Why Most People Overrate their SketchUp Skills (& How to Level Up)

Are you an expert SketchUp modeler? Are you intermediate? If so, how do you know? In this video, Aaron walks through some example models and talks about the specifics of a model created my a beginner as opposed to intermediate modeler, and what it means to be an expert!

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[peterbowen]

I would like to see an official certified training programme, built into SketchUp Campus, similar to the one run by McNeel for Rhino. This YouTube channel is the best learning resource SketchUp has ever had, but training for SketchUp is a bit all over the place. Official certification gives users a target to work to.

[KashimMustapha-iifv]

You made my day Aaron!!! Modelling in SketchUp, it is like sitting behind the wheels of my dream car. It's pure unadulterated fun!! SketchUp is simply beyond SketchUp 👍

[tsoltren]

I was ready to be humbled but was pleasantly surprised I could consider myself intermediate to advanced. I like to think I have my model workflow down but occasionally I’ll run into a multifaceted curve that ruins my day! I still feel there is much to learn and better ways to take advantage of what Sketchup has to offer, great video. 👍

[AVSMedical]

Based on this, I’m a solid intermediate user. I’ve learned a lot from this channel. I’m just a hard-core hobbyist woodworker. I’ve learned a ton from the course that Dave Richards taught on Fine Woodworking site, SketchUp for Furniture Design. I took the course live in 2023 and have gone back to it several times to brush up on additional skills, highly recommend it.

[kylemacht]

I have been using SketchUp for 20 years and use SketchUp and LayOut to create full documentation for architectural projects. That said, there is so much more to learn and areas that I have not entered, especially when it comes to ruby scripts! I can get lazy when it comes to model organization and making sure my templates are up to date, but I do feel I can model anything when it comes to buildings.

[EarlLewis]

I like how you broke this down Aaron. It helps me understand a little more about where I am with my SU skills. There are many things I struggle with and many, many things I just don't do because I don't know how. But I do strive every time I do a model to add one or 2 little things to my skills bag. The biggest one for me lately has been inference locking and referencing. It's exactly the fact that SU is so robust and complex, yet relatively simple at the same time, that makes it fun to use for me. And aren't we here for the fun? Thanks Aaron.

[yootoob]

Depending on what day it is, I consider myself an Advanced user. Then I watch Medeek, or TutorialsUp or Dave Richards or ThomThom and get humbled. There should be four levels in SketchUp: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert. Advanced should include some organic modeling. Expert should break out into workflows like Architecture (building, landscape, etc), 3D Printing, Rendering, etc. A user could have more than one Expert achievement rating. LayOut should be have its own separate skills levels because the percentage of users is much smaller than SketchUp and not required for many who model as hobbyists or professionally.

[stevefirst]

I am probably intermediate. Where I have most of my issues is finding things in the interface, and very subtle items. Dave Richards has helped me a ton, and usually the answer to my questions is something interface related. For example, moving dimensions in Layout, changes the numbers, unless you grab the dimension in the correct place. Easy once I know the rules, but how to find out the first time was not.

[LeeL-lp]

This was a great way to inspire me to raise the bar in my own useage. I started using Sketchup a few years ago when my son (who is an awesome user experience designer) told me about it. I'm retired and am doing some home remodeling. I thought I was cool by using Photoshop to design a bathroom remodel. But, I had another bathroom that needed a wall removed and I couldn't visualize it. He said "use Sketchup. you can learn it in a weekend." To shorten this story, here I am a few years later and I've modeled just about everything in the house. I was doing all of the projects in individual folders. Then I got a computer upgrade this year and have been able to bring all of my projects together in one file. To answer your question today... I feel that I am now an intermediate user and I can go back to sections of this model that I did earlier and use my new knowledge and skills to make the design better and easier to use. (Can you say Lots of loose geometry, no tags, and no scenes?) Aaron you are indeed an Expert Mentor. Kudos to you and I totally appreciate your inspiration and help!

