How do you make an equilateral triangle in Sketchup?

You can create an equilateral triangle in SketchUp using the Polygon tool. Here's how:

Steps:

1. Select the Polygon Tool: Find the Polygon tool in the toolbar. It's usually grouped with the Circle and other shape tools. You might need to click and hold on one of those tools to see the others in a flyout menu.

2. Specify the Number of Sides: Before drawing, you need to tell SketchUp you want a triangle (3 sides). With the Polygon tool selected, type 3 and press the Enter key. You should see the number of sides update in the Measurements box (usually in the bottom right of the SketchUp window).

3. Define the Center Point: Click in the SketchUp viewport to define the center point of your triangle.

4. Draw the Radius: Move your mouse away from the center point. This determines the radius of the implied circle that your equilateral triangle will be inscribed in.

   • Method 1 (Radius to Corner): Click again to set the radius. The distance you drag is the distance from the center of the triangle to one of its corners (vertices).
   • Method 2 (Radius to Midpoint of Side - Ctrl/Option Key): Hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Option key (Mac) while dragging. This changes the behavior so the radius you are defining is the distance from the center to the midpoint of one of the sides of the triangle. Click again to set this radius.

5. Enter Precise Dimensions (Optional): Instead of clicking to set the radius, you can type in a specific value (e.g., 1m for 1 meter, 3in for 3 inches) and press Enter. This allows for precise control over the size of the triangle.

Key Considerations:

• The Polygon tool always creates shapes that are inscribed within a circle. So, think of defining the radius of that circle.
• Using the Ctrl (Windows) or Option (Mac) key lets you switch between defining the radius to a corner versus the radius to the midpoint of a side. This can be useful depending on what dimensions you are working from.