- Download PipeAlongPath.rb from Didier Bur's Ruby Script Library. Save it under the Plugins folder under your SketchUp installation directory.
- How to Install Sketchup Plugins. Once you’ve downloaded a.rb file from the interwebs save it to where sketchup can find it. By default that location is your Sketchup/Tools folder. In older versions of sketchup you’ll need to use your Sketchup/Plugins folder. After your file is in that folder, close and restart Sketchup.
SketchUpBIM: SketchUpBIM is a free plugin for Google SketchUp. It provides simple tools that make it easier to model buildings and engineering structures.
LTplus SketchUP Plugin: This plug-in lets you import DXF files into Google Sketch-up.
In this SketchUp plugin tutorial, we check out pipe along path - an extension designed to help you quickly generate pipes along paths in your SketchUp model!. Here's where the plugin is located, most plugins are located in the first post of their respective thread. To install you'll have to unzip to where ever you want, i'd choose your desktop. Now you'll have a folder containing the necessary files, moves these file(s) to Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins.
Driving Dimensions Plugin for SketchUp: Driving Dimensions is a plug-in for Google SketchUp that allows you to make parametric changes of any 3D model in very simple and intuitive way.
Maxwell for SketchUp: Maxwell for Google SketchUp offers users the benefits of advanced rendering.
IESVE SketchUp Plug-in: IESVE plug-in for SketchUp is a program that enables the direct transition of models for performance analysis within any of the tools: VE-Ware, VE-Toolkits VE-Gaia, VE-Pro.
WalkAbout3d SketchUp Plugin: This SketchUp plugin provides functions to directly copy your current SketchUp drawing directly into WalkAbout3d.
KeyShot plugin for SketchUp: KeyShot plugin for SketchUp is a program that links the 3D modeling application and KeyShot together, rather than putting KeyShot inside it.
LightUp: LightUp for SketchUp is a SketchUp plugin that adds realistic, realtime lighting to your sketchup models.
IMVU File Editor: IMVU File Editor is a SketchUp plugin that enables the weighting of clothing and accesories.
Raylectron: Raylectron is a simple and intuitive 3D rendering plugin for SketchUp. The plugin lets you transform your SketchUp model into a photorealistic render or animation.
Brighter3D: Brighter3D is a free rendering plugin that requires the previous installation of SketchUp 8.
FluidImporter for SketchUp: This application is a fast importer plugin for SketchUp. This plugin is written in C++ and can quickly import Wavefront .obj files into your SketchUp model.
SU Podium Plus: SU Podium Plus is a program that allows you to make beautiful, photo-realistic rendering of your SketchUp model.
Raylectron Textures Exporter: Raylectron Textures Exporter is a plug-in for Sketchup program. Export all the textures from a model to a directory.
Best Extensions For Sketchup
IDX Renditioner Express Free:: The IDX Renditioner Express Free 1.0 is a software plug-in program for users of Google’s SketchUp program offering them a quick one-click render for model adjustments and for online productions.
SketchUp ESRI Plug-in: This plug-in enables ArcGIS for SketchUp 6 professionals to create and visualize highly-detailed three-dimensional textured models based on their GIS data.
Shaderlight for SketchUp: Shaderlight for SketchUp is an interactive rendering plug-in to Google SketchUp that lets you create high quality images quickly and simply.
Artlantis Studio: Artlantis Studio is a 3D rendering program that allows to create high quality realistic renderings, QuickTime VR panoramas and QuickTime VR objects, to shoot film’s episodes and animation.
Render Plus 3D PDF: With the Render Plus Systems RPS 3D PDF Exporter software you can convert SketchUp files into 3D PDF files.
The SketchUp Follow Me tool () is the Pied Piper of 3D geometry: Follow Me leads a face along a path to create a 3D shape. The Follow Me tool does only one thing. However, it has a multitude of applications and enables you to draw complex 3D models with only a few clicks.
Here's where you find the Follow Me tool in SketchUp:
- Tools menu
- Edit toolbar
- Large Tool Set toolbar
- Tool palette (macOS)
In the following video, you see a quick demonstration of the Follow Me tool's many applications. Read the following sections for steps that walk you through modeling with Follow Me.
Table of Contents
Automatically extruding a profile with Follow Me
2d Pipe Fittings Cad Drawings
This method is the easiest and usually the preferred way to use the Follow Me tool. To extrude your face automatically, preselect the path using the Select tool. The Follow Me tool then follows the path along your selection. The following steps explain how the process works:
- Draw a profile of the face that you want to follow the path, like the yellow face shown in the figure. Make sure that this profile is approximately perpendicular to the path. Note that the profile doesn't need to be connected to the path. It just needs to be perpendicular. Tip: To keep your profile drawing perpendicular to your path, draw your profile on a face and then erase any edges you don't need.
- With the Select tool (), select the continuous set of edges that represent the path, also shown in the following figure.
- Select the Follow Me tool (). The edges remain selected.
- Click the profile that you created, and the surface is extruded automatically along your preselected path, as shown in the following figure.
Manually extruding a profile with Follow Me
Pipe Along Path Download
When you extrude a profile along a path manually, you do a bit more work but can control the direction the extrusion travels. Here's how the manual method works:
Driving Dimensions Plugin for SketchUp: Driving Dimensions is a plug-in for Google SketchUp that allows you to make parametric changes of any 3D model in very simple and intuitive way.
