Creating 2D Floor Plans in SketchUp
Imagine there’s a project you’re keen to get going on. You want to get the essential bare bones of the plan, the 2D floor plan, drawn quickly and simply, then dive into the detail. You want the 2d drawing to reflect your vision exactly, with the right proportions and relationships. The drawing has to meet creative needs, and be practical too. When the thing you’re designing is going to be built in the real world, you need a solid foundation to build it on.
SketchUp is a powerful 3D modelling tool, a brilliant way to create fast and beautiful designs. It’s just as good at creating 2D plans. You’ll find every aspect of the software quick and easy, a professional-looking way to draw 2d floor plans, elevations, and every other two-dimensional element. Because it’s famously user-friendly, you’ll be making perfect 2D drawings in almost no time. Add the fact that SketchUp Layout converts 3D models into 2D plans and you can see why it’s such a cool tool.
A quick word about the free version. SketchUp floor plan free software has all the basics you need to find out about the way the programme works. You can create all sorts of things and enjoy a great choice of features and capabilities. SketchUp Pro gives you loads more. It’s packed with extras, a one-stop-shop for almost everything you want to do in 2d or 3d.
Next we’ll give you step by step instructions on how to create basic 2D floor plans in SketchUp.
How to Create a SketchUp Floor Plan
Here’s our simple step by step 2D floor plan creation guide.
First, open a 2D template. You’ll want to use the plan / top down view from the SketchUp dropdown list of predefined 2D templates. Once you’re in the top down plan view, you can draw the floor. Your floor might be based on measurements you’ve made or been given, or taken from an existing drawing.
Next, use SketchUp’s floor plan software basic drawing tools to draw the floor. You’ll want to use the rectangle and line tools, both great for fast, easy floor plans. It’s really easy to define the dimensions, and you can zoom in and out of your floor plan using the mouse wheel.
Now, draw the exterior walls. This is your chance to get familiar with the offset tool, a really easy way to make realistic walls fast.
Then create the doorway openings. You can either use the tape measure tool to set-up guidelines and dimensions / locations of the doorways, or add doorways to your exterior walls on the top down plan.
TIP: Use grouping to help you with the ongoing design. Groups in LayOut keep related elements of a design organised inside your drawing area. Grouping things together makes it so much easier to choose and copy multiple design elements at the same time. If you know you always want to use a shape and text box together, for example, make them into a group to save time moving them around. For the same reason, it’s also a good idea to give the exterior walls their own layer.
Next, draw the interior walls. Again, use the tape measure tool to create the right guides and dimensions. Use the rectangle tool to draw wall sections, and the erase tool to rub out unnecessary edges, for example interior doorways. Remember to collect all your interior walls into one group once you’ve finished them, and give this group its own layer to help you work even more efficiently.
Here’s when you can make a 3D model based on what you’ve drafted so far. It’s always an exciting moment bringing even the simplest drawing to 3d life.
Next, add the windows and doors. Either make your own custom components or use premade door and window components. Since this is a guide to creating a floor plan, you might want to focus on pre-made components for now.
Once the room is complete, you can add furniture and fixtures components. The popular SketchUp 3D warehouse is a brilliant source of everything from chairs and tables to lamps and floor coverings, house plants and TVs. It’s also stacked with great 2D components to play with.
Now you’re ready to style your 2D layout before importing it into Layout, where you use it as the basis of an exciting 3D model design.
