SketchUp Foundations:

From Setup to a Repeatable Workflow

2-Day In-Person Workshop

This hands-on, small-group SketchUp workshop is designed for beginners and self-taught users who want more than a tour of the tools.

Over two focused days, you’ll learn how to set up SketchUp properly, model accurately, organize your work, create useful views, and develop a repeatable workflow you can carry into real projects.

We’ll still cover the essential SketchUp tools and fundamentals—but always in context. The goal isn’t simply to learn more commands. It’s to understand how the pieces fit together so SketchUp becomes easier, cleaner, and more dependable when you get back to your own work.

You’ll leave with a stronger foundation, a clearer process, reusable practice files, 12 professional development/contact hours, a Certificate of Completion, and 12 months of the SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass.

Early Bird pricing: $645 through September 18, 2026. Regular price: $795.

Workshop at a glance

Format: 2-day, in-person SketchUp workshop
Dates: Thursday–Friday, October 22–23, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM ET both days
Location: Racquet Club of Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia
Best for: Beginners and self-taught / early-intermediate SketchUp users
who want a stronger foundation and a more repeatable workflow
Education hours: 12 professional development/contact hours
Certificate: Certificate of Completion included
Bonus: 12 months of the SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass included
Class size: Small-group format with hands-on guidance and real-time feedback

What you’ll be able to do in 2 days

The goal isn’t just to learn SketchUp’s tools. It’s to build a strong foundation and a repeatable way of working that you can carry into every project.

By the end of SketchUp Foundations, you’ll be able to:

Set up SketchUp Pro and customize your workspace for real projects
Navigate, select, draw, and model accurately and confidently
Use core tools including Line, Rectangle, Arc, Push/Pull, Offset, Move, and Tape Measure
Understand when and why to use Groups and Components
Build cleaner models that are easier to edit later
Import drawings and reference information and establish a reliable starting point
Organize your model using Tags, naming, visibility, and model structure
Create useful Scenes and views you can return to as the project develops
Make changes without losing control of the model
Create reusable Components, setups, and habits that save time on future projects
Understand how SketchUp connects to LayOut, visualization, rendering, and project deliverables
Develop a repeatable workflow you can apply to the kinds of projects you actually work on

There’s a difference when you learn in person. You’re not just watching a demonstration. You’re modeling, asking questions, fixing problems, and building better habits as you go.

Before the workshop

A 15-minute Discovery Call is included for every participant.

Before class, you’ll schedule a short one-on-one call with Dan to talk through:

what you currently use—or want to use—SketchUp for
the kinds of projects you work on
where you feel stuck or unsure
what you most want to get out of the workshop
specific questions or workflows you’d like to explore

You’re also welcome to send examples of your own work ahead of time.

That might include a SketchUp model, floor plan, PDF, CAD drawing, photograph, reference image, or simply an example of a workflow that has been giving you trouble.

The core Foundations curriculum stays the same for everyone, but these conversations and examples help shape the demonstrations, discussion, and Q&A around the real work happening in the room.

SketchUp Trainer is built around real-world application—not just learning more tools.

Throughout the workshop, we’ll connect what you’re learning to the way actual projects are started, built, organized, changed, and presented.

Who this is for

New to SketchUp—or using it but never feeling like you learned it properly?

This workshop gives you the fundamentals—and a clearer way to apply them to real projects.

This class is for you if:

You’re new to SketchUp and want to learn it the right way from the beginning
You’re self-taught and know there are gaps in your workflow
Your models become disorganized or difficult to edit
You’re unsure of the best way to start and structure a project
You want a clearer, more repeatable way to model, organize, and create views
You want in-person guidance, hands-on practice, and real-time feedback

Great fit for:

Interior designers
Architects and architecture students
Exhibition and experiential designers
Landscape designers
Contractors and design-build professionals
Educators and serious hobbyists

Rather than learning isolated techniques, we’ll work through a practical project workflow:

Reference → Model → Organize → Create Views → Revise → Prepare for What Comes Next

Day 1 – Set Up + Build the Right Foundation

Day 1 starts at the beginning and is completely approachable for new users.

We’ll build the essential skills you need to work confidently in SketchUp while establishing the habits that keep real projects clean and manageable.

Topics include:

Setting up SketchUp Pro and customizing your workspace
Navigation, selection, inference, measuring, and accuracy
Essential drawing tools: Line, Rectangle, Arc, Circle, and more
Creating and editing 3D forms with Push/Pull, Offset, Move, and related tools
Understanding loose geometry and building clean, editable models
Groups vs. Components—and why the difference matters
Basic model organization
Creating useful Styles and Scenes
Live practice, troubleshooting, and Q&A throughout the day

The goal for Day 1:
Learn the fundamentals while building the right habits from the beginning.

