Google Data » Aidan Chopra https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Fri, 03 Apr 2015 21:58:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 So that’s what the EPX exporter is for! https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/so-thats-what-the-epx-exporter-is-for/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/so-thats-what-the-epx-exporter-is-for/#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:08:00 +0000 Posted by Aidan Chopra, Product Evangelist



When it comes to rendering their models for presentation, a lot of designers make a beeline for photorealism. That's all fine and well, but there are definitely times (and clients) which call for decidedly softer measures. In the realm of softer, more nuanced forms of digital representation, it's hard to beat Piranesi. In the software maker's own words:
Piranesi’s unique ‘3D painting’ technology allows you to rapidly add paint and textures without needing to create masks, and the range of nearly 3000 ready-to-use textures, images and cutouts supplied free on the product DVD enable you to apply a wealth of effects to your illustrations, tailoring them to suit a house style or a client’s brand positioning.

If you have SketchUp Pro, you can export views of your model as EPIX files which you can open directly in Piranesi. To celebrate the launch of version 5 for Mac (version 5 for Windows came out several months ago), Informatix Software is offering SketchUp Blog readers a 20% discount off the price of Piranesi for either operating system. All you have to do is use the voucher code SKUP0308 at the Piranesi online store before March 31st, 2008.

Here's a neat YouTube video that demonstrates Piranesi 5 in all its glory:



Update The 20% discount has been extended through the end of March. Please note the new voucher code in the post, above (SKUP0308).
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/so-thats-what-the-epx-exporter-is-for/feed/ 0 Now even better https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/now-even-better/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/now-even-better/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:54:00 +0000

The third maintenance release of SketchUp 6 and SketchUp Pro 6 (including LayOut) is now here. We've been working long and hard to fix bugs and improve general stability. For SketchUp Pro users, we've also made many improvements to LayOut (which is still in beta). If you're interested, you can take a look at the release notes for Windows and Mac.

The next time you open SketchUp, you should see a message prompting you to get the latest version; just follow the directions in the prompt to do so. If you don't see the prompt, choose Check for Update from the Help menu. If you're on a Mac, choose Check Web for Update from the SketchUp menu. Staying up-to-date is as simple as that.

The biggest news for this release is that we have done a lot of work which will allow us to begin localizing SketchUp into many more languages. For those you who have been patiently anticipating a release in French, Italian, German, Spanish, or Japanese, your wait is almost over. Look for the official announcement of these releases in the coming weeks.

Other fixes and improvements include:
  • We fixed several crashing bugs in Sketchup
  • Numerous upgrades to the Sketchup Ruby API.
  • Over a dozen upgrades and fixes for LayOut.

One more important note: My reign as the Official SketchUp Scale Figure will continue for at least one more release! Now, I realize at this point you could be thinking: "Ugh. That scale figure guy annoys the crap out of me – I'm so sick of deleting him every time...." or, "Oh, no -- the day is coming when Bryce won't be the scale figure?" In either case, you really need to learn about SketchUp Templates so you can easily customize the setup of each new document you create.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/now-even-better/feed/ 0 Getting to know Google Apps https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/getting-to-know-google-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/getting-to-know-google-apps/#comments Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:16:00 +0000

When chatting with Aidan recently, I mentioned that I thought that a lot of SketchUp users, particularly those who use SketchUp professionally, could benefit from Google Apps. He suggested that I post something here to explain Google Apps and how to find out more about it. So here goes:

One of the projects I've been working on lately is managing our growing list of contented Google Apps users. Ever since we launched what was formerly called Google Apps for Your Domain, businesses and other organizations have signed up in droves to take advantage of these communication and collaboration tools. Think of it as a suite of applications that integrates with your custom domain; it currently includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk (instant messaging and voice over IP), Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Page Creator and more. It can feature your own company's branding and it's all hosted by Google.

If you've ever struggled to maintain your business's email servers, roll out software upgrades, or try to share documents, Google Apps might be able to help. We have different flavors, too, including a free Standard Edition and a Premier Edition for only $50 per user per year.

