Is There an Ellipse Tool in SketchUp?

If you are a SketchUp user, you may have wondered whether there is an ellipse tool available in the software. Ellipses are essential for creating accurate and realistic drawings, and having a dedicated tool can save you time and effort. In this article, we will explore the options available in SketchUp for drawing ellipses.

The Circle Tool

While SketchUp does not have a specific ellipse tool, it does offer a circle tool that can be used to create elliptical shapes. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but by manipulating the dimensions of the circle, you can easily create an ellipse.

To draw an ellipse using the circle tool:

Select the circle tool from the toolbar or use the shortcut key ‘C’.
Click on the desired starting point for your ellipse.
Drag the cursor away from the starting point to define the size of your circle.
Now comes the trick: instead of directly typing in a value for the radius, type in two different values separated by a comma. For example, if you want your ellipse to have a major axis of 10 units and a minor axis of 5 units, enter ‘10,5’.
Press Enter to create your ellipse!

Note: The values you enter represent half of the major and minor axes respectively. So if you want your ellipse to be perfectly symmetrical with both axes measuring 10 units, you would enter ‘5,5’.

Tips for Creating Ellipses

1. Locking Axes:

To ensure that your ellipse stays aligned with the axes, you can use the arrow keys to lock movement along a specific axis. For example, to draw a horizontally aligned ellipse, press the right or left arrow key after defining the first point.

2. Scaling Ellipses:

If you want to resize an existing ellipse, simply select it with the Select tool and use the Scale tool. Click and drag one of the scale handles while holding down the Shift key to maintain proportions.

Plugins for Ellipses

While SketchUp’s native circle tool can handle most ellipse-drawing needs, there are also several plugins available that provide additional functionality:

Ellipse by Center Point: This plugin allows you to draw ellipses by specifying the center point, major axis length, and minor axis length.
Oval Tool: The Oval Tool plugin provides an easier way to draw ellipses by directly specifying the major and minor axes without having to manipulate circles.

Both of these plugins can be found in SketchUp’s Extension Warehouse and installed with just a few clicks.

In Conclusion

Although SketchUp does not have a dedicated ellipse tool, you can create elliptical shapes using the circle tool by manipulating its dimensions. By knowing this workaround and utilizing plugins like ‘Ellipse by Center Point’ or ‘Oval Tool’, you can expand your capabilities when it comes to drawing accurate ellipses in SketchUp.

Remember to practice and experiment with different techniques until you feel comfortable creating ellipses in SketchUp. With time and experience, you will be able to incorporate realistic elliptical shapes into your designs effortlessly!