SketchUp Tutorial: How to Model a Simple Window

In our last tutorial, we used a PDF floor plan of a small house to create a simple three-dimensional model of the walls with openings for the doors and windows in SketchUp. And, in a previous tutorial, we had created a 2D floor plan with symbols for windows and doors.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create simple 3D windows for our house model step by step. The techniques discussed will also include:

• How to create components and reuse them in your model.
• How to edit and apply a transparent texture.
• How to model a simple, double casement style window.
• How to model a simple double-hung window.

Let’s Get Started

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[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlRqHi3oP0[/embedyt]

We’ll begin with the double window in the bedrooms that is 48″ by 56″. Orbit your model and zoom in on the window in the left bedroom. Turn on X-Ray mode so that you can see the 2D plan.

Using the Rectangle tool, draw a rectangle over the window opening by clicking on the top left corner and then the bottom right corner.

Because we’re in X-Ray mode, it won’t look like anything is there. Double click inside the frame to select the face and attached edges.

Activate the Offset tool by selecting it from one of the toolbars or by hitting O. Click on the face with the Offset tool and drag towards the center. Without clicking, type 1″ and hit enter.

We now have a rectangle that represents the 1″ window frame. Click on the large face in the center of the window and delete it.

Activate the Push/Pull tool (P) and click on the face between the two edges of the frame. Push the frame towards the exterior side of the wall and type 6″ and hit enter. Or click on the back edge of the wall to set the thickness of the frame.

Triple-click on the frame and make it a group (right click + Make Group).

Now we’re going to create the center divider of the two windows. Activate the Tape Measure tool. Click on the vertical wall edge to the left or right of the window. Drag towards the center and set a guide on each side of the center divider.

Draw a rectangle for the center divider within the frame of the window. Then use the Push/Pull tool to extrude it 6″ to the back edge of the frame. Make it into a group and delete the guides.

Next , we’ll draw the frame of the window on the left. Use the rectangle tool to create a face on the left side of the window. Then offset the face by 2″. Delete the face in the center. Then extrude the frame back 2″. Make the frame into a group.

Now, we’ll create a plane for the glass. Activate the Rectangle tool (R). Zoom in closer to the window if it’s easier to see. Hover the cursor over the bottom left interior edge of the frame you just made until it finds the center point. Click and then drag up to the center point on the top right interior edge and click a second time.

Use the Push/Pull tool to extrude the face back .25″. Turn off X-Ray Mode.

Triple click on the face of the glass pane to select all of the faces and edges. Click on the Paint Bucket in the toolbar and then select “Glass & Mirrors” from the drop down.

Double click on the blue swatch in the middle of the top row. Use the slider to reduce the opacity of the swatch to 5%. Click on the Paint Bucket in the toolbar again. Then click on the glass pane to apply the material. Make a group of the glass pane.

Hold down the shift key and click on the window frame (not the wall frame) and the glass pane to select them both. Then right click and select Make Component. Name the component Window-4048-sub and click the Create button.

Activate the Move tool (M) and click on the bottom right corner of the window component. Drag back towards the exterior edge and enter 2″.

With the Move tool still active and the window component selected, click on the bottom left interior corner of the wall frame. Hold down the Option (Alt) key to create a copy and click a second time on the right corner of the center divider.

Hit your space bar to activate the Select tool (or click on the arrow in the toolbar). Select the wall frame, the center divider and both windows. Right-click to make them into a component. Call the component Window-4048.

Now we have a component that we can reuse in the other bedroom. Orbit the model so that you can see the opening in the bedroom on the right. Go to Window – Components to open the Components window.

You should see your Window-4048 component in the list. Click on it and then place the window into the opening.

Finally, we can add a simple trim to our window. The molding will have a .25″ reveal from the wall frame and 3.5″ wide. First, draw a rectangle over the entire window opening from corner to corner.

Then use the Offset tool to create a new rectangle offset .75″ inside the first rectangle. Delete the face between the two rectangles. Then double click on the outer rectangle to select all of its edges and delete those as well.

Next offset the face outward 3.5″. Delete the original face.

Use the Push/Pull tool to extrude the face out from the wall .5″. Then make the trim into a group. You can copy the group over to the window in the other bedroom using the Move tool or you can repeat these steps to create the second window trim.

You now know how to build a simple window component in SketchUp and reuse it in other parts of your model. You can follow these steps to build the window in the living room (copy the window to the dining room).

Let’s say that the window in the kitchen is going to be a double hung style window instead of the casement style windows we’ve been modeling. In this view, you can see my kitchen window with the 1″ frame already in place.

In this image of a simple double hung window, you can see there are two window panels and that the bottom panel is in front of the top panel. The panels also overlap by the thickness of their frame.

Use the tape measure tool to set a guideline at the vertical middle of the wall frame for the kitchen window. Then add two more guidelines 1″ above and 1″ below the first one.

Draw a rectangle from the top guideline down to create a face covering the bottom half of the opening. Offset the face 2″, delete the face in the center, and then use the Push/Pull tool to extrude the frame back 2″. Make it a group.

Using the method described for the bedroom windows, create the glass pane within the frame and apply the transparent material. Group the frame with the glass pane.

Activate the Move tool. Hold down the Option (Alt) key and make a copy of the window group with the bottom edge aligned to the bottom guide. Then move it back 2″ so it sits behind the bottom window. Turn the parts of your window into a component and add the trim.

Our final step for this tutorial is to create a new layer called Windows. Select each window (not the trim) and move it to the Windows layer (in the Entity Info window). Then create another new layer called Trim and move all of the trim onto that layer.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below. In our next tutorial, we will create simple door components for our model.

A full video tutorial is coming soon.