[johnnewton]

I think I agree with your classifications. I use SU mostly for woodworking projects. I have been using it (as am armature) since it was part of Google (like the 2000's). I don't use it for professional use (and never had). However, I have made some woodworking plans for family members, modeled my house (for sure), modeled a new built in pool and hardscape for my house and all kinds of other stuff. Lot's of time with product (and have paid $$ for it for years). I am definitely "intermediate" as a user. I am using it almost weekly.
I love your tips and tricks videos.
I need to get better at SU Layout.
I love the French guy's "Open Cut List" extension.
However, I get confused with some of the "back end" stuff with SU. Like when you down load an extension, or a material, or a texture, or a component where do they go? A new version of SU come out and all kind of stuff is gone. I would to better understand how some Extensions need other ones to work.
If the "warehouse" was easier to navigate and could let the user could know what kind of scale (if any) the components are using, that would help.
I often have difficulty with textures and making things look real for others. I guess I really don't understand rendering that well. Lighting is a mystery to me. As a non-professional; easy lighting and rendering solutions would be welcome (for me if it is not free, I not likely to buy it).
As for your long format videos; I'm sure they are great; but who wants to spend hours listening to the banter to find a useful nugget along the way. I would say they are not very productive. Sometimes they feal like the one kid in the class wants to show off how much he knows more than why the rest of us are there. Not my cup of tea.
Sorry I unloaded, but asked.
Thanks guys/gals for all your help.
Newt

[josephreaddy]

Very interesting video. Had to watch it -and get a sense of where my skillset fits in. Have been a user since 2002, so I've seen a lot… What I learned from this episode is that I could better integrate SU and Layout. I work most often in the realm of urban design, so output is often sent to Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign for final development and production.

[MartinMainguy]

Isn't making all those Sketchup videos your "work flow" ? You certainly seem like an expert at it! Keep up the good work!

[florinapostoiu]

The guy with the YouTube channel TutorialsUp is truly a super super expert - he can do whatever you can dream of, and he can use all the complex and organic extensions as if he wrote them.
If we had more like him, Sketchup would be seen completely different among all the other design software.

[peterbowen]

My slightly flippant remark was going to be that 99.9% of the models on 3D Warehouse according to your classification are done by absolute beginners. Is it time for 3dWarehouse to become a curated paid for resource.

[richardvankesteren]

I use Sketchup 7 years now. In the last year I have developed into a furnature modeller, tables, dressers, cabinets etc. I model every component to 0, 1 milimeter acurate using multiple extensions. I make 2D technical drawings in Layout so the workshop can build the table, cabinet or whatever without any question in a breese. I use TAGS and Scenes. I make PBR materials and render stills and animations photo realisticly so customers see what the will get. But I always start with a template without Teddy or whatever scaling figure Sketchup has put in. So what level am I :).

[goldeliran]

I liked the initiative
however I would look at sketchup always as a modeling pre-rendering software and I would scale the level of a user by stunning visuals like the pro model you showed while keeping minimalistic tri-count.

in short:
An expert to me is someone who can deliver a complex looking model while keeping it simple backstage

[jaystewart]

What's most important for me is that an expert makes the right model for a job too. Using the example in the video, that intermediate model is good for a feature piece or something like that, but if it's a background piece that none of the shots get close to, it's a lot of extra geometry, slowing performance, and the extra tags is going to make navigation of the model frustrating. Making something more akin to the beginner model is often the right choice.

In addition, don't model anything you never see. I've seen an archviz model where two-thirds of the geometry was ducting located in the ceiling. None of the planned shots showed it. Guess how well that model handled?

Right model for the right job at the right detail. The expert already has the finished product in their head and is working backwards towards it.

[packardroadsta]

I would suggest that there are 'expert' amateurs and 'expert' professionals. The demand for excellence is the same, but the time constraint is completely different. Both know their tools, but the amateur has time to remember the correct tool and where it is.

[raulhof]

I would really like to see a video on "Add Location". There have been some changes lately and I don't know what the best way to use this command.

[kpeel]

20 years in, if you use a 3d connexion mouse your a pro..LOL ((not really)) Everyone has their own level, which is why I follow this channel. There are many things I see that I can model differently, and as you always say, there's no right or wrong way to do this. For me, it's all about speed. I find it incredibly satisfying to get a simple concept plan down within hours, even if the cut list takes me a few days. In my opinion, anyone who uses SketchUp is an advanced user. It's not for everyone, but it simply works.