The ULTIMATE GUIDE to Sandbox Tools in SketchUp!

It’s been a while, so a wanted to make a video talking about the functions contained within Sandbox tools, SketchUp’s built-in terrain modeling extension!

Want to Support the SketchUp Essentials?

THE SKETCHUP ESSENTIALS COURSE

MY SKETCHUP MODELING PC SETUP
SKETCHUP BOOKS AND RESOURCES
MY CURRENT FAVORITE SKETCHUP PLUGINS AND EXTENSIONS
(Affiliate Links)

PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE

Check Us Out On -

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.

Sandbox tools is designed to help you work with more “sitework” type situations. It does this by containing a suite of tools to help you work with a grid that’s created by the tool.
From Contours
The first tool in this toolset is “From Contours.” Basically, this tool does exactly what it sounds like – it takes a series of contours and creates a face from them. This is one of two tools contained in SketchUp for the actual creation of your sandbox. You can either draw your contours yourself, or import an AutoCAD file that you can then use to create a surface.
From Scratch
The second tool is “From Scratch.” From Scratch allows you to create your own grid based on a setting that you dictate. You can adjust the grid spacing by typing in a gridline interval and hitting the enter key whenever you activate the tool, before you click in your model to start creating your grid. NOTE: Do not set your interval to something crazy like 2” – your model will become unmanageable very quickly.
Smoove
Now we have a number of tools designed to help us with interacting with the sandbox we’ve created. The first tool is named “Smoove.” It allows you to move the geometry around up and down within a radius that you set. To change the radius, type in a value and hit the enter key. You can single click to move your selection up and down. Note that this tool really likes working on the blue axis – however, you can stand objects up and hold the shift key to adjust objects perpendicular to your selection.
HUGE TIP – Do NOT select your geometry then activate the Smoove tool – for some reason this takes FOREVER to load. Instead, make sure that you have no geometry selected before turning the Smoove tool on.
Stamp
Stamp is a tool designed to help you take shapes and “stamp” them into the geometry. This is especially useful for things like building slabs and retaining walls. The way it works is that you draw the shape you’d like to stamp over the spot where you’d like to stamp, then select that shape, activate the stamp tool, and click on the geometry below. If you’d like to adjust the width of the transition that’s created between terrain and shape, type in the transition, or offset width you’d like and hit the enter key before clicking on your mesh.
Drape
While stamp is a tool designed to change your target geometry, drape is designed to take the perimeter of the shape and almost mark it onto your target mesh. This is great for creating things like roads that follow the topography of sites. Note that there may be a bit of cleanup involved on something like this.
Add Detail
Add detail allows you to insert geometry into your sandbox mesh. Sometimes the built-in geometry looks a bit too blocky – this allows you to select some edges, then insert additional geometry which can then be edited.
Flip Edge
Sandboxes are actually made up of a number of triangular shapes, not squares (or quads). If you turn on hidden geometry, you can see them. Flip edge is designed to help you quickly flip the edges that are created, which affects the way the geometry interacts with the geometry around it. You can use this to create more natural looking shapes.

[designunlimited]

I hadn't used sandbox tools for a while and your video was a super, easy-to-follow guide to manipulating topography and placing a road. I've subscribed so that I can find you more easily next time. Thank you.

[asmaeessaissi]

You have no idea how much helpful your videos for ppl juste starting with sketchup, you make the entier tool be very easy to design with. can't wait to transform all my old designs to a 3D, thanks to you.

[jbbancroft]

Excellent presentation. Clear, concise and thorough. Thank you Justin

[hasnashabrina]

your videos help so so so much every time im confused about how to make certain complex shape on sketchup and im on thank you so much i really appreciate all you do for us

[mananraut]

Helped me at the right time, during my internship, Thanks Steve.

[seanfarrellsullivanhasemotions]

Just installed SU 2020 PRO and I am now able to really take advantage of my landscape design in my model when I bring it into Lumion thanks to you! I learned so much. Liked and subscribed! I gotta show the rest of the guys in my office your channel.

[shengosman]

I'm an interior design student, and your videos are very helpful. I just wish there was a playlist with every video in order, that would have been so much easier. I was watching another video, then you mentioned the grids and sandbox section, that's why I'm here now.

[AsifDanwad]

Very clear and excellent presentation! Good work, Justin!

[surnoda]

Great tutorials! Greetings from Norway 🙂 I'm a Sketchup novice just started using this a couple of weeks a go. This really gives a boost in progress. Using this as a tool in education for my class at college. Do you have any videos for cleaning up the edges in to the slab, making the terrain line up with the wall/concrete, when working with sandbox? Was ready to quit using this program, but then i came across your channel. Nice!!

[gracewalsh]

You are a life saver with your tutorials.

[rickenbackerdan]

Great tutorial. Very clearly explained. Thanks Justin!

[liman]

tumb up, it is not easy to find tutorials which explains so detailed as you do. exelent job.

[ahura]

I'm literally always searching your channel whenever i have an assignment for college 😂 thanks for the helpful content you make. Keep up the great work!

[gayleenbrown]

Thanks so much! Super clear and concise. Easy to listen to and moved efficiently but not so fast that I could not keep up.

[kenyon]

Really great explantation... always wanted to understand how this worked. I design pools and landscaping and often work with grades. Like adding a pool on the side of a hill.
Any tips for this would be greatly appreciated!
Thank You!

[richardrogersdesigns]

A great introduction to the tools - highlighting how the tools could be used and the way that the tools behave. thanks

[ronkyville]

Love your videos. i nearly always find the best way to do something using your videos. Great job and thank you so much.

[shivaniparmar]

I knew we could do all this in sketchup, I just didn't know how lol. Thanks for doing this kinda tutorials! It helps a lot

[Betoromero]

Hermano, soy tu fiel seguidor ya desde hace tiempo, dejame decirte que eres un crack!!!! explicas super bien todos los temas, sinceramente te agradezco todo tu contendio, saludos desde Cancun-Mexico

[skunkedagain]

You make the best sketchup videos. So clear and easy to follow. Thank you