Creating a tube in SketchUp can be a useful skill to have, whether you’re designing a piece of furniture or visualizing a plumbing system. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the steps of making a tube in SketchUp, so let’s get started!
Step 1: Draw a Circle
To start off, select the “Circle” tool from the toolbar or press “C” on your keyboard. Click once to set the center point of your circle and then move your cursor to define the radius. Click again to create the circle.
Step 2: Extrude the Circle
With the circle still selected, go to the “Push/Pull” tool in the toolbar or press “P” on your keyboard. Click on the face of the circle and drag it upwards or downwards to extrude it into a cylinder shape.
Step 3: Create Another Circle
Select the “Circle” tool again and draw another circle parallel to the first one. This will represent the inner diameter of our tube.
Step 4: Connect Circles
Use the “Line” tool from the toolbar or press “L” on your keyboard to connect corresponding points on both circles. This will create a curved surface connecting both circles.
Step 5: Erase Unwanted Geometry
Select and delete any unwanted lines or faces that were created during step 4. This will leave you with a hollow tube shape.
Tips:
- Create Guides: Use construction lines as guides to help you accurately position and connect points on different circles.
- Use Follow Me: Instead of connecting circles manually, you can use the “Follow Me” tool to create the tube shape. Simply draw a circle and then select the “Follow Me” tool. Click on the circle and then move your cursor along the path you want the tube to follow.
- Adjusting Tube Thickness: To change the thickness of your tube, you can either scale it up or down using the “Scale” tool or use the “Offset” tool to create a smaller or larger inner circle.
Now that you know how to make a tube in SketchUp, you can apply this technique to various projects and designs. Experiment with different shapes and sizes to create custom tubes that suit your needs. Happy modeling!