Hello everyone, I thought I’d take a second to talk about some fun software I’ve been messing around with. Google SketchUp is a very exciting and FREE program. Complete strangers(to designing) are able to make elaborate models of pretty much anything they desire, from scratch. It is a free download from Google and the software comes with self-paced tutorials to guide the user step-by-step.

It is a 3D program that lets you build for example, houses, churches, schools, etc., filling in every detail from shrubs, trees, lightpoles, couches, TVs, to wall clocks. You can add realtime shadows based on the time of day you prefer and search through an online 3D warehouse for various components done by millions of different users. If you are familiar with Google Earth, once you get advanced enough, you can even export your models to Google Earth; like if you make a model of your house or something.

It is definitely something to check out for those interested in archtecture & designing, maybe someone planning to design their own home, or just anybody that has some free time on their hands. Here are some pictures of my first model; it took me less than a hour. You are only able to see these in a two dimensional view, sorry to say. If anyone checks out the software please let me know how you like it. Ciao.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

- Enjoy