SketchUp on the Desktop

To get started, we need to install SketchUp, a program that allows us to create 3D objects, and a few extensions that will help us print our creations.

When creating a 3D object on the computer, it is possible (and very easy) to create objects that are "impossible" in real life (imagine a balloon with a hole in it). Luckily, SketchUp users have created a few extensions that show us problems in our designs before we try to print them. Solid Inspector² is one of those extensions.

The second extension, SketchUp STL, will give us a file that we can print.

1. Download SketchUp here, or open it SketchUp Logo if already installed.
2. Download the Solid Inspector² extension, and the Sketchup STL exporter to a known location. The first will make sure your file is printable, and the second will allow you to export your 3D file as an .stl, which you will need later.
   
   

   Installing extensions in SketchUp 2016
   1. To install the extensions, open SketchUp then click the "Window" menu up top
   2. Click "Preferences"
   3. Click "Extensions" on the left
   4. Click "Install Extensions"
   5. Navigate to the location of Solid Inspector², then click open and click OK a few times
   6. Complete steps 1–5 for Sketchup STL