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SketchUp is a 3D modelling program designed for professional architects, civil engineers, filmmakers, game developers, and related professions. It was designed to be intuitive, fun and flexible* allowing designers to play with their designs, unlike most other 3D CAD software. It is marketed as an easy-to-use conceptual tool with a simple interface. Some of its key features include:
History SketchUp was developed by startup company @Last Software, Boulder, Colorado which was formed in 1999*. SketchUp was first released in August 2000* as a general purpose 3D content creation tool. It won a Community Choice Award at its first tradeshow in 2000 (A/E/C SYSTEMS Fall 2000)*. It quickly found a market in architecture and building design industries, however, and was revised to suit the needs of working professionals. The key to its early success was in its shallow learning curve, allowing for a shorter learning period than other commercially available 3D tools. The newest version, SketchUp 5 possesses options to allow the user to extrude and widen as well as the ability for a face to "follow" the cursor around an object. On March 14, 2006, Google acquired @Last Software*, attracted by their plugin for Google Earth. Add-Ons Add-ons can be downloaded from @Last's Web Site. Google Earth One such add-on allows the user to export the 3D model as a .kmz file which can then be opened in Google Earth. This allows accurate geo-referencing of SketchUp models and accurate placement of those models in Google Earth. It also allows SketchUp to import modeling context (photographic + terrain model) from Google Earth for modeling reference. Other Add-ons Other add-ons are provided for export to: Patents SketchUp holds a Patent (U.S. Patent #6,628,279) on its Push/Pull technology: The patent was applied for in November 2000, and awarded in September 2003 (View Patent). Google SketchUp On April 27, 2006, Google announced Google SketchUp, a freely-downloadable version of SketchUp. * The free version is not as capable as SketchUp Pro 5, but it includes integrated tools for uploading content to Google Earth and to the Google 3D Warehouse, a library of models created in SketchUp. Ruby Application Programming Interface (API) Ruby is a scripting language that was first introduced in SketchUp 4. Since its introduction SketchUp users have shown their creativity by creating hundreds of useful tools using SketchUp Ruby SuWiki '''SuWiki''' is a Wiki encyclopedia for SketchUp users. SuWiki provides an open environment for SketchUp users to find, and contribute to article and tutorials on the use of SketchUp. Users SketchUp users can share their work for free in the Gallery on the SketchUp official site. This gives a place where users can share there work in many fields including, Architecture, Construction, Education K-12, Game Development, GIS, Graphic Art, Higher education, Industrial Design / Furniture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Mechanical Design. Many users also share their ideas and knowledge about SketchUp and other modeling programs in the SketchUp Pro Forum. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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