Introduction to SketchUp training
2 days In centre:
£395+ VAT
Live online:
£295+ VAT
Dates and booking
Birmingham / Bromsgrove training centres
Key details
SketchUp training course for beginners teaching core skills for designing in 3D.
Our Introduction to SketchUp course teaches the fundamentals of 3D design in SketchUp. You learn how to:
- Create 3D designs.
- Incorporate textures, scenes and styles.
- Produce visualisations of your designs.
- Use SketchUp’s key tools and commands.
This course is relevant to you whatever you’re going to be using for. People attend this course to learn how to use SketchUp for interior design, architecture, landscaping and many more purposes.
In-class or online
Our centres are open for in-class training, with full safety measures implemented – reduced numbers, social distancing, you won’t sit next to anyone else, comprehensive sanitisation.
We continue to offer all courses in our popular live online format.
Upcoming course dates
Who should attend?
This course is ideal for anyone who wants to begin designing and producing visualisations using SketchUp running on a Windows computer or a Mac.
How will I learn?
SketchUp training is hands-on and practical.
Our trainers teach the necessary theory then demonstrate techniques step-by-step. You then practice the techniques taught on a computer running SketchUp.
There is plenty of time to ask questions, and you can keep all the files you create.
Expert SketchUp trainers
SketchUp courses are hosted by experts in 3D design, CGI and the production of visualisations and rendered images. See Expert trainers.
Free SketchUp bonus pack
You’ll receive a set of bonus models and textures, representing many hours of work in preparation, to start your all-important library of assets for your design projects. Following your training, we’ll send you a download link to these files.
The main model is a residential interior, with set dressings, textures, styles and components. If you are into interior design, this will be just right for you. Even if your focus is elsewhere, the models and textures are transferrable and will assist you in your work, helping you to further understand Sketchup and its processes and get started fast.
We give you a royalty free licence to use these models and textures, inside Sketchup, for the purpose of 3D visualisation. They are free for you to use in your personal or commercial projects.
SketchUp training guide and certificate
Course delegates receive:
- A practical SketchUp training guide, to refer to during the course and use as a refresher after. Choose from a printed, bound guide or a PDF – whatever suits you best. If you’re participating online and you choose a printed guide, we’ll post this to you.
- An e-certificate confirming successful completion of SketchUp training. Click here to see an example of the certificate you receive.
After course support
Following SketchUp training, you’re entitled to 30 days’ email support from your SketchUp trainer to help with any post-course issues. For further details, see Support.
Prerequisites
No prior SketchUp or CAD knowledge is necessary.
You should have strong computing skills, and a good working knowledge of your operating system (Windows/Mac OS).
SketchUp version
Training is based primarily on SketchUp 2021, running on Windows. It is relevant to all recent versions of SketchUp.
Our guarantees to you
We offer:
- A price guarantee that you’re getting the best value for money.
- A training guarantee that you’ll learn the concepts and skills you need.
On-request SketchUp training available
Introduction to SketchUp training is also available on-request, i.e. one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group, hosted at one of our centres, your venue or online.
On-request SketchUp training can be tailored to take into account any existing knowledge you have, and the work you’re going to be doing. Please contact us for a quote.
General information
Course times
9.30am–4.30pm.
Payment
Payment for SketchUp training can be made by:
- Bank transfer. Please call 01527 834783 for our bank details.
- Card. All major credit and debit cards accepted. Payment can be made securely online or over the phone. Card payments are processed by Stripe. Armada doesn’t record or store your card details.
If you’re self-funding your training, you can pay in staged payments, interest-free, over 12 months. For further details, see Staged payments.
Purchase orders
We accept purchase orders from UK-registered companies or public sector organisations.
Cancellations and transfers
You can cancel a booking on a scheduled training course, or transfer to a later course, without penalty providing you give us 10 working days’ notice. Any fees already paid will be refunded.
If you cancel a booking on a scheduled Introduction to SketchUp training course giving less than 10 working days’ notice, or request a transfer to a later course, a cancellation/transfer fee is payable. The fee charged depends on the notice period given. For details, see cancellation terms.
Different terms apply for the cancellation or postponement of an on-request course (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group). For details, see course cancellations.
Terms and conditions
Training course bookings are subject to our terms and conditions.
Expert trainers
Introduction to SketchUp training courses are hosted by:
Rod Cleasby
Rod has over 25 years’ experience working as a designer, visualisation expert and artist. His specialist areas include architecture, interior design and the production of photorealistic 3d virtual environments.
AutoCAD, 3ds Max and SketchUp have been the mainstay of Rod’s professional work for 20 years. He is also an expert in various related tools and technologies, including Photoshop, and he has expert knowledge of a wide range of renderers, including V-Ray, ART, Arnold and LightUp.
Rod has extensive experience training experience. He has worked as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster on their Computer Visualisation course, and he is a long-established Autodesk Certified Instructor.
Away from his professional work, Rod is an accomplished artist and musician, and a prolific writer of novels, novella, poetry and prose.
Stewart Cobb
Stewart began his working life as a junior draughtsman, and progressed through to Design Director leading a studio of designers working on both 2D and 3D projects.
He then worked for himself for over 25 years, completing around 100 design projects per year for a myriad of clients, including household names such as Vauxhall and McDonalds.
More recently, Stewart’s focus has been on training. He has been an Autodesk Certified Instructor since 2010, hosting courses in AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max, AutoCAD Plant 3D and SketchUp.
