SKETCHUP

NEW: Nov 11th 07- Have been building a lot of stuff using Sketchup for various Freelance clients, and I am now advertising courses in the East Midlands to schools in how to use Sketchup creatively in the curriculum
I am also using Sketchup as a training resource directly, and also to bid for projects. Any models that can be downloaded, and for that my clients have to agree, can be found in Google Warehouse by searching for my name 'ajbooker'
Here are a couple of films (generated from within the free version of Sketchup 6.0) of a future car project for a client

Nov 10th 06- Have found a higher quality renderer for Sketchup.
eDrawings is a 3D model display program. there are translators for lots of different industry standard 3D Programs. Sort of a PDF for 3D. This LINK takes you to their download page where you can download it. It runs as a separate application or as extra buttons on the Sketchup toolbar. Pressing the button exports the model and then it shows it in eDrawing at far higher quality than in Sketchup. really only works for full colour models, shadows are limited and some textures (Seems tobe the odd one you create yourself) can move a bit, but check out the photos below to see the result. In eDrawings the model can be spun and zoomed as normal.
It also appears that Solidworks will open and import edrawing files, complkete with structure of how they are created. If true, could be a way to translate between Sketchup and CAD/CAM in schools. tell you more when I have checked it out.

Within Sketchup


Exported to eDrawing

NEW: Nov 06- Various models you can download from here
Click on the picture for bigger view, right click and download the description to get the original Sketchup model


Visirocker switch - actual size of rapid electronics component


Truss Bridge - Scaled 2.4m long


Clunk-Click gearbox - Accurate model to scale, you can buy these from www.mutr.co.uk and rapid electronics


FABULOUS concept. Simple switched battery box, terminal block and current limiting LED gives a complete nightlight module suitable for KS1/KS2/KS3

NEW: Set of textures for teaching texture alignment in sketchup and the base file to apply them on.

Click HERE for the Sketchup file

Click on the icons to open the textures

You will have to teach pupils to align textures and move and drag 'fixed pins' but there is a good video tutorial in the sketchup site

NEW: Set of 3 training films added showing how to use SKETCHUP to make a wooden puzzle AND sample files for using textures to simulate packaging

Sketchup is a new free software package which was released by Google in March 2006 after they bought the company

Whats makes it so good is its utter ease of use. If you have ever bit the desk in frustration when using ProDesktop or 3D studio or Maya, this is for you

What its not for, is accurate drawing. this may seem strange but you get enough control to produce something which looks realistic. Particluary useful is the built in alignment which means lines are automatically snapped to edges, corners and midpoints with colour coded hints, and that when you draw a flat shape on a face, it sticks to it rather than having to align your drawing super accurately

Perhaps the killer feature after the price is the google internet link. Google has set up a 'warehouse' where you can search for free 3D models posted by others (or yourself) in the public areas. this means you can download a 3D bus to test your bus stop design with, bicycles to design a bike rack around and furniture to test your house designs. In the two months since sketchup went free, there has been an explosion of free models on the net

If you are looking for (and understand) metaballs, IK, Nurbs, POVray or Boolean modelling then sketchup may not impress, but for knocking up quick models, it is amazing and should easily fulfill your needs for anything up to GCSE and most of A'level

There is an excellent built in tutorial which shows you step by step how to build a fully rendered house. there are many more toolbars available and what excites me, is that now its free, I expect ot to become a standard and for others to add on extra functionality

To get it, go to Google.com and type in sketchup and you will easily find the free download icon. Sketchup runs windowed on XP and seems to work fine with RM networks

Set of 3 video tutorials on how to make a wooden puzzle
Each film is in .WMV format and is around 8MB

The Puzzle, Click HERE for sketchup file

You can use photographs and textures to make very realistic models. Here i photographed a 'cup a soup' box, trimmed the pictures and pasted them onto a box in sketchup. You could use almost any graphics software to create your own 3D packaging to try different colours and effects quickly.
Click HERE for the Sketchup file

You can alter the settings in Sketchup to make semi-realistic models with shading, down to 'sketchy' looking models which look great in folios
Here are some sunglasses in different view settings

Click HERE for the Sketchup file

Click HERE for the Sketchup file

Video tutorial on how to make an ipod (7.5MB .WMV)

A good summary is how to make an ipod.

You start by using the rectangle tool to draw a rectangle on the screen


You pick the extrude tool, click and drag the rectangle to make it into a 3D block


You use the rectangle tool to draw the screen on the top of the block which lines up automatically


You use the extrude tool again to select the screen shape and this time push it into the block, creating a recess


You use the circle tool to draw two circles on the block


You use the extrude tool to slightly raise the clickwheel shape



Select everything using the select tool and use the paint tool to make it off white


Now you can turn on shadows and fiddle till it looks cool

Here are some ideas I have developed and amended


A Robot design


A boat tester I made to explain a science project


Headphones I knocked up for fun


A model downloaded off the Internet and rendered with shadows