
  • Apply materials and textures and scale them correctly
  • Understand Layers and Tags
  • Utilise the 3D Warehouse and learn how best to populate your model with plants
  • Understand how to create basic terrain
  • Be able to turn on shadows, use the Camera Tools and set up Scenes
  • Export images for use in presentations

Is SketchUp and this course for me?

  • "Is SketchUp only good if you learn a rendering tool?"

    No. SketchUp is an incredibly powerful, standalone design tool that goes far beyond just prepping a model for a rendering engine. Out of the box, it allows you to rapidly problem-solve spatial layouts, create flawless, scaled 2D construction documentation using LayOut, and utilise native styles to show off your design. Furthermore, for those who still prefer to hand-draw, building a quick model in SketchUp is a fantastic way to generate accurate 3D perspectives and base forms that you can easily print and sketch over. It's one of the most flexible design tools around, which is why we're so passionate about it.

  • "I am completely tech-phobic. Will I get totally lost?"

    Definitely not! SketchUp is by far the most accessible and easiest to pick up of all the CAD and 3D modelling software on the market. It's intuitive to use, won't bamboozle you with a million buttons and compared to something like Vectorworks is quick to master. 

    Plus we don’t do dense, overwhelming software jargon and instead break things down into bite-sized steps. If you can visualise a space in your head, we can teach you how to build it on the screen.

  • "I’m already incredibly busy—will this take up too much of my time?"

    Mastering any software software does take time and practice to truly master, but SketchUp isn't a wildly complicated piece of software. We liken it to learning a musical instrument - you wouldn't take a days course in the piano and expect to be anywhere near proficient. Instead you'd take some lessons and continue to practise regularly, and we'll be here to support you along the way.

  • "I already know the basics—is this too simple for me?"

    If you are entirely self-taught, you've probably picked up some bad habits along the way, as well as having unanswered questions or things you've always wondered about. We aim to teach you the best professional workflow and make it easier and quicker to draw and model.

  • "Do I need to be a graphic artist to use these tools?"

    Absolutely not. SketchUp handles the complex geometry, perspective, and scaling for you. Your job is to bring the design eye, the material choices, and the horticultural knowledge; we simply teach you how to translate that vision into a crisp, immersive 3D reality.


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