In between courses, Stewart uses these applications professionally when carrying out project work for clients. Using the applications regularly helps him to keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and practices. He also specialises in the production of photorealistic rendered images and visualisations using renderers including V-Ray.
Outside of work, Stewart enjoys music (he runs the sound desk for a number of local bands), reading and playing with any new piece of technology he can lay his hands on!
Course content
What is SketchUp?
How to get around inside SketchUp
Zoom, pan and rotate
Understanding the XYZ axis
Selecting toolbars
Applying templates
Drawing and using the pencil tool
Basic geometric shapes
Measurements
Circles and arcs
Sticky Geometry solutions and benefits
Discovering tags (previously called layers)
Using shortcuts
Measuring items inside SketchUp
Information and database
Moving and move / copy
Simple Array techniques
Rotating objects
Rotate / copy
Scale fractional and relative
Making components
Making groups
Comparisons and benefits
Saving components
Re-loading components
Creating a digital warehouse
Modelling techniques
Using Push Pull
Using Follow Me
Intersecting Geometry
Copy and Offset Faces, edges and polygons
How to use polygons in 2D drawings
Paint bucket
Materials Editor
Textures and bitmaps
Getting to understand the Materials Editor
What makes a good texture?
Where to find textures
Positioning textures
Limits to graphics and bitmaps
Create new scenes
Create new styles
Saving scenes and styles
Introduction to animation
Dimensions inside SketchUp
Annotation inside SketchUp
Printing from SketchUp
Exporting 2D images or PDF
Live online training
Live online training lets you participate in a SketchUp course from your place of work or home.
We do everything possible to make your online training experience as close as possible to actually being in the classroom. You can:
- See and hear our trainer, and see the other delegates participating in the SketchUp training…
- Interact by speaking, using chat, or raising your ‘virtual hand’ if you need assistance.
- Share your screen with our trainer, and allow them to control it to demonstrate something.
We endeavour to provide you with the best online training experience…
- Online Introduction to SketchUp courses are presented by expert instructors, following the same syllabus as our classroom-based courses.
- You receive comprehensive training materials.
- Your training is hands-on. You carry out assisted exercises using SketchUp.
- If you don’t have access to SketchUp software, we’ll send you a link to fully-functional trial software that you can download and install.
- You’re entitled to 30 days’ email support from your trainer.
When you attend live online training, you’re participating in a real course, hosted by a real trainer, in real time.
All you need is an internet-connected computer and a webcam – see Hardware recommendations for live online training. The setup is simple, but if there’s anything you’re not sure about we’re here to help.
For a limited time, we’re offering discounts for bookings on live online courses.
Discounts and bundles
To make your SketchUp training as affordable as possible, we offer:
- A discounted SketchUp training bundle.
- A range of training discounts on our scheduled (public) SketchUp training courses.
- A price guarantee that you won’t get SketchUp training for less.
SketchUp training bundle
Book places on:
- Introduction to SketchUp (2 days), and
- Intermediate SketchUp (2 days)
for £695 + VAT (classroom-based) or £495 + VAT (live online training), saving £95 + VAT in both cases.
The bundle price will be applied automatically when you add these two courses to your basket.
Training discounts
Multiple places
If you book multiple places on any courses, we can offer you:
- 10% discount if you book two places.
- 15% discount if you book three or four places.
- 20% discount if you book five or more places.
This can be for several people attending one course, one person attending several courses, or a combination.
These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and live online training.
Concessions
We offer a 10% discount on scheduled SketchUp course places to:
- Students, teachers and lecturers.
- People who work for a registered charity.
- ISTC members.
These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and remote training.
Please call us if you qualify for a discount. Evidence of your status that entitles you to a discount may be requested.
Terms and exclusions
Only one of the above discounts can be applied to any booking.
The above discounts are not available for on-request course bookings (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group).
Price guarantee
When you book training with Armada, we want you to be certain that you’re not paying over-the-odds. So, if you book a place on any scheduled (public) course and then find the same course at a lower price elsewhere, we will match that price.
To qualify for the price match:
- The course you find must be comparable. By this we mean it must:
- Cover the same subject.
- Be the same duration or longer.
- Hold the same accreditations as our course, i.e. it must be provided by an Adobe Authorised Training Centre (AATC).
- For classroom-based courses, be in the same region, i.e. within 50 miles of our centre.
- For online training, be a live course, i.e. not pre-prepared e-learning content.
- The lower price must be advertised on the other company’s website.
To claim a price match, just call any time before attending your course and tell us where you saw the price.
Samples
SketchUp has a built in OpenGL renderer which lets you see your design in 3D, with shadows and illumination from the sun. The following sample shows the image quality you can achieve using SketchUp ‘out of the box’:
If you require high-quality, photorealistic images, with features such as reflective properties and higher quality materials, you need to use a third party renderer. Two popular options are V-Ray and LightUp. These are provided as SketchUp plug-ins, so you still render directly from within SketchUp – there’s no need to open a separate application.
Here’s a sample showing the image quality you can achieve for the above design when you render using V-Ray:
And using LightUp:
Charlotte B
Fiona H
Sarah M
Robert H
Steve F
Chris B
Rob M
Andrew C
Steph P
Rob M
Dan H
Lee
JN
Steph P
Phillip T
Marium
Sara L
David V
Pamela G
and helpful couple of days.”
Craig G
Michael H
Paul S
Ann D