There are many awesome computer-aided software around the market today. The product aimed significantly for making our work more productive and less time-consuming. In engineering, most notable software such as Auto-CAD or Solidworks has been widely used as one of construction essential tools. In fact, every computer geeks must have their own favorite tools as I am too.
Logo of Google Sketchup
Let me introduce to you my most favorite software from Google called Sketchup. And why do this software is so awesome? It is the most versatile, powerful and yet friendly used 3-D software around with very minimal learning curve. It is a 3 dimensional computer-aided program for modeling any desired objects. It is definitely designed for all engineering purposes especially civil end mechanical, not forgetting the architects (they loved it), and other professions such as game developers, comic artist, digital illustrators, filmmakers, and others. I personally have used this incredible software for the past 2 years for civil works, my studies, and personal interest, whether in 2-D and 3-D modeling and rendering.
Sydney Opera House modeled with Sketchup
Google Sketchup have two version – Google Sketchup 7 (free version) and Google Sketchup Pro 7 (paid version). Even if you are totally new to any 3-D program, you could be able to operate it within short of time compare to other programs like AutoCAD, Solidworks or 3DS Max which is hard to master or to begin with. You can model your first imaginable object from total scratch with lots of video tutorials to guide you or you can check out the 3D Warehouse. This huge warehouse is for the program users to store their models for sharing or to search for any models done by other users. If you ever used Google Earth, Sketchup also includes features to facilitate the placement of your models anywhere on Earth..simply awesome.
In civil engineering, it is useful to make floor plans or layouts (in 2-D) of structure details. Then, we could built it in 3-D for better perspective of the model. Here is some of my own work with the program…
Dockyard modeled with Sketchup
Furthermore, you could challenge yourself to construct even more complicated model such as this one… (took a long time to do this…still not complete yet…)
Elephant (or Mammoth) modeled with Sketchup
Nice isn’t it? Check out the video below for better view and understanding of the program…
If you are interested to learn this program, check out one of my favorite: Google SketchUp for Site Design. Last but not least, go ahead and check this wonderful piece of software and may you find it useful for many applications. Later on, I will definitely going to use this program for some of my blog contents. Cheers…
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Author: Civil-Guy | Blog: Civil Craft Structures | Subscribe: RSS or Email
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
We love Sketchup and have been using it for years. I’m so surprised that more people don’t know about it, and have been planning a draft write up about it, too.
If you don’t mind my including a link, we are building a custom home and actually designed the entire home in Sketchup from beginning to blueprints! You can see the house plans and even download them on the house building blog. :)
It’s a great program and we have both the top down view AND the 3D view all in the same drawings.
.-= Alison Moore Smith´s last blog …Start a New Blog in 1 Week =-.
Hi Alison,
Welcome and thank you so much for becoming my first ever commenter…after so long…he..he… I do agree with you that this piece of software still unknown to so many people especially in engineering side…
I don’t mind with the included link…I am too wants to learn more from our own kind…sole to speak… Although it is not the number one but it is one of the most painless program out there…
Once again thank you… Go engineering…for future generation…!
Mr. Vine, I’m honored to be your first commenter. That’s a great blogging moment, eh?
Wanted to add something about Sketchup. Even though the civili engineer (my husband is an electrical engineer) who did the city-required engineering on our planned house used a different program, we were fairly easily able to put the drawings in a format his software could read.
.-= Alison Moore Smith´s last blog …Second Cement Pour in Walls =-.
Hi Alison,
Thanks for your support… Sketchup is getting more and more compatible with other programs, i.e AutoCAD, Revit, 3DS Max, Rhino, Photoshop, etc. Thanks for the custom house plans as well. There’s a competition going on with Google Sketchup, town building… Cheers…