FREE COURSE

SketchUp Setup Essentials: Configure Your Workspace

Free course · 5 lessons · 1 hour

A course to help you get your SketchUp setup dialed in—whether you’re just getting started or tightening up an existing workspace.

SketchUp Setup Essentials is a short, focused course designed to help you start with a cleaner setup and stronger fundamentals. You’ll customize your workspace, improve navigation, and learn the core drawing tools you’ll use on every project.

If SketchUp feels a little awkward, cluttered, or harder than it should be, this course will help you get things organized so the software works better for you from the beginning.

→ The focus is practical: a clean setup, better control, and a stronger foundation for everything that comes next.

SketchUp Setup Essentials

Configure Your Workspace

5 Lessons | 1 Hour

Start learning

Who this is for

→ This course is designed for SketchUp users who want a better setup and a smoother start.

This course is for you if:

You’re brand new to SketchUp and want to set things up the right way
You’ve opened SketchUp before but still feel a little clunky or unsure
You want a cleaner workspace and better navigation before moving into bigger projects
You’d like a simple introduction to the core tools used in almost every model

Great fit for:

Interior designers
Architects and students
Contractors and remodelers
Design-build professionals
Educators and students
Anyone who wants a stronger SketchUp foundation before moving into deeper training

What you’ll be able to do

→ The goal is to help you set up SketchUp in a way that feels easier to use, easier to navigate, and easier to build with.

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

Choose the right template and organize toolbars so SketchUp opens ready to work
Navigate with more confidence using orbit, pan, zoom, and essential shortcuts
Use key drawing tools like Line, Rectangle, and Push/Pull to create accurate 2D and 3D geometry
Keep models organized with groups and components for easier editing
Adjust settings for Mac or PC to better match how you like to work

Meet Your Teacher

Hi, I'm Dan

and all in-person workshops and live webinars are led by me.

I’m the founder of SketchUpTrainer.com
—an educator, designer, and (last but not least) a SketchUp expert.

15+ years of experience as a SketchUp trainer & consultant
10 years teaching SketchUp at the college level
Trained thousands of architects, designers, and contractors
Since 2007, I’ve been helping professionals master 3D modeling, streamline their workflows, and bring complex projects to life.

"My approach is interactive and project-based—simple and dependable—focused on clean models, reliable workflows, and client-ready visuals.

I put a strong emphasis on foundational skills, because in design and architecture, everything depends on a strong foundation."

Course overview

Lesson 1 – Set Up Your SketchUp Workspace

Pick a template, arrange toolbars, and adjust preferences so your workspace supports how you model.

Lesson 2 – Navigate SketchUp with Confidence

Use orbit, pan, zoom, and keyboard shortcuts to move through your model more smoothly.

Lesson 3 – Draw and Build in 3D

Work with the Line, Rectangle, and Push/Pull tools to create precise, editable geometry.

Lesson 4 – Organize with Groups and Components

Structure your model so parts stay separate, easy to select, and simple to update.

Lesson 5 – Tailor SketchUp for Mac or PC

Apply OS-specific settings and shortcuts so SketchUp fits your machine and workflow.

What’s included / how it works

→ This course is designed to give you a fast, practical win—so you can get your setup right and move forward with more confidence.

With this course, you get:

5 focused lessons
A short, structured learning path that helps you get your SketchUp workspace and basic tools dialed in.
A practical foundation
Learn the setup, navigation, and modeling basics that support everything else you do in SketchUp.
A simple next step
Once your setup is in place, you’ll be in a much better position to move into project-based courses and more advanced workflows.

SketchUp Setup Essentials gives you a solid start:

a clean workspace, core tools, and better control over your models.

The next step is having a place to keep building on that foundation—through project-based courses and ongoing support.

Your SketchUp Trainer Learning Pass

Choose monthly if you want flexibility. Choose yearly if you want ongoing support and the best value.

Monthly Access

$49 per month

Full access to the SketchUp Course Library
Live Project Clinics twice per month
A private Community Hub to ask questions
Downloadable templates, files, and tools
All new course updates included

Cancel anytime (you’ll keep access through the end of your billing period).

Join monthly

Yearly Access

$349 per year

Everything in the Monthly Access
24+ Project Clinics across the year
A year of ongoing support
A full year to improve your SketchUp workflow
Best if you want steady practice, consistent support, and space to grow into more advanced workflows over the course of a year.

Join yearly