09. Sections

Step 1
	Use the section plane tool and as you hover over different surfaces you will see that it will snap to the plane of the surface.
Step 2
	For now align it to the gable end of the house.
Step 3
	When selected the plane will be blue, when it is not selected it will be orange. Make sure you have the plane selected.
Step 4
	Select the move tool, and clicking somewhere in the model to use as a reference point will allow you to move the section plane.
Step 5
	Aligning you view a little you can see the section from a perspective view.
Step 6
	Using the other two tools in the "Sections Palette" you can toggle on and off the section planes, as well as whether the planes are active or not.
Step 7
	For now leave the sections planes active and visible.
Step 8
	If you right click on the section plane itself you can select "align view".
Step 9
	If you zoom in now you will have a perspective section like this.
Step 10
	From the top menu select "Camera -> Parallel Projection".
Step 11
	Right click on the section and "align view" again.
Step 12
	Now if you zoom in you will see you have a traditional parallel section.
Step 13
	You can export this to CAD by choosing from the top menu "File -> Export -> 2D Graphic". Select AutoCAD format and ensure that in the "Options" "1:1" is selected so that scale will be retained.
Step 14
	If you want to export an image, follow the same steps but select a format such as "jpeg". In the options you can change the resolution of the image. Ideally you want this to be as high as possible, although the power of your graphics card may restrict you. I tend to have the long dimension as something like 5400 pixels.
Step 15
	Turn back on Perspective View again by choosing from the top "Camera -> Perspective". You should also delete the section plane at this point.
Step 16
	Select the whole house and make it into one component called "House".
Step 17
	Now go into the component editor and now insert a section longitudinally along the house. Move it so that it cuts through the window.
Step 18
	Outside of the component editor re-insert a section aligned to the gable end.
Step 19
	Move it into position as before.
Step 20
	You can now see that you have two section cuts active at once. This is only achievable in Sketchup by nesting section planes within components. Within any one level of component you can only have one active section cut, so if you wish to achieve something which shows two cuts it is sometimes necessary to next components within groups within further groups to enable you to enable all of the sections you want at the same time.