Walking through a Model

A great way to show off your model is to simulate walking through it. The following tools can help you take a virtual tour:

• Position Camera () – Activate to view your model at a height relative to the surface of your model.
• Look Around () – Lets you move the camera from side to side, sort of like turning your head.
• Walk () – Simulates walking through your model by moving the camera.

Positioning the camera

You can position the camera at a height above a specific point in your model or place the camera at a specific point, facing a specific direction.

To position the camera a specific point, follow these steps:

1. Activate Position Camera ().
2. Click a point in your model, and SketchUp places the camera's point of view at 5' 6" directly above the point you click.
3. To change the height, enter a new value using the Measurements box and press Enter.

If you want the camera to look at a specific object or in a specific direction within your model, position the camera by following these steps:

1. Select the Position Camera tool ().
2. Click and hold the mouse where you want to position the camera.
3. Drag the cursor to the point or object that you want the camera to display.
4. Type a new eye height in the Measurements box and press Enter.

After using the Position Camera tool, SketchUp automatically activates Look Around (). You can also activate the Look Around tool by selecting the tool itself. When activated, Look Around simulates looking at your model from a certain height. You can adjust that height at any time using the Measurements box.

To do some actual looking around, click and drag the Look Around cursor left, right, up, or down - whichever way you'd like to turn your simulated head.

You can also use the Walk tool after positioning your camera.

To walk through your model:

1. Select the Walk tool ().
2. Click and drag the cursor to start walking. A small crosshair appears where you click, and the farther you drag your mouse cursor away from the crosshair, the faster you walk. You can also control your speed with modifier keys.
3. Move the cursor up, down, left, or right to move through your model. You can go up and down inclines or stairs while maintaining eye height. By default, collision detection is turned on, so you can't walk through walls; override collision detection with a modifier key.

While using the Walk tool, you can use the following modifiers to change how you are walking: