Interiors · Intermediate

Produce sections and elevations

How do I get section and elevation drawings out of a SketchUp model?

Place a Section Plane where you want the cut, set the camera to Parallel Projection, and choose the matching standard view. Save that combination as a scene. Then send the scenes to LayOut for annotation and dimensioning. Right-click a section plane and use "Create Group from Slice" when you need the cut outline as geometry.

Before you start

Draw walls from a traced plan

The native SketchUp method

Uses only what ships with SketchUp: Section Plane, Parallel Projection, Scenes, Create Group from Slice, LayOut. No extension required.

Place the section plane Tools > Section Plane, click the face whose axis you want, then move it to the cut position.
Switch to parallel projection Camera > Parallel Projection. Without this, a "section" still has perspective and cannot be scaled.
Set the standard view Camera > Standard Views to look square at the cut.
Save a scene Add a scene so the section plane, camera, style, and tag visibility are all recorded together.
Slice for geometry Right-click the section plane and use Create Group from Slice when you need the cut line as real edges.
Send to LayOut Insert the SketchUp file into LayOut, pick the scene per viewport, and set a drawing scale.

Where this usually goes wrong

• Leaving the camera in Perspective, which makes the drawing unscalable.
• Not saving a scene, so the exact section setup is lost the moment you orbit.
• Expecting hatched poché from native section planes — that needs a style, LayOut, or an extension.

Native method vs extension

Comparison of the native SketchUp method and extension options for Produce sections and elevations
Native method	Section Plane plus Parallel Projection, saved as scenes and annotated in LayOut.
What it costs you	Fully capable and included with Pro; hatching and line weights take manual setup.
Extension option	Curic Section adds hatching, poché, and multi-section management inside SketchUp.
Worth it when	You issue detailed sections regularly and the manual hatching cost is adding up.

Extensions to consider

Options, not requirements. Facts last checked 28 August 2026.

Curic Section Paid · Curic

Produces detailed 2D sections and elevations from the model, adding the hatching, poché, and line control that a native section plane alone does not give you.
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Part of these project paths

Design a room — Furnish and finish an interior, then get sections and elevations out of it.

Reviewed 28 August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know and we will recheck the source.