Google SketchUp FTW

[gumboot]

I am curious if anyone else has used this awesome piece of software, and what they think of it. I (obviously) think it's the bee's knees.

I write fantasy, with the various world-building that goes with that, and I initially got the software to do very basic mock-ups of key buildings/places to help visualise them.

However I have since began to increase the level of detail markedly, to the point of populating my models with entire detailed floor plans, furniture, and so forth, complete with the various textures, allowing for an incredible level of detail which has enhanced my writing enormously and allowed me to give a sense of realism - once you start building the model you soon adjust things that just don't really work.

Now, obviously you can do all of this, substantially better, with professional modelling software, but what I like about this is how quick and easy it is to use. I can get a pretty detailed model of an apartment of several rooms complete in relatively short time. The other great thing is because the software uses real-world measurements, it can be handy for getting the sense of scale right. Instead of vaguely inventing a size for a room when a character walks in, I can measure the room and give actual measurements. (Then of course dumb them back a bit, because who wants to read a novel and see:

"John stepped into the hall and gazed about him. The room was enormous; 75.6 meters long and 24.2 meters wide...")

I knew about the software for months and months before ever using it because I thought of it solely as a way of creating 3D buildings for GoogleEarth, and that didn't interest me. Now I don't know what I'd do without it. It has enhanced so many aspects of the immersiveness of my writing...

 

[Safe-Keeper]

SketchUp is to modeling software what MS Paint is to image editing programs. It's a nice little tool. The fact that you can export your models to Google Earth is a nice touch, too.

I never knew writers used modeling software to visualize their work, though.

 

[gumboot]

I never knew writers used modeling software to visualize their work, though.

I've never heard of another writer doing it, but then it hasn't exactly been something that could easily be done until recently.

 

[Gagglegnash]

Hi

... clip ...

I never knew writers used modeling software to visualize their work, though.

Mike Ford, when he wrote, "How Much for Just the Planet," built a cardboard full mockup of the area of activity and moved miniatures around it on a tick-by-tick basis to get the timing of the character exits and entrances right.

So... ya, some do.

 

[Almo]

I thought Sketchup was nice. Good purchase by Google. Some of our level designers at Ubi have used it for rough sketches of levels before going to town with the serious tools.

 

[Grizzly Bear]

Some of my classmates in design studio would use sketchup for some of their 3D modeling, I haven't used it myself though, I've been using Rhino since it has an interface and command line very similar to autoCAD

 

[kedo1981]

Sketch-up is pretty cool and the pro version is often use for architectural visualization.
Of course it’s companion program Google Earth is the greatest piece of software on “Earth”.
If you’d like to pre-visualize you story concepts a free program called “Antics” is really good free-be.

 

[steve s]

I've always found Sketchup a bit clunky to use. I'm used to modelers like Rhino, MoI, and Blender (Yes, I know Blender is rather clunky in its own right. But I'm used to it.)

My main complaint with Sketchup is that they tried to make it so cute and user-friendly that it gets in the way of itself sometimes. It reminds me a bit of Bryce in that way. The Bezier curves in Sketchup stink to high heaven. And I've always found selecting things to be difficult. It always seems to select what I don't want.

Steve S.

 

[steve s]

I should add that Microsoft has bought Caligari and is now offering Truespace for FREE. Yes, all those people who recently paid full price (about $600) are now kicking themselves.

Truespace was the first 3d software that I used back about 1994. It was inexpensive and easy to use. But as new versions came out, the price soared. I had the first three versions, but eventually bailed out due to the high price. I eventually got into Blender which is free and powerful, but has the worst interface of just about any app.

Get Truespace here...
www.caligari.com


Steve S.

 

[kedo1981]

Me I use Carrara 6 pro, poser and after effects cs3 (heaven; I'm in heaven)