Thanks People, Yeah I can do some sort of guide.
Not seen the vehicle but so can't help you there, sorry.
In case you don't know sketchup has a feature where you can create components - which you can use over and over again. You can edit a component and every instance of it will edit. (Though you can make one copy edit without affecting the rest)
So I could create a file with all the ship components in. Surprisingly the iris valve was not hard to do.
Also a 1.5m x 1.5m grid guide as well, is a big help, thats easy too.. You create a grid of 1.5m 'guides' Sketchup has this odd thing where you create one thing 1.5m meters away the next creation will snap to 1.5m away..
I started but creating the deckplans in 2d over a 1.5m grid, if you are copying an existing deck plan (good 1st practice) you can either do it from the book or put the image in the scene you are creating, handy as you can trace from it for the fiddly bits, tricky thing is getting the image to match the correct scale, i just used it as close as possible, creating say the main corridor as a guide helps, to be honest you don't need to do this. But tracing some of the fiddly bits is easier.
Unlike illustrator or whatever you cannot edit the line thickness, unless you alter the style - but it does not do it uniformly, so if you want to create bulk head wall and interior wall with differing thinkness you will have to drawing them in (unless I find another way - but going 3d you do this any way.
All objects and doors you create and copy, move rotate or whatever to fit. Hence I'll create some 2d then 3d objects for general use if you like.
To go 3D 'loft' or pull the large hull sections, interior walls and bulkhead wall you an do the same way, just create as planes then loft to create thickness. I had to create the floors as well, either draw in or create the ceilings then loft downwards... sound odd but will make more sense if you try it.
I put sliding doors in by creating a square hole where one should be, at the moment I have just got a hole, not the door itself. This is where creating components or copies (group the item you need) comes in handy. Follow the same routine for the iris doors and hatch doors.
Once all the basics are in you can go further and instead of square boring corridors create more shaped ones, like I have done above for the central corridor, does me some more work, I created the corridor shape down one end and punched (ok use the push pull tool) the shape down the length, you will then have to push/pull the door hole thru the corridor and then intersect the door 'hole' thru the corridor and delete the bits you dont need - theres a another way, just draw in the door hole in the wall and corridor - then delete the whole - tricky though as you need to line up both holes..
Please note a you can create one door then copy and move where you need it'
With all the other fittings just create then copy (or pull from the handy pile of pre-created objects I may do at some point or whatever)
Engines/machinery you will have to create from the 2d plan, either loft from the 2d shape or create then as proper looking machinery,
You can go pretty berserk and create a real interior, fittings, lights, equipment and crew, sketchup was designed for this sort of thing. My design does have ceilings, just invisible for the moment.
At some point - but very optional is to put the hull over the interior.
