SketchUp component compatibility

"I am using sketchup 4, but most of the components in Google warehouse are in sketchup 6 version, it would be appreciated if you send me the sketchUp 4 version component to my email xxx@gmail.com."

"where can I get older version of sketch Up component?"

"I am very hard to find sketch Up 4 components from internet, can you send me some link to refer? thanks so much."

Recently I've received a lot of queries of the sketchup component compatibility, we know after Google bought over the sketch up software, it seems to us a frequent launching 3D software, a lot of older version user, cant really find a suitable component.

Today, I just wanna have a post of helping you guys for the component compatibility issue. I have always featured the Google 3D warehouse in my previous post, no worries, lets see the picture below, what do you think?



yea... you are right, if you are sketch up 3, 4 or 5 users, please go the google sketch Up page to download a free sketchup 6 or 7, then you can open the component in where you have downloaded from if the component is not in 4 version, and save it as [sketch up 3] , [sketch up 4] or [sketch up 5], it depends on what kind of version you are currently using. Done! you can now insert your saved component to your older sketchup version. Easy, isn't it?

please click here to download a latest sketch up version.

SketchUp video tutorial

As promised, I've found additional SketchUp tutorial videos. I think these SketchUp tutorial videos are very helpful for those are new to SketchUp. The tutorial video featuring how to apply the texture to the model, how the components work, how to create terrains from contour, how to build model from a photo and etc.

Please click here for more your enjoyment.

SketchUp garden design

I've just have a quick study of designing a home garden landscape design by testing the various size of concrete pieces in relation with concrete seating (white color).

Some has emailed me regarding first time using 3 dimensional program. If you're wanna do your own home garden design, I'll suggest you using sketchup, it is friendly user, free and available from google SketchUp. Once you've known the basic tools> draw, pull, turn, move, copy..etc, you'll be soon get closer to the SketchUp.

Here is a video tutorial for those are new to sketchUp. Let's enjoy!



Need more? Please check it out our tutorial page or to google sketchUp official page for more sketchUp tutorial information.

Clean presentation style in Sketchup, by Pott architects

This is an art campus design proposal in berlin, designed by Pott architects. I personally like this kind of presentation style as it is simple, nice and straight forward, no any unnecessary work required that spending time in full rendering. The design and images are copyrighted to Pott architects.

Google SketchUp 7 has launched with new feature!

Further to sketch up pro 6, the Google Sketchup 7 has released! You can take a look at What's New in 7 page and also download for free available for Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X (10.4+).

There are some special new features that I would like to highlight in Sketchup 7 are as below,

You can draw a free-line polyline to create a irregular shape of form, you can even edit the line with a path edit command.

Beside polyline, there are no more stretching and distortion when you Scaling an object.




Here are some videos of Sketchup 7 demonstrating the new feature in SketchUp 7 version.







Official Google Blog: Introducing SketchUp 7

Soap Skin & Bubble, Tensile Structures for Sketchup

Archdaily has a post regarding how the sketchup does the flexible form, for instance, before, we can actually only use sketch up to build simple form, but NOW...Tensile-structures has launched a plug-in associated with sketchup that enable the program to build a better and flexible form as samples below.

You can go the their website to download the sketch up plug-in for free! and also the video tutorials and demonstration all are available in YOUTUBE.

Tensile Structures for Sketchup (image © http://www.tensile-structures.de)

Soap Skin & Bubble (image © http://www.tensile-structures.de)

Kitchen sketch design

I've designed my own kitchen by sketch up with kitchen components which are available from GOOGLE warehouse, especially refrigerator, cooktop, kitchen sink and etc. I felt good to show my idea to kitchen contractor for their better understanding.

Podium 1.5 working in Sketch Up

image © Christ Haseldonckx, a.k.a.‘biebel’

SU Podium is a photo-realistic rendering plug-in for Google SketchUp 6. Now, you can run a TRUE photo-realistic effect rendering program from your sketch up model without going through too many complex processes.

"Podium runs completely inside Google SketchUp from start to finish. It uses SketchUp features such as textures, background colors, groups and shadows to achieve impressive results. Podium is intuitive to SketchUp users."

Here are a free evaluation version to download and play with it, no expiry. Some more this version is exactly the same as commercial version just only the smaller outputs (320x120, 500x500 image resolution). Before doing anything, let's browse through the video tutorial for your better familiar with the program.

Sketch-up component - chairs

If you are able to read Chinese words, here are some sketch up components (Chair) download for free from IDMEN.com (dead link: updated 12/3/11).

Google 3D Basecamp 2008, YouTube

Google 3D Basecamp 2008 video presentations are available on YourTube


SketchUp and AutoCAD
How to create a base-plan quickly and effectively, the relationship between AutoCAD blocks and layers with SketchUp components and layers, it would save all your time.



SketchUp and ArchiCAD
This video talks about the connection between SketchUp and ArchiCAD, describing the "BIM -building information modeling", as called "vitual building".



Promoting Your Work Using Google Resources
There are some architectural design case studies, majority to demonstrate how we can maximize using the Google resources.



Maxing Out Your Productivity with Ruby Scripts
How Ruby Scripts relate to SketchUp program.



SketchUp and Green Design
Does SketchUp relates to Green Design? Let's see...



Adding detail with the follow-me tool
A shape follows path, the video is also demonstrating the modeling shortcut method.



Marking Your Mark with SketchUp

Sketch up in light and shadow

You can even have a better Sketchup animation with the V-Ray plugin support. V-Ray is a rendering plug-in that enables Sketch-Up users to have a performance enhancements for producing an outstanding image quality. The renders using these V-Ray technique can appear more photo-realistic to the human eye, as actual lighting effects are more realistically emulated.

This is the sample of how the Sketchup output associated with V-Ray.

Google 3D Warehouse

Google 3D warehouse serves as a sharing platform for the sketch up users to publish and share your works. The 3D model has been categoried into 2 types: geo-referenced and non-geo-referenced. The geo-referenced is a real building object which has been built and located in Google Earth, and the non-geo-referenced is just the supporting 3D model like car, people, tree & etc....

There are some helpful modeling guideline (pdf format) for your better understand how to apply a new texture/material to the model (including the tutorial in Photoshop).

Car component in Google 3D warehouse

Here are one of the sample sketch-up component which is available in Google 3D warehouse. It is all free.

Sketch-up animation video

Sketch up is not only for paper presentaion, but also the animation, allow to create a fly through video. In the video, we can see how the 2D (plan) turns to 3D (form), and the 3D comes to animation (doors open & close).

Beijing Airport by sketch up

wow! the world's largest airport in Beijing, China. Developed by Sketch up.

Sketch up components available to download

Hi all, please be informed that all the sketch up components are available by just 1 click. Who those left a message requesting the component, please go each relevant page to download from there. It would be appreciated if you guys can share your any creative libraries with us.

from sketch up to 3D studio MAX

This is a demostration of modeling by sketch up and run the full rendering in studioMAX for the final presentation to your client. You can still have some final touch up in Photo shop (waterfall effect, background, tree, people etc).

Sketch design, 2D + 3D

The presentation of sketch elevation design in sketch up with the CAD lines (both elevation and plan) which are laid in layers vertically and horizontally as shown in picture. It looks pretty cool right....

Sketch up video tutorial

Interest video demostrates the process of building a building using the sketch up, it is fun !

Riverwood mixed-use project sketch up samples, by HOK international

Drawing courtesy HOK

Here is the sample of sketch up which is designed by HOK architecture, that showing how presentable the creation of sketch up.