Academic Catalog

HORT 60J: SKETCHUP FOR LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2026
Units: 3
Hours: 2.5 lecture, 1.5 laboratory per week (48 total per quarter)
Advisory: HORT 40.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Student will be able to prepare three dimensional landscape drawings using the sketchup program.
  • Student will be able to render a prepared drawing using the textures, colors and attributes available in the sketchup program.

Description

An overview and application of the SketchUp Pro software program to three-dimensional rendering for the landscape designer. Emphasizing the basics of drawing setup, creation, and editing, this course will teach designers how to turn a 2-D plan drawing into a 3-D model that illustrates their ideas in a photo-like rendering. Intended for students seeking a landscape design career or professionals upgrading their skills.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of three-dimensional drawing software in landscape design.
  2. Prepare drawings using the SketchUp Pro program.
  3. Render, edit, and manipulate drawings using SketchUp Pro.
  4. Export SketchUp Pro 3-D drawing into SketchUp Pro Layout 2-D version.

Course Content

  1. Three-dimensional drawing software in landscape design
    1. Software overview
    2. Uses and practical applications based on drawing type
    3. Limitations of the software
  2. Preparing landscape drawings
    1. Drawing tools
    2. Inserting models into drawing
    3. Navigating around the drawing
    4. Segregating drawing elements using layers
    5. Saving and opening drawings
  3. Rendering, editing, and manipulating drawings
    1. Rendering
      1. Adding material textures
      2. Adding shadows
      3. Adding topography
      4. Adding text and dimensions
    2. Editing
      1. Changing drawing elements
      2. Moving objects between layers
    3. Drawing manipulation
      1. Preparing components
      2. Importing via 3-D Warehouse
      3. Creating animations
      4. Exporting images and animations
      5. Printing and exporting drawings
      6. Exploring symbol and command libraries within the program and on the internet
  4. SketchUp Pro Layout
    1. Saving drawing to export
    2. Choosing paper size and format
    3. Adding information
    4. Drawing edits

Lab Content

  1. Practical training in the use of SketchUp Pro in preparing landscape designs for professional use
  2. Students are expected to practice and gain proficiency in the lab setting
  3. Lab content examples
    1. Drawing setup
    2. Creating a drawing using three-dimensional drawing tools
    3. Drawing rendering using materials and rendering settings
    4. Manipulating drawings using flyover and editing tools
      1. Changing layers and classes
      2. Adjusting views and perspectives of project
    5. Printing and exporting drawings
  4. Converting 3-D drawings into 2-D drawings

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. SketchUp Pro software (student purchased).
2. Student provided laptop computer with minimum system requirements to run software.
3. When taught as virtual/hybrid, on-going access to computer with email and internet access.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Preparing landscape design projects using SketchUp Pro software that demonstrate mastery of the program tools
Skills demonstrations in laboratory setting using the tools described in lecture and presentations

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture on the application of three-dimensional drawing for landscape design presentation
In-class presentation of drawing tools used to construct SketchUp Pro drawings
Discussions with the instructor and classmates in group settings regarding the use of the software and resolution of problems while using the program
In-class preparation of drawings using the SketchUp Pro software

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Tal, Daniel. Google SketchUp for Site Design: A Guide to Modeling Site Plans, Terrain and Architecture. 2009.

Although this text is older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, it remains a seminal text in this area of study and no newer editions exist.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Students will be required to work on drawing assignments outside of class, where they will prepare 2-D and 3-D drawings recreating scenes and plans typically found in landscape design.
  2. Assigned readings from course text and Trimble Inc. SketchUp Pro website publications.
  3. Classroom discussion and demonstrations in support of lecture and reading topics.

Discipline(s)

Ornamental Horticulture