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Demo – SketchUp Plant form visualization

Introduction

You will use SketchUp in assignment one as you design your mixed planting bed as a tool to understand and communicate how plant forms combine to create masses and space. The following video playlists will assist you throughout the course, but specifically, they will assist, you in creating your block schematic axonometric or low bird’s-eye perspective. Per the assignment statement:

Block schematic axonometric (e.g. 120° isometric) or low bird’s-eye perspective.   Show entire garden area using simple block schematics representing abstracted plant forms. Do not show branching or texture. Color or monotone is your choice. Show small ornamental trees and larger shrubs as semi-transparent so that they don’t obscure smaller plants in lower layers.

Figure 1: Example plant form model in SketchUp. Note the transparent trees.

The model you create can also serve as a base for your perspective sketches. While the exercises below will help you achieve the goals of this assignment if you are new to SketchUp or not yet comfortable with best practices, we recommend you complete the following free courses:

SketchUp 01: Creating a base model

In this series of videos, you will learn the basic skills to get started modeling landscapes in SketchUp, using reference images, geolocated imagery, existing terrain data, and imported CAD linework. 

Extensions needed:

Specific skills include:

  • Getting started
  • Adding extensions
  • Geo-locating, a model
  • Importing and scaling reference sketch
  • Importing CAD linework
  • CAD clean up and making faces
  • Paint, group, and layer by material
  • Extrude flat base

Please use the following,  additional resources, if you are still struggling with any of the above concepts: