I'm just starting with SketchUp and 3D modeling in general, so the usual pointers are always helpful.

I'm interested in generating game models for a 3D printer to print, and I cant find a good way to do the following:

Given an icon (like, say, this one), I'd like to be able to orient that icon on a surface and then push/pull it so that when my model is printed, the icon shows up on the plastic.

In a similar vein, if I want to model a brick wall, I'd like to be able to take a texture of a brick wall, apply it to a face, and then push/pull it so the bricks actually appear on the side of the wall.

Are there any plugins/tutorials you could point me to that would be able to do something like this?