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)

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.

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

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).

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.

Google Sketchup Pro 6

I've been suprised that
Google has launched Google Sketchup Pro 6 in just few months after launching sketchup 6. The new recommended feature for this version is the LayOut (beta).

With LayOut (beta) you can:

• Create compelling multi-page design documents and presentations.
• Arrange and annotate multiple scaled images on a single-page.
• Create customized elements and symbols for your presentations using 2D Vector graphics toolsets.
• Create, document and present your designs using a single software package.

These are all in one, save time for doing photo touch-up and presentation panel. You know why? time is the assert for architects. :) Google has thought everything for you.

8 hours FREE trial version of Google SketchUp Pro is from availabe!