Right now we're seeing all kinds of businesses realize success with Google Apps -- from small start-ups to established design firms and large universities. If you're interested, take a look at some of their stories, and then visit our website to learn more about signing up. If you have questions about implementing Google Apps, how migration works or even just how it could benefit your organization, fill out this form to let us know you'd like someone to get in touch.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/getting-to-know-google-apps/feed/ 0 Welcome back to school! https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/welcome-back-to-school/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/welcome-back-to-school/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:30:00 +0000
As the new school year begins, we of the SketchUp for Education department are busy as bees answering questions and fulfilling SketchUp licensing needs for the educational community. Here are some handy tips and links for having a smooth transition, whether you're getting started with a new SketchUp license or renewing an old one.

For school networked labs:
  1. Check now to see if the license you were using last year has expired. You can check on your license's expiration date by choosing License > Authorize from the Help menu while you're in SketchUp Pro. If you're on a Mac, choose License from the SketchUp menu.
  2. Be sure to install and test your license early.
  3. Don’t panic. If something goes awry, you can always use either the default free version (and worry about Pro features later), or use the 8 hour trial version of Pro until help arrives.
  4. Pretty much every question you might have is answered in our 24/7 online help center; it’s like having one of our tech support guys with you day and night (only better).
  5. This just in! Until September 21st, all schools that order a 25 seat (or more) Networked Lab License will automatically receive a copy of Google SketchUp For Dummies.
For students:
  1. Be sure to check now to see if the license you were using last year has expired. Student Licenses expire one year from their original date of generation. You can check on your license's expiration date by choosing License > Authorize from the Help menu while you're in SketchUp Pro. If you're on a Mac, choose License from the SketchUp menu.
  2. You can order a new Student License in two ways: If you have an email address ending in “.edu” you can order directly from our web site. If you DON'T have an ".edu" email address, fill out this form and send it to us via fax or email with proof of your student status and we’ll generate your license and email it to you in about four days.
  3. If you're using your instructor’s Pro license on your home computer, please be aware that we can't offer tech support to you. Also note that Educator Licenses are single-user and network-aware, which means you probably won't be able to use your instructor's license while you're on your school network. If you need to use SketchUp Pro while you're on your school's network, you'll probably have to buy a Student License for yourself; the above paragraph describes how.

For educators:

  1. All Educator Licenses generated before April 1, 2007 have now expired. To get a new one or to renew, you need to fill out this online form. An email will be sent instructing you to provide proof of educator status via email or fax. A new license will then be generated and sent via email within two weeks.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/welcome-back-to-school/feed/ 0 3D time warp in West Virginia https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/3d-time-warp-in-west-virginia/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/3d-time-warp-in-west-virginia/#comments Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:08:00 +0000


A few months ago while I was in San Diego for the ESRI International User Conference, I had the chance to sit down and talk with some very passionate GIS folks from the Laboratory for Geographic Information Science at West Virginia University. For the past few months, this team has been working on a project to re-create the city of Morgantown in a 3D GIS—not as it is today, but as it was at the turn of the 20th century. They've used both SketchUp and ArcGIS, and have just finished modeling the city and pushing it into ArcScene (which is part of ArcGIS 3D Analyst). Project manager Susan Bergeron had this to say:


"...it was a lot of fun to do, and everybody is so proud of the results, even though we keep tweaking the scene and the models when we find something we could do a little bit better. The best moment was when we previewed the finished product for everybody in the research lab, and flew through the scene with the theme from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood playing in the background."

Data attribution is the next phase of the project, which will involve embedding information about the model into ArcScene. I'm psyched to see how this project progresses. For information on how the team did it, including the workflow, a picture gallery, and other information, visit their project web site. And be sure to check out the growing Virtual Morgantown collection of models in the 3D Warehouse.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/3d-time-warp-in-west-virginia/feed/ 0 ArchiCAD users rejoice https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/archicad-users-rejoice/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/archicad-users-rejoice/#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:05:00 +0000

If you're an ArchiCAD 11 user, you can stop feeling envious of your SketchUp friends' ability to work with Google Earth and the 3D Warehouse. The folks at Graphisoft (makers of ArchiCAD) just announced something called Google Earth Connections, which should make you feel a whole lot better.

