What is a "Level" in SketchUpBIM?

Levels in SketchUpBIM are synonymous to Floors in a building. Level is used to define the elevation of floors. Once a level is defined, it allows the users to add elements to that particular floor. These elements may be walls, columns and/or beams.

The Layers window is a very important part of the modeling experience, and is used intensively by SketchUpBIM for managing Levels. Clicking on “Layer0” displays the entire 3D model of the building in isometric projection. 

All Levels or floors of a building in SketchUpBIM are represented by their own explicit layers on the Layers window. Clicking on either of these Levels opens the plan view for that particular Level. Plan view makes it easy to add new walls, columns and beams. Keep in mind, that although you are currently drawing in plan view, actual elements are being created in true 3D. You can switch back to “Layer0” to view the complete model in 3D at any time.

In case of columns and walls, such elements are drawn from the elevation of a particular floor to the elevation of the floor below it. For instance, in the below example, a new Level is defined in SketchUpBIM with an elevation of 10 feet, and consequently a few walls are added to this level. These walls will extend from the floor elevation of 10 feet to the level below. The level below is the ground level, so these walls extend from the 10 feet elevation to the ground level. 

Now, in the below example, another level is added at 20 ft, and a few columns are added to this level. In this case, the columns extend from 20ft to the elevation of level below, ie 10 ft.

The other important point to note is that the elements drawn on a particular level “belong” to that particular level. This means, as a simple example, that if a particular level is deleted, then all elements (ie, walls, columns and beams) drawn on that level shall also be deleted automatically.

The SketchUpBIM software can be downloaded at www.sketchupbim.com.