Sketchup-Ur-Space

Designing Kitchens with SketchUp

Adriana Granados

It is a design publication and how-to guide created for the kitchen design industry to simplify the design process using SketchUp software. It is targeted to designers who are training, as well as the professional interior designer in the process of designing kitchens.

Many kitchen designers have used specialized software to make designs fairly quickly. The main benefit of this type of software is its catalogue of kitchen cabinets, as well as the instant pricing information. However, SketchUp is a very powerful tool that can be used for this type of task. SketchUp has several advantages comparing with other programs. First, SketchUp contains vast library collections that can be found in the 3D Warehouse that allow the designer to choose cabinets to create an entire kitchen. This models has been designed by manufacturers such as Masco and most components have dynamic-components properties. Some of the topics of Designing Kitchens with SketchUp teaches how to insert components, replace one by another, use models from the 3D Warehouse, replace elements and properties, match colors of existing objects, and use onlay images to enhance the design and much more.

Designing Kitchens with SketchUp

The second reason to choose SketchUp for kitchen design is the low-cost investment in software needed. Even with the free version the user can cover a huge variety of aspects covering even more than specialized software.

Finally, the versatility of designs and materials available to apply on surfaces cannot be compared. An open system such as SketchUp offers the end-users unlimited tools to accomplish everything that is in their imagination; curves, materials, photos, dynamic components, presentation tools are just some of the offered elements. Any custom design can be approached in a simple way, and designers can grow their own libraries for future use.

This nine chapter, 221 page master class is the ultimate Step by Step Tutorial guide for anyone wishing to get the grips with kitchen design using SketchUp. The guide covers all aspects of kitchen design in a easy to follow hand holding fashion from 'Good Practice' to 'Preparing your construction documents' with Layout and everything in between the kitchen designer needs to know.

Designing Kitchens with SketchUp by Adriana Granados

In the first chapter the reader will learn how to create a 3D model starting from a 2D layout, drag and drop cabinets from the 3D Warehouse, sample materials, create design alternatives for backsplashes, using on-lays, and show the interior of the cabinets with the Interact tool.

The second chapter covers how to create a kitchen using pictures and images to share ideas with the client. You will also learn how to create a material from an existing picture. Preparing scenes that can enhance the design and help to work easily reaching different views are other topics of this chapter.

Chapter 3 and 4 show plug-in and how to create your own dynamic components that allow to customize your design and optimize your performance. The reader will also learn how to create a dynamic component able to list different materials, show different prices according to the finish material, varying different quantities of shelves inside a cabinet, change handle sides, and of course have different size options.

If you are the type of designer that enrich your imagination looking in magazines for others’ ideas, or may be adding an island in an existing kitchen, you will learn how to take a photograph and create a 3D model of the entire room starting from that picture. Scaling the image, inserting new elements and matching the existing photo are the main topics of chapter 5.

Designing Kitchens with SketchUp by Adriana Granados

As kitchen designers can not set them apart of working with patterns, seamless materials and tiles, Designing Kitchens with SketchUp will teach you the best practices to create new materials and how to avoid falling into big file sizes

Chapter 7 and 8 will teach you how to prepare your construction documents, how to insert texts and dimensions, manage scales, tips and tricks to print getting the best quality investing less time, and how to complement SketchUp with Layout.

A quick exploration adding lighting effects to designs with freeware and shareware alternatives will complete the knowledge you need to succeed in your daily professional life.

The book is available in Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. The PDF format can be purchased in http://nextcad.net/sketchup-interior-design-book.html

You can look inside - http://issuu.com/pupchen

Contact email: adrianagranados@nextcad.net