If you use ArchiCAD, the full scope of the Google Earth/3D Warehouse workflow is now available to you. You can import models from the 3D Warehouse. You can upload models to the 3D Warehouse. You can send your ArchiCAD models to Google Earth and view them in context. The Graphisoft site has all the juicy details.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/archicad-users-rejoice/feed/ 0 Another delicious email newsletter about SketchUp https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/another-delicious-email-newsletter-about-sketchup/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/another-delicious-email-newsletter-about-sketchup/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:25:00 +0000
If you're the sort of person who likes to receive informative, timely and occasionally amusing correspondence in your email inbox, you're in luck. You can now subscribe to no fewer than two such newsletters: the SketchUpdate (which we've been cobbling together for the last six years) and the new all-new CatchUp. Brought to you by our friends at SketchUcation, CatchUp features tips, tricks, interviews and all kinds of other helpful stuff for SketchUp people everywhere. If you're interested, you can sign up to receive it every month by registering for the SketchUcation Community Forums (the registration link is in the upper-left corner).

Allow me to go off on a tangent for a moment. Since I started working on SketchUp three years ago, I've been party to dozens of giddy conversations that involved the application of the suffix "Up" to everything we produce. Some examples: "LayUp" for what we eventually called LayOut; "MatchUp" for our photo-matching feature; "HiccUp" for a minor software bug; "ThrowUp" for a full-out crash—I think you get the idea. Feel free to use the comments thread for this post to add your own to our list.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/another-delicious-email-newsletter-about-sketchup/feed/ 0 No Olympic kickball team for us https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/no-olympic-kickball-team-for-us/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/no-olympic-kickball-team-for-us/#comments Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:13:00 +0000
It is with deep regret that I inform you of the results of our office's final kickball game on Monday evening. After seven nail-biting innings, and with the score tied at three apiece in double overtime, the other team drove in a run to win the game. The kick that did us in was particularly impressive (almost suspiciously so); it soared high over the infield, landing between our outfielders and causing general mayhem as their runner crossed home plate. They celebrated as we consoled ourselves with the last of our intoxicants, and reflected on our fifth-place finish (out of five, unfortunately).

Congratulations to the team that beat us: That's What She Said, you were a noble and gracious opponent, and we look forward to playing you again in the fall league. Here's a picture of the Google Boulder team in happier times.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/no-olympic-kickball-team-for-us/feed/ 0 Auto-save to the rescue https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/auto-save-to-the-rescue/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/auto-save-to-the-rescue/#comments Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:57:00 +0000

Has SketchUp ever crashed on you? Is the sky blue?

The good news is that SketchUp has an Auto-save feature that automatically saves your model every five minutes by default. The bad news is that most people don't know about it. Let's rectify that, shall we?

You fiddle with SketchUp's Auto-save settings in the General panel of the Preferences dialog box. On Windows machines, this is located in the Window menu; on Macs, it's in the SketchUp menu. You can tell SketchUp how often you want to auto-save, and you can even turn off auto-saving altogether. If you're working on a really large model and the pause that occurs when SketchUp auto-saves is bothering you, you can always tell the software to save less often.

Keeping in mind that SketchUp only produces an auto-saved file when something awful happens, you can find it in the same folder as the original file—it's called Autosave_filename.skp. If you've never saved your model (shame on you), you can find an auto-saved SketchUp file in your My Documents folder. If you're on a Mac, the file is here:
~/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 6/SketchUp/Autosave

Now get down off that window ledge and get back to work.