Day 2 – Turn the Foundation Into a Repeatable Workflow

On Day 2, we’ll take those fundamentals and apply them to the way real SketchUp projects develop.

Topics include:

Importing PDFs, drawings, images, and other project references
Establishing scale and creating a reliable base model
Organizing and structuring a model using Tags, Components, and visibility controls
Creating useful Scenes for working, presenting, and returning to important views
Making project changes and revisions without losing control of the model
Building reusable Components, starting points, and habits for future projects
Modeling from photographs and other reference information
Using extensions where they meaningfully improve the workflow
Understanding how the model connects to LayOut, rendering, visualization, and what comes next
Live troubleshooting using workshop exercises and participant examples

The goal for Day 2:
Move beyond knowing SketchUp tools and start developing a way of working you can repeat on your own projects.

Meet Your Teacher

Hi, I’m Dan

All in-person workshops and live SketchUp training are taught by me.

I’m the founder of SketchUpTrainer.com—an educator, designer, and SketchUp specialist who has spent more than 15 years helping professionals use SketchUp more effectively on real projects.

15+ years as a SketchUp trainer and consultant
10 years teaching SketchUp at the college level
Thousands of architects, designers, contractors, educators, and other professionals trained
Helping professionals master 3D modeling and improve their workflows since 2007

“My approach is interactive and project-based—simple, dependable, and focused on clean models, reliable workflows, and real-world application.

I put a strong emphasis on foundational skills because everything that happens later in a SketchUp project depends on the decisions you make at the beginning.”

What’s included

Your registration includes:

2 full days of in-person instruction, demonstrations, guided practice, and troubleshooting
A 15-minute pre-workshop Discovery Call with Dan
The opportunity to submit your own project examples or workflow questions before class
Downloadable practice files and workflows you can reuse
12 professional development/contact hours
Certificate of Completion
Live Q&A and individual feedback throughout the workshop
12 months of the SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass

Included Learning Pass

Your registration includes 12 months of the SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass ($349 value).

That gives you continued access to:

the full on-demand Course Library
the Community Hub
Project Clinics for ongoing support

The goal is for the workshop to be the beginning of better habits—not two days of information you forget as soon as you get home.

Requirements / What to bring

Your class essentials

Laptop + power cord (Mac or PC)
3-button scroll-wheel mouse — highly recommended
SketchUp Pro installed before class
Any project examples you’d like to discuss are welcome

This workshop is designed around the desktop version of SketchUp Pro for Mac or PC. It is not designed around SketchUp for iPad or SketchUp Go/web.

Location + travel details

Racquet Club of Philadelphia

215 S 16th Street
Center City Philadelphia

On-site lodging is available at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia.

The location is easily accessible by regional rail, Amtrak, SEPTA, and Philadelphia International Airport, making the workshop practical for both local attendees and participants traveling into Philadelphia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this workshop appropriate for complete beginners?
Yes. Day 1 starts with the fundamentals, so you do not need prior SketchUp experience. The difference is that the tools are taught as part of a larger real-world workflow rather than as disconnected exercises.

I already know some SketchUp. Will this be too basic?
Not necessarily. Many participants are self-taught or have used SketchUp for years without ever developing a consistent way of working. If you know the basic tools but still struggle with organization, workflow, or knowing the best way to build something, this workshop can help fill in those gaps.

Can I bring examples from my own projects?
Absolutely. Participants are encouraged to share models, drawings, PDFs, photographs, or workflow questions before the workshop. Your 15-minute Discovery Call gives us a chance to identify what you most want to address before you arrive.

Will we cover LayOut and rendering?
Yes, but within the context of the overall workflow. The workshop is primarily focused on building a strong SketchUp foundation, while also showing how your model connects to LayOut, presentation, rendering, and visualization.

What’s included with the SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass?
Your registration includes 12 months of the SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass, including the on-demand Course Library, Community Hub, and Project Clinics for continued support after the workshop.

Will the class be recorded?
No. This is a live, in-person workshop and will not be recorded. Your included Learning Pass gives you on-demand lessons and continued support after class.

Where is the workshop held?
The workshop is held at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia in Center City Philadelphia.

Do I receive a certificate?
Yes. Every participant receives a Certificate of Completion for 12 professional development/contact hours.