Rendering in SketchUp

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Chapter 12: The Detailing Tools 
Fig. 12.5: 
The Details button allows you 
to navigate to the Component Library 
where you can locate components to 
insert into a SketchUp model.
Fig. 12.6: 
To add the Component 
Library folder and its subfolders to 
your Favorites, select Details
F
Add to 
Favorites. This will enable you to quickly 
access the component models.

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180
Part 3: Modeling Detail
Placing Components 
Once the components appear in the component browser, simply click on a component and move 
the cursor into your model. The component will move into the model. Once the component 
is in your model, the Move tool is automatically active, allowing you to place and/or copy the 
component. 
Viewing Options 
The View options control how components are displayed in the component browser. Use Large 
Thumbnails as the default view so that you can easily identify and select your components 
(Fig. 12.7).
Fig. 12.7: 
Adjust the View option in the component 
browser.

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Chapter 12: The Detailing Tools 
Using Layers
The layers in SketchUp do two important things:
3
3
They keep models organized.
3
3
They help maintain computer performance. 
All of the components and groups in your model should be placed on layers (Fig. 12.8). This 
will enable you to quickly sort your components and turn them on or off as needed. You can 
add as many layers as needed. You’ll learn more about this in Chapter 14.
Toggle off the Layers option in order to hide the components on those layers. Components on 
“off” layers are not processed by SketchUp, which enhances computer performance (Fig. 12.9, 
Fig. 12.10). This resource-saving option makes layers an essential ingredient when you’re work-
ing with large models with many components, particularly 3D vegetation components.