Model credits H!K for the axe; Jon for the laptop

]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/auto-save-to-the-rescue/feed/ 0 The all-new SketchUp 3D Challenge https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/the-all-new-sketchup-3d-challenge/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/the-all-new-sketchup-3d-challenge/#comments Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:50:00 +0000

The SketchUp 3D Challenge is celebrating its first birthday! We've had a lot of fun creating the many dozens of challenges we've issued over this past year. It's pretty amazing what SketchUp users can create in the short span of a week. Now, hundreds of models later, we're pleased to announce that the 3D Challenge has been moved to a new community-run blog. In honor of the move, the first challenge will be a redux of the first one we issued a year ago: a chess set. There were a lot of fun entries last time, from traditional ones to sets created from nuts and bolts, driftwood, stone, Lego ... Who knows what y'all will come up with this time around? Check out this album of images from last year's chess challenge for inspiration.

There will be a new challenge every week, so next time you want to improve your SketchUp skills or just have some fun, just check out the latest challenge topic, and start modeling!
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/the-all-new-sketchup-3d-challenge/feed/ 0 Google SketchUp For Dummies is out https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/google-sketchup-for-dummies-is-out/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/google-sketchup-for-dummies-is-out/#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:11:00 +0000

If you've ever written a book, you know what it feels like to see it sitting on a bookstore shelf for the first time. A few days ago, I got to feel that way, too -- I almost started dancing right in the middle of the aisle.

The book I wrote is called Google SketchUp For Dummies, and it's now available at bookstores all over the U.S., Canada and the UK (Amazon has it, too). It took me about five months to write, and it covers both the Windows and Mac versions of Google SketchUp 6 — Free and Pro (including LayOut). At 432 pages, with something like 260 illustrations and a 16-page color insert, it's about 422 pages longer than anything else I've written (excluding my Master's thesis, which doesn't count because no one's actually ever read it). All the same, I like to write, and I like SketchUp, so the book seemed like a worthwhile undertaking. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

I also built a companion website for the book that includes links to videos and other useful stuff I've put together. The videos themselves live on YouTube; I've recorded and uploaded 54 so far, and I plan to add another three dozen or so in the next couple of months. The videos are just me, talking and modeling, so don't be disappointed if you're expecting peppy music and bare midriffs — I'm just not that kind of YouTuber, I guess.

Update I changed the description of what's covered in the book.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/google-sketchup-for-dummies-is-out/feed/ 0 Build Your Campus in 3D winners announced https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/build-your-campus-in-3d-winners-announced/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/build-your-campus-in-3d-winners-announced/#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2007 05:20:00 +0000

The results are in for the winners of the Build Your Campus in 3D Competition. The judges chose 7 teams from among the dozens who submitted more than 4000 buildings from higher education institutions all over North America. Without further ado, the schools who will be joining us in Mountain View are:

University of Minnesota | Twin Cities, Minnesota
Purdue University | West Lafayette, Indiana
Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, Indiana
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | Needham, Massachusetts
Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire
Stanford University | Stanford, California

Check out the competition website to see more details about the judges, the rules, the winners, and what they won. There, you can follow a link to see the winning campuses in your copy of Google Earth. Again, congratulations to the winning teams, and a big thank you to everyone who participated.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/build-your-campus-in-3d-winners-announced/feed/ 0 Make beautiful renderings, win glamorous prizes https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/make-beautiful-renderings-win-glamorous-prizes/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/make-beautiful-renderings-win-glamorous-prizes/#comments Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:11:00 +0000
The folks at Cadalog, who make a nifty photorealistic rendering plug-in for SketchUp called SU Podium, are having a contest. Basically, everyone starts with the same 3D model, and the people who make the nicest renderings (using SU Podium, of course) win. 3DConnexion hardware is available to the first, second and third prize winners. Read all about the contest details.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/make-beautiful-renderings-win-glamorous-prizes/feed/ 0 Wrapping an image around a cylinder https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/wrapping-an-image-around-a-cylinder/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/wrapping-an-image-around-a-cylinder/#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:38:00 +0000
Earlier this week, I found myself answering an email question about how to apply an image to a cylinder. After I was done, it occurred to me that there were probably a lot of people who could use the tip.

