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Thursday, April 27, 2006 8:51 AM PT Posted by Harry McCracken

SketchUp: Google's Latest Cool Free Download

SketchUp, a 3D drawing application which Google released today, is the latest example of a happy, booming software trend: Google or Yahoo buys an innovative small company which makes a for-pay product, and quickly releases a cool free version of its software.

In this case, the innovative company was @Last Software, and SketchUp truly is cool, since it makes the notoriously difficult job of drawing 3D architectural models surprisingly easy. In its Google iteration, it's a complement to Google Earth, one which lets that amazing program's community of fans build and share buildings to be incorporated into its virtual world.

The application comes with bountiful documentation and tutorials, but the user interface is so simple and intuitive that I started to build rudimentary 3D structures even before I'd consulted the help system. I wouldn't want to live in the house below, but it took me about three minutes to put together:

sketchup-house.jpg

But you can have fun with SketchUp without constructing anything from scratch, because it's easy to grab models from Google's 3D Warehouse, a searchable online repository of objects, including excellent recreations of lots of real-world landmarks. (You can also upload your creations to the Warehouse.) Here's one example of a ready-made model:

sketchup-disney

And here's San Francisco's AT&T Park (nee SBC Park, nee Pacific Bell park) as it looks after being imported into SketchUp:

sketchup-atandt.jpg

This is not a review of SketchUp, since I've only played with a bit so far. But so far I'm impressed. I've fiddled with consumer-oriented 3D drawing programs since about 1988, and SketchUp is about the least intimidating one I've ever seen. Which makes Google an entirely appropriate home for it.

As with Google Earth, by the way, there's still an industrial-strength version of SketchUp aimed at professionals, at an industrial-strength pricetag: $495. The free version is Windows-only at the moment, but a Mac edition is on the way.
Comments

*deleted by admin*

v messed up your page
April 27, 2006
3:29 PM PT

Harry, ban his IP.

Anonymous
April 27, 2006
3:46 PM PT

That guys a poopy head ^,^

Daniel
April 27, 2006
4:14 PM PT

What did he say?

I want to know what he said.

Google stuff is boring.

What did that guy say?

Ralph
April 27, 2006
4:35 PM PT

What! Hi harry! I see that you have been googling around again ^_^. Love it! Lets hope that google will do it again!

anon.
April 27, 2006
5:31 PM PT

this is actually intresting, i can design stuff now, you guys are losers

somebody
April 27, 2006
5:33 PM PT

Sometimes I wonder if the posting of comments is really such a good idea or not. I mean, the concept is good, and I think the purpose is fantastic, but there is always that element that siezes the anonimity and the moment and ruins it for everybody. As soon as people start posting nonsensical crap, it deters people who might have a legitimate opinion from posting.

But I guess it is pretty funny sometimes.

Oh, and it looks cool... I think I'll build myself a new island/mansion just off the US West Coast and post it to Google Earth.

Horace
April 27, 2006
6:26 PM PT

I used sketch up to design my studio room after trying a few 3d progams. It's pretty nifty and i tried several of the others.

another guy
April 27, 2006
8:35 PM PT

Like all us Win98 SE users amount to what? A few hundred of us. Not. SketchUp Win98 now!!

sketchy
April 27, 2006
9:00 PM PT

Requires Windows 2000 or XP...

No thanks, Win98 is the end of the Windows line for me.

Jeffster
April 27, 2006
9:14 PM PT

If you are torturing yourself by still running Win98 I feel very sorry for you!

Roger
April 27, 2006
9:20 PM PT

Win98 *was* the end for me. Once you switch to a REAL OS, you'll never want to settle for Micro$oft.

BetterOS
April 27, 2006
9:38 PM PT

Wonderful.

sweets
April 27, 2006
9:48 PM PT

I've been rather stuck in the Windows world. Can you suggest which other OS I could give a try?

Roger
April 27, 2006
9:56 PM PT

You should try OSX. Forget the Windows stuff.

The Better OS --OSX
April 27, 2006
10:09 PM PT

SketchUp is definitely a cool 3d drawing program. I found it quite easy to make a cool psychic cross in seconds. I wonder what the difference going up to the professional version is.

pc93
http://tekgnosis.typepad.com

pc93
April 27, 2006
10:11 PM PT

Windows? What's that? I'm still using PC-DOS ver 3.31. I think IBM's version is better than the MS-DOS version. I've been really really really thinking about switching to version 4.01 but I don't like that fancy WYSIWYG stuff.

Anonymous
April 27, 2006
10:16 PM PT

HAHAHAHA! I use a roomful of abacuses that I use to compute programs in my head. I was playing minesweeper yesterday and beat it in a record time of 544 hours and 12 minutes. w00t!

mike
April 27, 2006
10:21 PM PT

I thought I had missed the train but..... Thank God! I had looked at the wrong schedule. I was checking returns when I hadn't even left yet! Silly of me, no?

Josh
April 27, 2006
10:43 PM PT

Another piece of google crap ...

mud
April 27, 2006
10:43 PM PT

I want to know when Google will release the Writely software that they bought about a month ago. As an online word processor, that would seem to be more useful, and more of a direct alternative to a Microsofy product.

Clovis_I
April 28, 2006
1:50 AM PT

Werid - I looked at this software a few months ago and was really impressed. Now that it's a free download, how can you go wrong?

