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Creating a 2D Face Me Tree in Google SketchUp

Creating a 2D Face Me Tree in Google SketchUp

TUTORIAL

Creating a 2D Face Me Tree in Google SketchUp – Tutorial by Eric Lay

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Created by Created by Eric Lay.

In this tutorial we’re going to create a 2D Face Me tree in Google SketchUp.

01

INTRODUCTION

ericlay

Eric Lay

2dtree_420x2001

To be able to follow this tutorial you will need some basic drawing skills and Google SketchUp. You will create a simple 2D Face Me Tree in a few easy steps.

Left: Starting With an Imported Image.

Bottom: The Finished 2D Face Me Tree.

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Step 1/4

Inserting an Image
&
Tracing the Image

  1. Click the Orbit Orbit tool and orbit so that the Blue Axis is vertical and the Green and Red Axis are horizontal. This will ensure you insert your image vertically.
  2. Import an image. In this example we are using a tree sketch. Click File > Import. Browse to the desired image file. Then click Open.
  3. Click once to place the image. Click a second time to define the image size.
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  1. Turn on X-ray view. Click View > Face Style > X-ray.
  2. Click the Arc Arc tool and start tracing the image. You will probably need to use the Line Line tool as well.
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Step 2/4

Finishing the Tree Tracing
&
Moving and Coloring

  1. Finish tracing the tree outlines.
  2. Delete the imported image as it is no longer needed. Click the Select Select tool then context-click the image and select Erase.
  3. Turn off X-ray. Click View > Face Style > X-ray.
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  1. Click the Select Select tool. Select all the connecting geometry by clicking three times rapidly. Now click the Move Move tool and click the base of the tree to start moving the geometry, then click the axis origin to place the tree. We will use the axis origin as the center of rotation for the Face Me feature of Google SketchUp.
  2. Click the Paint Bucket Paint Bucket tool, select your colors and paint your tree.
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Step 3/4

Creating the Component
&
Setting the Component Axis

  1. Click the Select Select tool and select all the connecting geometry. Context-click the tree and click Make Component.
  2. Name the component whatever you wish. Make sure the Glue to field is set to None. Click the Always face camera check box. The Shadows face sun check box will automatically check itself.
  3. Click the Set Component Axis button and then follow the next step.
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  1. Click the Axis Origin.
  2. Click the Red Axis.
  3. Click the Green Axis.
  4. After setting the Component axis the Create Component window will reappear. Click Create.
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Step 4/4

Finished 2D Face Me Tree

Your 2D Face Me tree is now complete.

End of this tutorial.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 at 7:53 PM and is filed under All, Authors, Beginner, Education, Eric Lay, Google SketchUp, Modeling, Tutorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Creating a 2D Face Me Tree in Google SketchUp”

  1. Asuka Jr. says:
    December 7, 2009 at 2:36 PM

    This is so that you can have simple trees that fill the space of where trees would be in a render of a building, but that would always stay facing the camera during rotations so it would stay looking like a tree, right?

    Asuka

  2. Eric Lay says:
    December 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM

    Correct

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