To wrap an image (like a JPEG) around a cylindrical form, follow these steps:
  1. Create a cylinder by extruding a circle with the Push/Pull tool. This technique only works for cylinders created in this way.
  2. Select the side face of your cylinder.
  3. Choose File > Import to open the Import dialog box.
  4. Select the image you'd like to map to the cylinder.
  5. Make sure "Use as Texture" is selected in the Import dialog box.
  6. Click Import.
  7. Click once on the bottom edge of your cylinder to position the lower-left corner edge of your image.
  8. Click again on the top edge of your cylinder to position the top edge of your image.
  9. The image will appear as a sliver of photo on the side of your cylinder – that's OK.
  10. Open the Materials dialog box (from the Window menu), and click the In Model button to see the materials in your model. The In Model button looks like a little house.
  11. A thumbnail of the image you imported in Step 5 should be visible; click on it to load it into your Paint Bucket as a texture.
  12. Click on your cylinder. Your image should wrap around it completely.
Watch this video to see the steps in action:

]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/wrapping-an-image-around-a-cylinder/feed/ 0 Using images for interiors https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/using-images-for-interiors/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/using-images-for-interiors/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:42:00 +0000
One of our oldest friends, Bonnie Roskes, has written an excellent tutorial on using images to paint faces in SketchUp. It appears in the Tips and Tricks area of the AECbytes website, which is well worth checking out. In case you didn't know, Bonnie is the author of Google SketchUp 6: Basic and Advanced Exercises. Years ago, she also wrote the very first book about our software. We think you'll enjoy this new piece.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/using-images-for-interiors/feed/ 0 A little history https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/a-little-history/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/a-little-history/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:29:00 +0000











Recently, the Dominion Institute of Canada sponsored a unique challenge aimed at some of our younger users (14- to 25-year-olds were allowed to enter). Using SketchUp, Google Earth and the 3D Warehouse, participants were asked to do research about the Allied landings at Juno Beach during World War II. The challenge was to create 3D models related to this historic event. There were some outstanding entries created for the contest, and now that the modeling dust has settled the judges have chosen a winner. We'd like to extend our congratulations to Rahul Desai for his winning entry, the HMCS Haida (pictured above). We'd also like to congratulate all the other participants on their excellent work.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/a-little-history/feed/ 0 SketchUp for film and stage revisited https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/sketchup-for-film-and-stage-revisited/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/sketchup-for-film-and-stage-revisited/#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:56:00 +0000
On June 9th, we hosted Stu Maschwitz and Dan Jennings to round out our focus group for an updated Film and Stage Plugin. We started the show off here in Boulder, with a Cajun breakfast at Lucile's. John Bacus, (one of our Product Managers), mistook the jalapeno jelly for the strawberry rhubarb jam, which turned out to be a pleasantly hot surprise. It didn’t take long for our discussion to turn to how SketchUp and LayOut are used in the film industry, and how the current Film and Stage Plugin fits into that world. We also talked about how it can be enhanced to be more useful to those in our community who use SketchUp’s advanced camera capabilities. if you're interested, check out the video interview with Stu (below), and stay tuned for more in the near future.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/sketchup-for-film-and-stage-revisited/feed/ 0 A good house https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/a-good-house/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/a-good-house/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:57:00 +0000
Here's an interesting article that James found on the BBC website: The UK government has announced plans for a zero-emissions house that meets new standards for energy efficiency and all-around eco-friendliness. Besides that, the article includes images of a SketchUp model. How can we tell? The two little girls with the basset hound on the second floor belong to Scott, our engineering manager.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/a-good-house/feed/ 0 SketchUp trainers wanted https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/sketchup-trainers-wanted/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/sketchup-trainers-wanted/#comments Fri, 22 Jun 2007 22:04:00 +0000
Want to try your hand at being a SketchUp trainer for a year? We have several full-time (but temporary) trainer positions open in the U.S. While working with Google under a year-long contract, you'll see the country, train folks on SketchUp, and get paid for doing it. Ideal candidates are folks who love to show off their SketchUp skills publicly and love helping others. If you're an expert in SketchUp and have a professional background or education using SketchUp, please forward your resume to training@sketchup.com.

