SketchUp Derby Car

Educator's Notes

This class project teaches fundamental SketchUp skills, the Engineering Design Process, energy concepts, data collection and analysis, and iteration. Feel free to use and adapt it for your classroom.

Ultimately, students will 3D print their cars, add axles and wheels, and test them in time trials on our 4-lane BestTrack Pinewood Derby® track.

Project Resources

SketchUp Education Login

Since we are a Microsoft district, make sure you sign-in with your 4digit@fresnoU.org email address.

BestTrack Specifications

Make sure you review the specifications of our track to make sure your car will work properly.

Part Zero: A Pre-Car Sketchup
Is it a car?

In Step Zero, we take a look at making a more simplistic car, ready for racing in SketchUp!

Part One
Outline in Sketchup

In this first video, we downloaded the EV8 Image. We then learned how to navigate the camera in SketchUp, and outlined the outside of the car.

Part Two
Side Details

In this second video, we use shapes to make the windows, doors, and other side details. Ignore the wheels themselves- they're a later step in a different SketchUp file!