Anonymous
April 28, 2006
3:04 AM PT

We use the Pro version at work in an engineering/achitectural envirionment. It's worth it weight in gold for all the quick tricks it can do.

row
April 28, 2006
3:15 AM PT

Have you heard? Google and Apple are merging!

Anonymous
April 28, 2006
3:31 AM PT

Merging?! That's wonderful!

Joe Mamma
April 28, 2006
4:43 AM PT

What will it be called? Aggle? Goople? Maybe they'll put out an OS called F' the S' out of M$! Forget Linux, Go Commodore 64!

Anonymous
April 28, 2006
4:48 AM PT

I can't believe I read these comments...

Anonymous
April 28, 2006
4:53 AM PT

It will be gapple

anon
April 28, 2006
5:06 AM PT

My mother read these, and thought she needed to send the kids an email about how funny the comments were. Now I have to take away her internet privileges because reading this rots your brain. Remember kids: Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics ? even if you win, you?re still a retard.

Buffalo
April 28, 2006
5:26 AM PT

Ugghh what a waste of time. My only consolation is that as you read my comment I am currently wasting your time!

I agree, it will be called Goople.

noodle
April 28, 2006
5:46 AM PT

I heard the People's Republic of China just bought Micro$oft! C64?! Abacus?! Why not wayback to the astrolabe and we can do this thing right. What's 2+2 again? I want my mommy.

Buffalo
April 28, 2006
7:20 AM PT

Damn! You have 64 kilobytes of RAM?!? My TRS-80 only has 4 KB of ram and a blazing cassette tape drive.

It only takes me 10 minutes to start up Lode Runner. I'm hoping I can save up for a vic-20 so I can play Castle Wolfenstein.

Anonymous
April 28, 2006
2:58 PM PT

Win 2K is end of line for me. I recommend you make one last jump and then stick with 2K.

rickwahgeee
April 28, 2006
6:50 PM PT

Awesome, I can't wait until the mac version is released!

ed
April 29, 2006
1:29 AM PT

You people are all retarded --- why do companies release newer better OS's if Windows 98/2k is the "best OS there ever was"?

I dont even know why I bothered to write this, but reading through all the above junk made my head hurt.

Xerexes
April 29, 2006
8:23 AM PT

If only they would GPL it and release a linux version... oh well.

Sir_Lewk
April 29, 2006
12:47 PM PT

Ok. I went through all the posts to figure out what that first guy said that got deleted. I didn't figure it out. The posts where boring. The article was boring. I don't give a damn about 3d drawing etc its old news. I want to know what that guy said. I hate those (stpd@!) admins.

And what ever the program is, its a shame its only out for windows. Mac is great but if it replaces windows then it will be the same sh##. The only way out is linux. Suse maybe?

Mike
April 29, 2006
1:43 PM PT

This is the first time I've ever read a post on anythhing. It was wonderful. I love you.

Anonymous
April 30, 2006
8:51 AM PT

u all stink

Mr. BOB
May 01, 2006
6:55 PM PT

You people have WAY too much time on your hands.

Anonymous
May 02, 2006
8:32 AM PT

it sucks i've treid to download it but have not been able to even get the download to start only if someone was kind enough to send me the setup file for sktchup for windows heres my e mail if u are willing to send it well its revel8@30gigs.com

nicholas
May 02, 2006
12:44 PM PT

We see people and things, not as they are, but as we are....
Every bee's honey is sweet

Gumtu
May 02, 2006
7:04 PM PT

i'm glad i read through, because now i don't have to waste time downloading something that won't run for some stupid reason. i am also sticking on win98se because it's lean and fast.

do you spend most time on the computer trying to get stuff to work and not actually experiencing anything? it's the worst television in the world, ever. it should have a parallel experience procesor.

lazyhorse
May 05, 2006
5:27 PM PT

Lets summarize
*deleted by admin*,
Win98 and really funny posts,
maybe one spammer,
Sketchup good and bad,
i m just gonna download and check it out,
Did i lost my time reading all this?
I won't stay all night inside,
have fun!

Kostas
May 07, 2006
5:58 PM PT

ok, so i aswel randomly stumbled on this and just wanted to know what got deleted, and through this you see a maelstrom of random ideas and arguments. what' even more odd is that i'd post this messege which is in itself only adding to the list. but damn guys go outside and do something, learn an art, a trade, be somebody, unless it's that real for you and your fully content, i spose i just cant feel that. but really, what did the first dude say, was it some anti-google propaganda? i dont even know. whatever... i need a cigarette.

h-gard
May 18, 2006
5:41 PM PT

Win98? Come on! If you have to stick to Windoze AT LEAST use XP or 2000... but 98?? Might as well be using 95 or ME... same crap!

I've tried this program, it's pretty cool and easy to use. No problem installing but sometime the "get objects" function gives me a page not found error. I reload and then it usually works. Too many people using it maybe?

Can't wait for the OS X version.

SumwhatArtsy
May 20, 2006
12:21 AM PT

if you can find sketchup 4 not 5 which i'm assuming is what google is giving out you can run it on win98 and it's really not that much different than 5.

Anonymous
July 10, 2006
8:18 AM PT

i think the new software doesnt have as quality as 3d max, so why we use it when i can modeling in 3d max

hedye
July 20, 2006
5:12 AM PT
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