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Users can easily create three dimensional drawings and other creations

Users can easily create three dimensional drawings and other creations

Vote: (5,838 votes)

Program license: Trial version

Developer: Trimble

Version: 19.2.222

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(5,838 votes)

Trial version

Developer

Version

Trimble

19.2.222

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Simple 3D Drawing
  • Intuitive Utility
  • Included Tips and Tricks
  • Google Maps Integration
  • Google Earth Integration

Cons

  • Free Version Lacks CAD Export
  • Free Version Lacks Insertable Media
  • All Versions Lack Major CAD Advanced Features

Google SketchUp offers a free but limited 3D modeling software that can be used as an alternative to expensive software like Cinema4D or 3DSMax. With SketchUp, you can create amazing 3D art or models in exquisite detail, and you can upload your projects to Google Earth for public access.

One of the greatest things about SketchUp is that it lacks a lot of the technical wordage that would typically deter an inexperienced designer from even trying to use the software. It's designed to essentially walk you through the learning process as you use the different functions. For instance, one of the default functions within SketchUp is 'snapping' shapes, which involves the user starting to draw a shape and the app finishing the shape perfectly. This saves you the hassle of having to carefully try to draw freehand shapes, and it does so without any changes to the settings.

Even with such easy utility, the software isn't lacking any major functionality. You'll find all the standard filling and drawing functions you might assume were in such an artistic app. On the top of the app screen is a toolbar where all these tools are accessible. If the system senses you pausing over an icon or function, it will send you a small pop-out with hints and explanations.

You can choose to open several modular palettes at once to save time searching through various menus, or you can access every option from those menus as you need them to leave your workspace more open. One palette many 3D artists enjoy is the palette for Materials, which includes swatches like glass, metal, and vegetation, along with more than 100 others. Another palette gives you control over Shadow Settings, which helps you produce shadows of varying intensity.

SketchUp is part of the Google family of apps, so it has complete integration with Google Earth and Google Maps. After you've finished your work, you can export the art to Google Earth. It gives you the option to email your designs to someone or save them in the 3D Web Warehouse owned by Google. With Google Maps integration, you can geo-tag your work, and the system will import aerial imagery and 3D terrain info for the area surrounding your creation.

Of course, like almost all apps, SketchUp does have its downsides. For example, it's particularly difficult to use the Push/Pull function to make domed shapes, but that same function works fine with lines. The software is free, so it doesn't come with any of the classic advanced functions found in benchmark apps from the same category. With a simple UI and unlimited creative freedom, anyone can use SketchUp to design something unique.

Pros

  • Simple 3D Drawing
  • Intuitive Utility
  • Included Tips and Tricks
  • Google Maps Integration
  • Google Earth Integration

Cons

  • Free Version Lacks CAD Export
  • Free Version Lacks Insertable Media
  • All Versions Lack Major CAD Advanced Features

Pros

  • Free Version
  • Google Earth Integration
  • Google Maps Integration
  • Easy 3D Drawing
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Simple To Learn

Cons

  • Free Version: No Image or Text Insertion
  • Free Version: No CAD Export Formats
  • No Advanced Functions

SketchUp Make 2015 is a 3D modeling and CAD software system that tries to change the way people see such software, and the idea is to create a free version that is intuitive, integrated, and powerful.

Many of the most popular industry standard CAD programs on the market are incredibly overpriced, including such examples as 3DSMax and Cinema4D. SketchUp, on the other hand, is an entirely free package that offers nearly the same exact utility as those more expensive options. Not only that, but in-app creations can easily be shared thanks to the app's integration with Google Maps and Google Earth.

3D modeling software tends to be a bit overcomplicated for the standard user, and a lot of that stems from the complex jargon that is used by those apps. That problem doesn't exist in SketchUp because the system is designed for those even with no experience. The system also includes several hints, tips, and tricks for taking full advantage of the powerful tools at your disposal.

One of the most intuitive aspects of the software is the innovative 'snapping' feature, which basically helps create shapes in regular patterns. As you create a shape, even freehand, the app will start to detect what is being drawn, and it will essentially auto-complete the process when it detects the end points are close.

Many users might assume that since SketchUp is free and requires little or no skill that the software lacks basic function, but that couldn't be further from the truth. All the most popular drawing and filling tools are right at the fingertips of the user, and the toolbar contains a number of other options for manipulating the workspace. Hints are also constantly popping up to help the user on the way.

The app uses a semi-modular style of organization, so the user can open certain palettes and swatches to increase productivity in the workspace. An interesting palette filled with preset content is the 'Materials' pane, which includes textured swatches like metal, glass, and vegetation. That palette includes roughly 100 different swatches, and there are dozens of other palettes to use.

After the creations are completed within the app, they can be shared with the world thanks to the app's integration with Google Earth and Google Maps. Users can easily upload images of 3D creations to the 3D Web Warehouse created by Google specifically for that purpose, and geotags can be placed in creations thanks to the Google Maps integration.

Free software does tend to have some downsides, and the same is true for SketchUp. There are some issues with the Push/Pull tool when attempting to manipulate domed objects, but straight lines are no trouble. Professionals might notice a lack of the more advanced techniques and tools they require for top-tier work, but the standard user won't miss those features.

Pros

  • Free Version
  • Google Earth Integration
  • Google Maps Integration
  • Easy 3D Drawing
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Simple To Learn

Cons

  • Free Version: No Image or Text Insertion
  • Free Version: No CAD Export Formats
  • No Advanced Functions