Update Training positions are no longer listed on the Google jobs website, so here's some more information about them:

Responsibilities:
  • Weekly travel to training locations around the US
  • Lead training classes of up to 10 students
  • Learn and employ SketchUp training content and methods
  • Provide all required feedback and expense reporting
  • Other duties as assigned
Requirements:
  • BA/BS degree
  • Experience with SketchUp or other complex 3D or DTP design software
  • Ability to communicate complex issues/concepts clearly and effectively.
  • Comfort in public speaking
  • Experience in adult learning is helpful
If you're interested, please forward your resume to training@sketchup.com.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/sketchup-trainers-wanted/feed/ 0 Photoshop gets a little less 2D https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/photoshop-gets-a-little-less-2d/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/photoshop-gets-a-little-less-2d/#comments Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:32:00 +0000
People who get to be visually creative for a living (and those who are creative just for fun) already know and love Photoshop. Just recently, in Photoshop CS3 Extended, the good folks at Adobe added the ability to manipulate and modify textures on 3D models, opening up new possibilities for content creation and editing by 3D enthusiasts. In fact, at our users' conference a couple of years ago, we did an informal poll and learned that a huge number of Sketchup users are into Photoshop, too.

So when our 3D Warehouse team met with the Photoshop team a few months ago, it was pretty natural to wonder, "Wouldn't it be cool if Photoshop users could grab models out of the 3D Warehouse?" That's how the plug-in idea was born. A bit of coding later, we've got our first version. Now CS3 Extended users can take advantage of the creativity of 3D modelers from around the world who've shared their stuff on the 3D Warehouse. And in case you had any doubt, the plug-in is free.

Getting started with the plug-in is pretty simple, really. If you've got a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, just download the plug-in and put it in your Photoshop Plugins/Automate directory. Once you've got it, choose File > Automate > Search Google for 3D Model (in Photoshop), pick your favorite model, and you'll be off and running.

Whether it's a sports stadium, a fast car, a cartoon character, some expressionist art, or whatever this thing is, just grab a model out of the 3D Warehouse using the plug-in, and customize it to get the look you want. Have fun!
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/photoshop-gets-a-little-less-2d/feed/ 0 Adding color to your Earth snapshots https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/adding-color-to-your-earth-snapshots/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/adding-color-to-your-earth-snapshots/#comments Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:44:00 +0000 Posted by Nathan Kohrmann, Geomodeler

With a little effort, you can substitute a higher-resolution, color image for the black and white snapshot that appears when you import context into SketchUp from Google Earth. It's a nice way to get started when you're building geolocated models. Here's a video that explains the process, and a step-by-step procedure, just in case you want to file it away for later.

  1. In Google Earth, frame the view you want to send to SketchUp. Be sure to hit the "R" key on your keyboard to orient your view to North, and to make sure you're "looking" straight down at the ground.
  2. Choose File > Save > Save Image to save a color JPEG of your view in Google Earth.
  3. In a new SketchUp file, choose Tools > Google Earth > Get Current View to import what you see in Google Earth into your SketchUp modeling window.
  4. Right-click on your black and white "snapshot" and choose Unlock from the context menu.
  5. Choose View > Hidden Geometry to make the edges of your snapshot visible as dotted lines.
  6. Double-click on your unlocked snapshot to begin editing it, then single-click on it to select it.
  7. Choose File > Import to open the Import dialog box.
  8. Find the color JPEG you saved in Step 2, make sure "Use As Texture" is selected, and click Import.
  9. Apply the color image from Google Earth to your black and white snapshot as a texture. To do this, click on the corner of the black and white snapshot that corresponds to the corner of the color image which is attached to your cursor, then click on the corner diagonally opposite the first.
  10. Right-click on the color image texture you just applied and choose Texture > Position from the context menu.
  11. If you see four yellow pins at the corners of the image, skip the rest of this step. If the pins are different colors, right-click on the image and deselect "Fixed Pins" in the context menu.
  12. Click and drag each yellow pin to the precise corner of the rectangle to which the image texture is applied. Most likely, the only two pins you need to move are the ones you didn't "place" in Step 9.
  13. Right-click on your image and choose "Done" from the context menu.
  14. Right-click on your image again, and choose "Projected" from the context menu.
  15. Double-click elsewhere in your modeling window to stop editing your image texture.
  16. Right-click on your snapshot and choose "Lock" from the context menu.
  17. Outline the roof of the structure you want to model, creating a face.
  18. With the Paint Bucket tool, Alt-Click (Command-click on a Mac) on the (now colored) snapshot to sample the texture, then click on the face you drew in the previous step to paint it.
  19. Push/pull the face you just created into a 3D form. At this point, you'll probably want to paint the sides of your form with a less distracting texture. (I suggest a lovely beige.)
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/adding-color-to-your-earth-snapshots/feed/ 0 Create animated models for Google Earth https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/create-animated-models-for-google-earth/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/create-animated-models-for-google-earth/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:39:00 +0000 Posted by Aidan Chopra, Product Evangelist

