Synopses & Reviews
The proposed book would be a beginner- and intermediate-user level manual who’ s purpose would be to introduce readers to 3D modeling with SketchUp. It would assume no prior knowledge of 3D modeling software, techniques or conventions. Upon reading the book in its entirety, readers would: Understand the basic concepts involved in 3D modeling Understand what kind of computer they’ ll need to run SketchUp Understand where SketchUp fits in the universe of 3D modeling software Learn how to build a 3D model and Print it out Share it with a friend Export it to another professional design package Export it to Google Earth Create a 3D animated tour
Readers should also be able to use this book modularly, meaning that specific information should be readily findable for a person with a specific question or concern. The book would cover both Google SketchUp (free) and SketchUp Pro on both Mac and Windows platforms, and will contain a 16-page color insert to help with the thumb test.
Review
"full of tips and techniques" (British Woodworking, October 2007)
Synopsis
Get a whole new perspective on 3D modelingBuild your house in 3D, do some remodeling, and share it in Google Earth
Developed with architects and other design gurus in mind, Google SketchUp is the fast, easy way to build 3D models of anything you want — buildings, furniture, or your own unique creations. Best of all, it's free! You don't have to know anything about 3D to use this handy guide — just download SketchUp, fire it up, and you'll be modeling in no time.
- Create models from photos
Master the interface and 3D tools
Animate a walkthrough of your model
Arrange furniture and decorate your space
Try out landscape designs
Synopsis
- Considerably easier to use than other 3D software, Google SketchUp has found a niche in architecture, landscaping, real estate development, furniture building, and other design professions
- The fun and friendly approach assumes no previous 3D modeling experience and explains the basic concepts involved in 3D modeling
- Shows readers how to build a 3D model, print it, share it, export it to another professional design package, export it to Google Earth, and create a 3D animated tour
- Helps readers harness the power of Google SketchUp so that they can populate Google Earth with 3D buildings, monuments, and other sculptures
About the Author
Aidan Chopra has always had a thing for computers — his parents thoughtfully sent him to Apple camp instead of hockey lessons like every other eight-year-old in Montreal — but he learned to draft and build physical models the old-fashioned way, working for his architect father. These days, Aidan is a Product Evangelist at Google, where he’s been since that company bought SketchUp in the first part of 2006. In the three years since he graduated with a Master of Architecture degree from Rice University, he’s done a lot of writing and lecturing about the way software is used in design. Aidan writes the SketchUpdate, a monthly e-mail newsletter that reaches a half million SketchUp users worldwide. He has taught architecture at the university level and, at Google, works on ways to mediate between power and usability; he believes the best software in the world isn’t worth a darn if nobody can figure out how it works. Aidan is based in Boulder, Colorado, even though he is what many would consider to be the diametric opposite of a world-class endurance athlete.
Table of Contents
Introduction.
Part I: Getting Started with SketchUp.
Chapter 1: Meeting Google SketchUp.
Chapter 2: Establishing the Modeling Mind-set.
Chapter 3: Getting Off to a Running Start.
Part II: Modeling in SketchUp.
Chapter 4: Building Buildings.
Chapter 5: Keeping Your Model Organized.
Chapter 6: Going Beyond Buildings.
Chapter 7: Modeling with Photographs.
Part III: Viewing Your Model in Different Ways.
Chapter 8: Changing Your Model’s Appearance with Styles.
Chapter 9: Working with Light and Shadow.
Chapter 10: Presenting Your Model Inside SketchUp.
Part IV: Sharing What You’ve Made.
Chapter 11: Working with Google Earth and the 3D Warehouse.
Chapter 12: Printing Your Work.
Chapter 13: Exporting Images and Animations.
Chapter 14: Exporting to CAD, Illustration, and Other Modeling Software.
Chapter 15: Creating Presentation Documents with LayOut.
Part V: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 16: Ten SketchUp Traps and Their Work-arounds.
Chapter 17: Ten Plugins, Extensions, and Resources Worth Getting.
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Discover Even More.
Index.