SOFTWARE - GRAPHICS - 30.11.2010

Designing with the new Google SketchUp

SketchUp

Google SketchUp (http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en_uk/) is a 3D modelling program which you can use for designing, for instance, the layout of a house. The first version dates from more than a decade ago; in 2006 Google bought the software and today version 8 has developed into a versatile design tool which, unlike its competitors, is highly used-friendly. It takes some learning, but SketchUp Help (http://sketchup.google.com/support/) offers manuals and has a forum. Tip. Also check out the SketchUcation forums (http://forums.sketchucation.com) for answers to specific questions.

Features

We appreciate that version 8 has succeeded in retaining its simple interface. Since there are relatively few drawing or editing tools, you aren’t flooded with options. The strength of the program resides in its flexibility and versatility. Indeed, Google SketchUp allows you to “play” with the designs you’ve created. For instance, the “push pull” function lets you convert a 2D surface into a three-dimensional model. The “dynamic components” are convenient too: these 3D elements adjust themselves to the overall size of the object. Take a staircase: when you make it longer, steps will be added automatically.

Google SketchUp also offers lots of “textures” for giving, for instance, roofs and walls a highly realistic appearance. And if you don’t want to design your own interior elements? No problem, you can download thousands of them via the 3D Warehouse and integrate them into your designs. For instance, lots of models of Ikea furniture are available.

Upgrade to version 8?

Since version 7, there has been tight integration with Google Earth (http://earth.google.com): if you draw a building by means of SketchUp, you can show it as a 3D object in Google Earth in its natural environment. Version 8 fine-tunes this integration. Moreover, it has a specific Building Maker for drawing buildings rapidly. Another novelty is the introduction of “solids” or volumes whose content is calculated automatically. This makes it easy to, for instance, cut out a cavity from a cube and thus create a new volume. Another new feature is that you can export your design into several formats. On the downside, the import options have become more limited in the free version.

You can find an overview of the new functions on http://sketchup.google.com/product/newin8.html.

Free or Pro version?

We think the free version is more than adequate, but as a professional designer you should also consider the Pro version, which costs about £375. This version lets you add new properties to objects yourself. For instance, you can store the price and the weight of specific components in your design. Everything is saved in neat reports. Moreover, besides using existing “dynamic components” (see above), you can create new ones yourself. In Layout you can design a professional presentation of your model, and the printing options are more numerous as well. In the Pro version, you can export your drawing to many more professional drawing formats.

The functions of both versions are compared at http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/product/whygopro.html.