Course Content
SketchUp PRO
About Lesson

If you want to make your 3D model even more realistic, add as much detail as possible. I’m going to take the opportunity to add door frames and baseboards to this project because it seems like I’ll improve the whole picture a lot.

To begin with, I will zoom in on the appropriate detail and match its display to current needs. Since the wall on which this opening is located represents a complex group, it is necessary to open its contents with two quick clicks and then select these three edges while holding the Shift key. I had to do this step before running the Offset function, because otherwise it would affect the entire object and disturb the position of all the edges. So, since I’ve successfully extracted only the edges surrounding this opening, I can use the Offset function (by selecting this icon or simply pressing the F key) and mark the starting point with one click. After that, I just need to move the cursor up and define the appropriate distance. If you perform these two steps (pressing the left key and moving the cursor) in one breath without any pause, it can easily happen that the program misinterprets it and immediately creates new elements. To prevent this from happening, I will very carefully select the appropriate elements, press the F key and click on the upper edge without moving the mouse unnecessarily. Only after that I can determine the side where I want to place the new lines and enter the appropriate distance. In this way, I very precisely determined the position of the future frame, so it will not be difficult for me to materialize it.

In a similar way, I could also add a baseboard, so to that end I will first start the Select function and click on the line that represents the bottom edge of the wall. Since I would like the same element to be placed on the opposite side, I will select this line while holding the Shift key and press the M key to start the Move function. After that, I need to press and hold the Control key and select a reference point with one click, and it would be best if it were located on a nearby element. So I’ll click on the corner itself, move the cursor up and define a distance of 4 units via the keyboard. As soon as I press enter, two new lines will appear on the screen, which means that I have successfully used the surface of the wall and divided it into smaller segments.

Now I could implement the PushPull function and create new details, but since that would adversely affect the complexity of the whole project, I will look for a simpler solution. It implies the application of different materials, so I will show the palette with colors and look for a segment on it that represents a completely white surface. After that, it will not be difficult for me to apply the selected material to all new segments and thus achieve the desired effect. If you don’t like that certain parts are separated and you want to achieve continuity, simply start the Erase function and with a few clicks erase the redundant lines. I prefer the door frame and floor moldings to be clearly marked, so I’ll undo the last operation and go to the opposite side.

In this case, I’ll take a slightly different approach and apply the Offset function directly. This means pressing the F key and selecting the entire inner wall, then moving the cursor down to select the side on which the new elements should be placed. It seems to me that a distance of two units will be quite enough, so I will enter the mentioned value via the keyboard and complete the process with Enter.

As you can see, several new lines appeared on the wall at the same time, and some of them I really don’t need at the moment. To fix this, I’m going to run the Move function, select the line that’s right next to the left edge of the wall, and try to remove it. I have to be extremely careful because it can easily happen that I move the cursor down and I only need a horizontal direction. That’s why I will try to follow the green auxiliary line and determine the final position of the selected element with one click, ie. to overlap it with the existing wall edge. He will disappear from the screen at that moment, and that’s exactly what I wanted to achieve.

If I apply the same procedure on the opposite side, all I have to do is somehow remove the line that is just below the top edge of the wall. This can also be achieved by simply erasing, so I will run the Erase function and simply click on the appropriate segment.

Since I have removed all the excess elements, it would not be a bad idea to increase the distance where the lower segments are located and match it with the dimension that applies to the skirting boards. That’s why I’ll select these few lines while holding the Shift key and set the starting point with one click. After that, it won’t be difficult for me to move the cursor up and increase the existing distance by two more units.

Considering that the white color I used previously is still active, it is enough to press the P key to launch the Paint Bucket function and select the appropriate surface with one click. It will immediately change its appearance, so I have no choice but to deselect with Space and Esc and check what I have achieved. Although the changes I made are relatively small, the whole model looks much more interesting now, but it would be even better if I separated the surfaces representing the frames and floor moldings with a couple of short lines.

You must be wondering why I didn’t go one step further and add a third dimension to these elements? It really wouldn’t be difficult, but I think that at such an early stage of project development, it is better to keep simpler forms and thus facilitate possible changes. You can complete the remaining details when you are absolutely sure that all the large elements are in place and that you will not change them anymore.

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