I remember the first time I saw the shadows feature in SketchUp; I just about broke my ankle getting to my computer to download the software. When someone in our office first noticed Keyhole (which is what Google Earth was called before it was acquired), all work came to a grinding halt while everyone spent the afternoon flying around the world.

Now somebody's figured out a way to combine two very cool things – shadows plus Google Earth – into a single, delicious entity. In the file that James Stafford of barnabu.co.uk produced, you can watch a SketchUp model of the London Eye actually rotating in Google Earth. As if that weren't enough, he also created a series of overlays that let you watch the Eye's shadow move, too. Check out James' blog post to download the Google Earth KMZ, and to read about how he put it together.

Update The link in the last sentence nows goes to the correct place.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/create-animated-models-for-google-earth/feed/ 0 Who’s that scale figure? https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/whos-that-scale-figure/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/whos-that-scale-figure/#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:23:00 +0000 Posted by John Bacus, Product Manager

You've probably noticed the little person who appears in every new SketchUp file you create -- in fact, you've probably deleted him more times than you can count. Or maybe you're one of the hundreds of people who delight in doing funny things to him and uploading him to the 3D Warehouse.

Here why he's there: Sometimes it's hard to know how big something is when you're just sketching it out for the first time. So we added a scale figure (a person, basically) to some of our default SketchUp templates. That way, you can rough out an idea by modeling relative to the person, instead of by paying close attention to the Value Control Box. Having a little dude on the screen also helps new users figure out which way is up.

With each new release, we've used a different member of the SketchUp team for that scale figure. In SketchUp 6, the lucky victim is Bryce, but we've also used Sandra, Greg and me in earlier releases. If you look in the "2D People" collection in the 3D Warehouse, you can see components for lots of other SketchUp folks, too. So next time you're deleting Bryce, remember that he's a real person, and that he has feelings, too. Then go ahead and erase him. I do it dozens of times a day – and I sit right next to him.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/whos-that-scale-figure/feed/ 0 Evil mad scientists use SketchUp! https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/evil-mad-scientists-use-sketchup/ https://googledata.org/google-sketchup/evil-mad-scientists-use-sketchup/#comments Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:09:00 +0000
Several weeks ago at the Maker Faire 2007 in San Mateo, a couple of us had the chance to meet and mingle with 20,000-ish of the most interesting and inventive people I've encountered in a long time. Nestled in among the macrame aliens, monster Tesla coils and fire-breathing robots, we set up a decidedly low-tech booth where we offered to make a SketchUp model of any project that visitors could think up. We made a bunch of models, including a Cargo Cult banjo, a Trebuchet, a Segway Coat Rack and the Shane 3m telescope.

But the most exciting thing I saw had to be Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories' Sugar Printer. There are plenty of people looking for ways to build 3D printers on the cheap (the commercial machines still cost mega-bucks), but this one was designed in SketchUp -– and here's the actual model to prove it. Bryce and I are going to try building one down in the basement. Does anyone know where to get a good price on 5,000 pounds of sugar?

Update Added the above photo, which was taken at Maker Faire by Windell H. Oskay.
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