Creating Elevations in Layout from Your SketchUp Model

In today’s video, we’re going to talk about some tips and tricks for creating exterior elevation plans in Layout from your SketchUp models. Learn tips about using fog to create depth, how to handle terrain with your elevations, setting scale in your documents, and more!
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Before I get started, I want to thank my supporters on Patreon.
You can get more information about modeling for Layout in SketchUp by visiting TheSketchUpEssentials.com/layout. That’s my hub for information about creating plans and modeling for Layout, so if you’re looking for more tutorials, books, or other resources about layout, that’s where you want to go!
So I want to talk a bit in this video about some tips for modeling for exteriors in SketchUp, then creating your exterior elevation plans in Layout.
To start off, you can start fairly simple, just by modeling your building. If you have some terrain or something like that to begin from, that’s usually a good thing to have in your model as well. If not, don’t worry about it for now.
In this case, I’m using a model from the building bundle from Mindsight Studios - you can actually download this model from the sample file, which I’ll link to in the notes down below, as well as sharing a link of the whole bundle.
First thing - once you have your building modeled, you’re going to want to set up some scenes.
If you remember from some of my previous Layout tutorials, the way that you can create your views in Layout is to create various scenes within SketchUp, then you can import from those scenes in order to generate your pages in Layout.
To start off, let’s create a front elevation. To do this in most models, you’re going to start by clicking on the front camera view, then set your camera to parallel projection.
Picking a style - Black and white? Colored?
Depth indication - fog
Once scene is set up, save your tab using animation, add scene
Now we’re going to go over into layout. Select a template - if you have your own, great, if not, just pick one of the SketchUp templates
Disclaimers: all opinions are my own, sponsors are acknowledged. Product Links in the description are typically affiliate links that let you help support the channel at no extra cost.

[@stdoja8938]

Thank you for hitting the critical points on how to actually scale the drawing. You saved me a lot of stress at work!

[@charliesmith9196]

Excellent tutorial. As a Civil Engineer who is trying to push his own house plans through the local planning department, these tutorials (and especially this one) have been super helpful for me on the architectural side. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Really glad you're finding the videos helpful - I've toyed around with the idea of creating a course where I just go start to finish creating a model and a set of plans - we'll see, but glad you liked this!

[@alanawrightson1520]

thank you so much for this video. I needed to do this for a final project and wow, it's so much easier than I thought! You're a good teacher. Subscribed!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Glad you found it helpful! :)

[@55inchSamsungTV]

Thank you, sir. Great tutorial, it was extremely helpful

[@gilleanwoods4508]

You are amazing! Have learned so many great tips from YOU. THANK-YOU!!

[@salambekbatukaev4735]

Thank you very much! Very useful tutorial! Liked it!

[@lorvuthi9001]

Thank you so much for this video, it helps me a lot.

[@alexandersonmei]

Thank you sir, you're a savior

[@jens2763]

Perfect for a sign elevation I need to provide to the client. Thanks...

[@reemab8374]

Amazing!!! Thank you so much

[@IamCceeLL]

Perfect man, i need this

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Glad you liked it!

[@woutdevolder2952]

Thanks a lot for all the info Justin! I have one more question: if we finish the design in SketchUp we want to export all the faces 2D to dwg. and import it to our Vectorworks. But this is only lines... So there are no textures anymore . What we usually do: export again but as an png. and put it behind the lines. But it takes very long if we have 4 or more faces to export. We tried to export 3D but after importing in the program (Vectorworks) it goes very slow. Is there a way/plugin to export only our 2D scene to 2D with lines (to snap) and still have the texture/image or combination of polylines? Thank you in advance! Greetings Wout, Antwerp Belgium

[@pandarzzz]

Thank you so much for the video! :)

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks Kevin!

[@8805230255]

Like always....that was great dude.! From Los Angeles - california

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thank you!

[@HighSpiritsGuy]

Just wonderful one buddy 💯

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks!

[@kisanhanchate5833]

thanq so much.... i m learning so much new things in sketchup ..thanx for uploading this vedio.... 👍💐

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Awesome - glad you liked it!

[@wahyudi111]

Good video, thanks

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thank you!

[@jackwortman]

hay Justin, did you know in layout, under you color swatch that you can pick on a color and drag it to your line or fill window, it is just a quick way to edit your colors faster.

[@Thesketchupessentials]

I did not know that! I'll have to give it a try - Thanks for the tip!

[@falconlara]

Any help with layout is welcome. Thanks Justin!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks Oscar!

[@mindsmelody5102]

ITS REALLY WORKED LOL THANK YOU DUDE

[@jeffthemonster6972]

Thank u so much !!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Glad you liked it!

[@prinkachawla2931]

THANKS ..IT HELPED ME ALOT..IT SOLVED THAT PROBLEM IN WHICH I WAS STUCKED

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Glad I could help!

[@nathanborja4532]

the best..!!! thanks justin..

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks - glad you liked it!

[@clean.chakma]

thank you so much dude you're a god

[@wafaa.a6961]

you da best in the game

[@sengsothin5788]

thanks Justin!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks for watching!

[@bramovsk]

Thanks you ...

[@jhuniorrdc]

muy bueno! gracias!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thank you!

[@eraymundobmateo]

Awesome!

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks!

