SketchUp Drawing Formula

SKETCHUP DRAWING FORMULA

Create Detailed, Accurate & Attractive Architectural Drawings in Sketchup

An online video course to help you create every architectural drawing you will ever need, using a simple and affordable piece of software that you likely already own.

This is your roadmap to a powerful documentation system for a fraction of the cost of ‘BIG BIM’ software.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?

  • Your stuck in 2D CAD!… It is exhausting having to manually track every design change across multiple, unconnected drawings. However you have invested so much time and effort into setting up your current software just the way I like it, to start again from scratch would be a nightmare.

  • You want to get into BIM but don’t know where to start or which package is right for your practice.

  • You feel frustrated by high-priced, overly complex BIM programs and the time it takes to learn to use them effectively.
  • You are fed up of being bullied by the ‘big BIM’ software companies and forced into producing drawings that look the way that THEY want, rather than what you actually need.

  • You’ve used SketchUp in the past but only for design work, before starting again in a different package, effectively doubling up your work AND paying for multiple software licenses.

  • You’ve tried learning SketchUp online before but the quality of YouTube videos varies so widely, and the techniques taught don’t always apply to the type of projects you are working on.

'SKETCH UP IS FUN AND EVERYTHING BUT YOU CANT DO PROPER DRAWINGS WITH IT...'

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard somebody say this, I would be giving away this course for free!

SketchUp is designed to look quite simple and is generally quite intuitive to use. However beneath the surface it is actually an extremely complex and powerful program that can produce amazing looking work at surprising speeds.

WHAT IF YOU COULD..

  • REGAIN CONTROL OF YOUR OUTPUT
    Produce drawings that look the way YOU want them to.



  • ELIMINATE REPEAT WORK
    Use the same software package from start to finish on any project. Produce results quickly and effectively using a proven, streamlined process.

  • ESCAPE FROM EXPENSIVE SOFTWARE LICENSES
    SketchUp Pro currently costs around US$300 per year and as a SKALA student you will  receive an additional 10% off the purchase price.
  • BUILD UPON YOUR EXISTING SKETCHUP SKILLS
    No need to spend hours learning another completely new software package, simply make more of what you already know.

  • LEARN SKILLS SPECIFIC TO YOUR NEEDS
    Produce complete sets of quality drawings for every stage of your  workflow, from Schematic Design right up to Construction Documentation.

  • UTILISE YOUR EXISTING RESOURCES
    All those years of hard work needn’t go to waste, you can re-use all of your 2D CAD blocks, standard notes and drawing sheet templates to produce dynamic 2D drawings from your 3D model.

By leveraging the power and flexibility of SketchUp Pro and its sister package Layout, I can show you how to build systems and put processes in place that will give you back your time, and save you thousands of dollars along the way.

Our courses are designed specifically to address the needs of a busy architect’s office and we will show you, step-by-step, how to produce all of the drawings and graphics you will ever need in your practice.

HIGH QUALITY COURSE CONTENT

Lifetime access to 52 informative and actionable video tutorials. Learn at your own pace and in your own time, from any device.

SUPPORT MATERIAL

Every lesson includes relevant examples from real life architectural projects, as well as downloadable resources and templates files so that you can start implementing our system right away.

MONTHLY LIVE OFFICE HOURS

Join your instructor and fellow students on regular live workshops and Q&A sessions to further deepen your knowledge and understanding of this comprehensive system

LEARNING COMMUNITY

Access our vibrant, private online community for support and guidance from both our knowledgeable, experienced instructors and your fellow SKALA students from around the globe.

BONUS - All SKALA Drawing Formula Students are entitled to a 10% discount on any SketchUp Pro purchase!!

The SKALA SketchUp Drawing Formula is a proven and efficient methodology, including pre-made templates and sample files that will save you literally hundreds of office hours, and get you up and running with SketchUp & Layout in no time

Expect to produce drawings like these using just SketchUp & Layout:

Course Curriculum

WHAT MAKES SKALA DIFFERENT?

  • UNRIVALLED SUPPORT
    Unlike others who might promise support but don’t follow through. We genuinely want to help you make the transition to SketchUp and Layout successfully, and we will help you every step of the way.

  • NO NONSENSE TEACHING STYLE
    We like to keep things simple. We will teach you everything you need to know, and nothing that you don’t. Our lessons are short and easy to digest, but packed with value.

  • ACTION FOCUSSED
    You don’t need more information, you need an action plan and this is it. Every lesson is laser-focussed with actionable steps to help you get to where you need to be, fast.
  • PROVEN TECHNIQUES
    We don’t teach theory. Every lesson and every technique we will teach you has been tried and tested on real architectural projects, and is the result of years of refinement.

  • YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
    Sure, you could spend the next 12 months searching through YouTube videos or sign up to a $29 program somewhere, just don’t be surprised if you are underwhelmed by the results.




Meet Mark Gregory

Course Instructor

Mark Gregory is a practicing Architect successfully running his own small residential design practice on the back of his flexible, efficient and cost-effective SketchUp workflow. He has worked for numerous other architecture firms, both large and small, and has experience in pretty much every software and drafting package used in the industry today.

When setting out on his own Mark chose to invest his time and money in SketchUp, and subsequently has developed practices, methods and templates that allow him to replicate the systems and processes available in larger BIM programs, but at a fraction of the cost and in much less time.

What Our Students Are Saying...

