If you’ve ever used AutoCAD, you’ll know why Google’s SketchUp is a pleasure to work with. The latest 7.1 release of SketchUp includes Get Photo Texture, Nearby Models and a new Upload Component. Using Google Earth, SketchUp and Google Maps, the company offers a number of quick modeling solutions. After importing a Google Earth snapshot and allowing Google’s 3D warehouse to geo-locate your model you can digitally remodel almost any mapped structure.
Get Photo Texture: If you’re working on a model that exists in Google Street View, rather than rendering your own textures, you can skin your building with Street View imagery. Rather than painstakingly tiling windows and bricks, you’ve suddenly got a chance to manipulate an entire building face with a simple copy and paste.
Nearby Models: This automates the task of finding nearby buildings for your model. After you’ve found the location of your project, select the nearby building you’d like to include and they’ll automatically appear as nearby buildings in your file.
Upload Component: Rather than going through the process of selecting and identifying individual buildings from your model to upload to the 3D warehouse, Google has simplified the process. Users can simply right click their model and select upload.
To view some of Google’s featured modelers, visit the Google Earth 3D Building Tour layer or to try your hand at SketchUp, download it here.