[@sourceofsalvation1188]

Thank you Sir for this great help you share to us, but would you also help me put everything (floor plan, All Elevations, Sections, Site ground, and title block) together in one video tutorial Thanks again

[@Thesketchupessentials]

I don't think I've done this with an actual full house, but I've done something similar in my apartment start to finish series here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJOqpIyqjs99osk

[@yasersalmeh]

You’re the best

[@payupich]

Thank you...

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-od5zr5gp9b]

Great thanks for the vid! 👍🏻

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Glad you liked it!

[@tba1879]

Is there any way to add shadows to a 2D drawing of a house? Also, how about a walk and driveway using fake perspective lines (it looks like the lines are in perspective even though the house in not)?

[@Thesketchupessentials]

If you only drew 2d lines, no, as there'd be nothing to actually cast the shadows. I don't understand the second one, so no idea

[@waodeirma2293]

sir, how to show the shadows in the layout

[@kudamidzi1254]

Hi, Thanks for all your help so far. Is there anyways to turn-off a layer when in layout, because it appears not to be an option. So far I have had to save my model as a different file to delete what I do not need to show, but at this stage sketchup should be closer to AutoCAD now.

[@Thesketchupessentials]

You set up what shows up in layout by setting up view tabs in SketchUp, so yes - you'd adjust your scene in the SketchUp model then update

[@kudamidzi1254]

@@Thesketchupessentials Sounds good but when I do that and then make modification and on a view I click update from model then the unwanted layers show up again.

[@Thesketchupessentials]

@@kudamidzi1254 You need to make sure you save the changes by updating your scene in SketchUp then saving your model. Changes only show up after you save, then refresh in Layout

[@kudamidzi1254]

@@Thesketchupessentials will definitely try that, thanks again.

[@garyspeed8961]

wouldnt it be easier just to turn of FILL rather than reduce to opacity of it to zero?

[@hitmanLis]

i don't know what i would you with out you my man..

[@1987eduedu]

Just a little tip, you can toggle the Stroke and Fill ON/Off just by clicking the word which is actually a button. :)

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Thanks Eduardo!

[@NanulSavage]

Thank you for this video! 3/16" - 1'0" is based on the scale you chose in layout so that you can create accurate dimensions? I'm modeling my parents' home and almost ready to present it to the builder, but I'm very new to these tools, and to architecture for that matter. I'm trying to understand what is that signaling to the builder since there is no grid showing? Probably a silly question, but would love help! Of course, I can repeat what you're doing, but understanding it would be nice.

[@Thesketchupessentials]

It's just the scale that allowed the image to fit on the page the best. Pick the scale that fits your image on the page the way you'd like. Setting the object to a fixed scale allows them to measure off of the drawing, though usually you would also add dimensions on the page to show the lengths of things. The grid shouldn't really matter I don't think

[@NanulSavage]

@@Thesketchupessentials I see, thank you so much for your response. Since you read the comments, would you point me to a video that can teach me how I can do the following . . . I built my model, and now I want to slice it down back to 9' elevation and rebuild the roof, is that possible? If yes, can you point me to one of your tutorials? I don't know how to word it for it to come up. Thank you in advance.

[@icepotato31]

hi sir! your tutorials helps me a lot.. i have a question, i cant send my model into lay-out. it says its unsupported file :( dont know what to do . can you help me? thankyouuu -a Filipina Subscriber

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Honestly I have no idea on this one...never had this issue

[@icepotato31]

thankyou for answering sir. i just copy and pasted it on another sketch up file . its all fine now 😄 thankyou for the tutorial...

[@mainy1984]

We had some interaction on a boxing channel, so just popped to drop you a sub and a like. nice to talk in the comments without any arguments / disrespect. Good luck with your channel, I wish you all the best =)

[@Thesketchupessentials]

Like boxing the sport? I don't think I've ever commented on a boxing video

[@isaacbriffa3169]

Can you export the elevations to autocad and do the layout on autocad ?

[@bigiron5508]

Hey, that's what I do...lol, since I really hate working in autocad..

[@mariaj2330]

is it possible to render the elevations with VRAY and then send it to sketchup layout?

[@Thesketchupessentials]

You'd just import them as images. I wouldn't set up dimensions off a Vray rendered image though...

[@victorianonaca363]

How can I do this in the free SketchUp Make version?

[@Thesketchupessentials]

You can't - Layout is specifically a paid program

[@Mapips95]

txs

[@hezekiahmwangi4836]

hi,am hezekiah mwangi pursuing civil and structural engineering in kenya.designing is very essential in this course .would u ming mentoring me?thanks in advance

[@jaymarknuestro8472]

How to change the border layout

[@phillippatrick1295]

How do you insert multiple views into layout?

[@Thesketchupessentials]

You can copy a view that's already in the document, or I think it's under File, Insert, New Viewport (or something like that...)

[@ChardTv]

where is the link huhuhuhuh

[@aymanali5491]

The tutorial actually started at 14:05

[@REVerbtalk]

Where's the elevation dimensions?, you jusst plotting a pic picture of a front shot. City offices wont take these

[@Thesketchupessentials]

You add them with the dimensions tool. This video specifically is about getting the front shot into Layout, but that doesn't mean that just because you get the image into Layout your plans are just magically complete...

[@AymenHumoodi]

Nice video, but obviously this is not the right tool for documentation.

[@tejasviaashish5495]

You can reduce the length of the video by cutting down the irrelevant stuff that you talk about in the videos.

[@Thesketchupessentials]

I suppose that depends on the definition of irrelevant - feel free to skip around as much as you want

[@certaindeath7776]

this is a very energy and material inefficient design. you can do better, i am sure.