‘This course has been life changing for me…
It is so time-saving and effective that it pays for itself over and over again’

Jennifer Crawford

Architect – Our New Home Coach

‘If you really want to clarify, simplify and enjoy the design workflow then SketchUp & Layout with the Drawing Formula is as good as it gets’

Tom Hughes

Passive House Designer

"As a long time SketchUp user the SKALA lessons have helped me get over my fear of even launching the LayOut app.

It makes sense to me now with simple workflows between the two apps. 

Ideas such as having a 2D version of a 3D object hidden in a component were a revelation for me, to finally understand how I can make LayOut a usable tool." 



John Ellway

Architect
jellway.com

"The course content was fantastic and was very well presented. 

It has demonstrated to me that Sketchup Pro (with Layout) is a great software package and very suitable for use by an architects on small to medium sized projects. 

This is the first time that i have come across training material on Sketchup that is very specifically geared towards architects their workflow requirements - from concept through to
construction documents." 

Richard Hindle

Director
Concept Architects

"I’m really glad I did this course!  

It has given me the knowledge to create great looking construction drawings from a Sketchup model…plus more!

You were so generous with your time spent interacting with students, and answering any questions along the way.

Highly recommended, thank you Mark!"



Stuart Patrick

Building Designer
Stuart J Patrick & Assoc.

GET STARTED WITH THE SKETCHUP DRAWING FORMULA TODAY

  • Lifetime Access to the Course
  • All course files including SketchUp Models, Styles, Textures & Layout Templates
  • Monthly Live Office Hours
  • Private Dedicated Course Community (Not on Facebook)

BONUS: 10% off  SketchUp Pro License Purchase

Basic Course

$297

Choose to pay upfront or in three monthly installments of $99

Frequently Asked Questions

I am not an architect. Are you courses suitable for me?

Yes. The focus of our courses is certainly on building design but the techniques we teach and the templates we provide are equally applicable to many other fields, such as: Interior Design, Product Design, Furniture Design & Joinery and even Landscape Architecture.

I use a Mac, am I still able to take your online courses?

All of our online courses are delivered using the Mac version of SketchUp. While the interface is largely the same on both the PC and Mac versions, where there are differences we make every effort to point them out during the lesson.

I am a complete beginner and I have never used SketchUp before, where should I start?

 Firstly it is important to understand that SketchUp is one of the quickest and easiest modelling packages to learn. Indeed, somebody with AutoCAD experience for example will find the transition to SketchUp pretty straightforward. Our free Quick Start Guide course should also help fill in some of the blanks.

However, these are intermediate level courses and if really are just starting out then I would recommend SketchUp’s own Fundamentals courses, either online or in-person if you can find one near where you live. Once you have grasped the basics, come back and join us!

The course is quite expensive, is it worth it?

Sometimes you do have to speculate to accumulate, and this training should easily pay for itself in a very short time.

If you look at comparing SketchUp to some other software packages...
Even if you are currently only using AutoCAD 2D, switching to SketchUp will save you a staggering $2230 EVERY YEAR, and if you are already on Revit that figure goes up to $2805 per year. If you employ staff and you are running more than one license… well, the numbers start to get crazy, and that’s before you factor in the cost of your time saved by running a more agile and streamlined process.

Cant I just teach myself all this stuff?

You probably could. Just head over to YouTube and I am sure you will find thousands of SketchUp tutorials. Various books about SketchUp are available too. However it could take you months to sift through all of this information to find what you really need, and then you still have to try and fit it all together into a coherent system for your office.

What our courses provide is a proven process and a structured learning path that is specifically tailored to your needs as an architect. We will teach you the best modelling practices and organisation techniques that are optimised for architectural output, because we have already done all of the trial and error for you.

I don’t have a lot of time to spend learning new software. How long is this going to take?

The online video tutorials should take about 7-8 hours to complete if you were to watch them back to back.. which we wouldn’t recommend doing. We normally suggest working through them in smaller chunks, perhaps a module at a time, and then allowing yourself time to practice or, ideally, to try and implement your new skills on a project you are currently working on.

Once you get started with SketchUp and Layout, you might find that time becomes less of an issue anyway because it is just so much fun.. it can become addictive!

Can these techniques be used for large complex buildings?

Certainly. The techniques we teach in our online courses can be applied to any building type or scale.

The only thing holding you back really would be whether or not your computer can handle the larger file sizes and the increased polygon counts, though this would be the case for any 3D modelling software you might choose. SketchUp files actually tend to me a lot smaller than some other BIM file types because they contain less complex data.

Do I have to purchase SketchUp Pro or can I use the free version?

The free version of SketchUp is a great place to get started and to familiarise yourself with the software, but, in order to fully utilise the techniques outlined in our courses you will need to switch to the paid (pro) version which will give you access to the SketchUp’s powerful sister program: Layout.

However, as an approved training partner for SketchUp Australia, we are able to offer an exclusive discount on the price of any SketchUp purchase to students enrolled on any of our online courses.

How long do I have to access the video tutorials once I purchase the course?

All of our courses come with unlimited lifetime access from the date of purchase.. so you can take as long as you like to work through them.

What if I am unhappy with the course?

We want you to be happy. If for whatever reason the course is simply not for you, contact us in the first 30 days and we will arrange a full refund.

PERSONAL NOTE

Here at SKALA studio we are really proud of our online courses.

We are architects and we have families too. We know first hand the challenges of starting and running an architectural practice which is why we are determined to help our students not just make more money, but to have more fun too.

We wont just show you how to use SketchUp, we will teach you the philosophy behind it, how to approach each new project with a clear plan in place and how to leverage your hard work to make future projects even easier.