Maxwell for SketchUp: Maxwell for Google SketchUp offers users the benefits of advanced rendering.
IESVE SketchUp Plug-in: IESVE plug-in for SketchUp is a program that enables the direct transition of models for performance analysis within any of the tools: VE-Ware, VE-Toolkits VE-Gaia, VE-Pro.
WalkAbout3d SketchUp Plugin: This SketchUp plugin provides functions to directly copy your current SketchUp drawing directly into WalkAbout3d.
KeyShot plugin for SketchUp: KeyShot plugin for SketchUp is a program that links the 3D modeling application and KeyShot together, rather than putting KeyShot inside it.
LightUp: LightUp for SketchUp is a SketchUp plugin that adds realistic, realtime lighting to your sketchup models.
IMVU File Editor: IMVU File Editor is a SketchUp plugin that enables the weighting of clothing and accesories.
Raylectron: Raylectron is a simple and intuitive 3D rendering plugin for SketchUp. The plugin lets you transform your SketchUp model into a photorealistic render or animation.
Brighter3D: Brighter3D is a free rendering plugin that requires the previous installation of SketchUp 8.
FluidImporter for SketchUp: This application is a fast importer plugin for SketchUp. This plugin is written in C++ and can quickly import Wavefront .obj files into your SketchUp model.
SU Podium Plus: SU Podium Plus is a program that allows you to make beautiful, photo-realistic rendering of your SketchUp model.
Raylectron Textures Exporter: Raylectron Textures Exporter is a plug-in for Sketchup program. Export all the textures from a model to a directory.
Best Extensions For Sketchup
IDX Renditioner Express Free:: The IDX Renditioner Express Free 1.0 is a software plug-in program for users of Google’s SketchUp program offering them a quick one-click render for model adjustments and for online productions.
SketchUp ESRI Plug-in: This plug-in enables ArcGIS for SketchUp 6 professionals to create and visualize highly-detailed three-dimensional textured models based on their GIS data.
Shaderlight for SketchUp: Shaderlight for SketchUp is an interactive rendering plug-in to Google SketchUp that lets you create high quality images quickly and simply.
Artlantis Studio: Artlantis Studio is a 3D rendering program that allows to create high quality realistic renderings, QuickTime VR panoramas and QuickTime VR objects, to shoot film’s episodes and animation.
Render Plus 3D PDF: With the Render Plus Systems RPS 3D PDF Exporter software you can convert SketchUp files into 3D PDF files.
The SketchUp Follow Me tool () is the Pied Piper of 3D geometry: Follow Me leads a face along a path to create a 3D shape. The Follow Me tool does only one thing. However, it has a multitude of applications and enables you to draw complex 3D models with only a few clicks.
Here's where you find the Follow Me tool in SketchUp:
- Tools menu
- Edit toolbar
- Large Tool Set toolbar
- Tool palette (macOS)
In the following video, you see a quick demonstration of the Follow Me tool's many applications. Read the following sections for steps that walk you through modeling with Follow Me.
Table of Contents
Automatically extruding a profile with Follow Me
2d Pipe Fittings Cad Drawings
This method is the easiest and usually the preferred way to use the Follow Me tool. To extrude your face automatically, preselect the path using the Select tool. The Follow Me tool then follows the path along your selection. The following steps explain how the process works:
- Draw a profile of the face that you want to follow the path, like the yellow face shown in the figure. Make sure that this profile is approximately perpendicular to the path. Note that the profile doesn't need to be connected to the path. It just needs to be perpendicular. Tip: To keep your profile drawing perpendicular to your path, draw your profile on a face and then erase any edges you don't need.
- With the Select tool (), select the continuous set of edges that represent the path, also shown in the following figure.
- Select the Follow Me tool (). The edges remain selected.
- Click the profile that you created, and the surface is extruded automatically along your preselected path, as shown in the following figure.
Manually extruding a profile with Follow Me
Pipe Along Path Download
When you extrude a profile along a path manually, you do a bit more work but can control the direction the extrusion travels. Here's how the manual method works:
- Identify the path for your extrusion.
- Draw a face or profile that you want to follow the path. Make sure that this profile is perpendicular to the path. In the following figure, the profile is the half-moon shape and the path is around the blue shape.
- Select the Follow Me tool ().
- Click and drag the face that you created along the path. As you drag, touch the mouse pointer to the path you're following. SketchUp highlights the path in red, as shown in the figure. If your starting edge is not touching the profile, Follow Me starts extruding at that edge, not from the profile to that edge. If you need to start over, press Esc.
- Click to complete the Follow Me operation when you reach the end of the path.
Sketchup Free Tutorial
Modeling a lathed shape with Follow Me
You can use the Follow Me tool to mimic a lathe. Follow these steps:
- With the Circle tool (), draw a circle.
- With the Line, Arc, and Freehand tools, draw a cutaway of half of the final shape. You need to make sure the cutaway meets the following criteria, as shown in the figure:
- The cutaway forms a face. (Make sure all your arcs and lines connect.)
- The cutaway's face is perpendicular to the circle.
- The bottom of the cutaway (which will be the center of your final lathed shape) aligns with the center point of the circle.
- With the Select tool (), select the circle.
- Select the Follow Me tool () and click the face of the cutaway. Be patient. If your geometry is complex, this step can take a while to complete. After the processing is complete, the shaped object is displayed, as shown in the following figure.