Google has released a free Mac version (Beta ) of its SketchUp 3D-modeling software.
Google SketchUp is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program that enables you to explore the world in 3D. With just a few simple tools, you can create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects – even space ships. And once you’ve built your models, you can place them in Google Earth, post them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies.
Google SketchUp is free for personal use. No registration is required.
According to Google, SketchUp is a simple but powerful tool for quickly and easily creating, viewing and modifying your 3D ideas:
• Click on a shape and push or pull it to create your desired 3D geometry.
• Experiment with color and texture directly on your model.
• Real-time shadow casting lets you see exactly where the sun falls as you model.
• Select from thousands of pre-drawn components to save time drawing.
Google Earth 3.0.640 or higher is required to work with SketchUp.
The following configuration options are necessary to use SketchUp with Google Earth:
1. Elevation Exaggeration must be turned to 1 in Google Earth (Tools > Options > View)
2. Terrain must be turned on in Google Earth. Click on the Terrain check box toward the bottom middle of Google Earth to turn on terrain.
3. Change your image resolution in Google Earth to Large (Tools>Options>View>Detail Area) to ensure the best image snapshots in SketchUp.
Google SketchUp is not a Universal application. It will run under Rosetta on Intel-powered Macs.
More info and download link here.
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Related MacDailyNews article:
Google releases Google Earth Beta 4 Universal Binary for Intel-based Macs – June 12, 2006
Yaaahhhhhoooo!!!!! Downloaded it a hour ago!!!!!
Thanks Google!!!
Definitely giving this a try when I get home!
all well and good but wheres our universal MAYA???? starting to get worried, dont wanna have to get a pc lol, come on Autodesk, we know you never used to love us but times are a changing, – ps anyone else heard any news on this? ? ?
Me too – dang, what a cool app! There are small bugs, but the thing is so much easier than any 3D tool I’ve ever used that I am left breathless. I don’t know if it’s exceptional in the modern 3D world, but it sure beats Pro/E (as I used in a few years back) in ease-of-use.
And free. Dang.
Lacks some regular solids (spheres and rotations, for example), but is still wildly fun.
Still no damn Universal Binary though!!!!! GRRRRRRR!@$#!%^&@$!$@
Whats the point of releasing something 2-3 months after the initial release IF IT WONT EVEN RUN QUICKLY ON THE NEWEST COMPUTERS.
I was not able to download it. When I clicked the download button nothing happened.
Good for kiddies. I have the pro version. Ha ha ha.
Might wanna mention in the article that it is also for Tiger (10.4) only.
No it isnt just for tiger actually, says in the installer it works on panther and above and ive got it working fine. Its a mistake on the download site i think.
Autodesk (AutoCAD) is the Microsoft of the CAD world. They’re everywhere, widely used, but no where near the best solution- especially when it comes to true 3D modelling. Better off with Unigraphics, Pro-E, or SolidWorks. No Mac version of those apps yet either. 🙁
PIXAR HERE I COME!!!
-the fool with his head in the clouds
This is actually a bigger deal than you might know:
Sketchup has quickly become one of the de facto front-end design tools for MANY architects, and is (for instance) already a standard app in major firms. We did the concept design for a major project with Sketchup. Of course, eventually all roads for real production work still lead to AutoCAD, but this may encourage at least the design side of major architectural firms to consider re-Mac-ing.
Here are the requirements from the ReadMe (yes, Jaguar seems to be supported):
Hardware and Software Requirements (Mac)
Operating System
Mac OS® 10.3 (Panther) or higher
Hardware (Minimum Requirements)
400 MHz PowerPC™ G4
128 MB RAM 80 MB of available hard-disk space
QuickTime 5.0 and web browser for multimedia tutorials
Video card that is 100% OpenGL compliant
Hardware (Recommended Requirements)
1 GHz G5 or higher
512 MB RAM
3-button, scroll-wheel mouse
Google Earth Compatibility
Google Earth 3.0.640 or higher is required to work with SketchUp.
Nice low hardware specs! I like it. One less reason to upgrade my Cube. It just keeps on workin’…..
What gets ‘installed’? And where?
I HATE installers, and this wants my password.
Sorry to get all Nixon on a ‘free’ SW, but what’s up?
A. Dumas, nothing is up… it is just a free software…. look at your logs to find out about all the install items.
Don’t install it unless you need it.
MacDaddy, Thx for the reminder. D’oh!
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As I said tho’, I really HATE installers. I feel that there’s no need for them on a Mac. Compress the file, fine. Then tell us WHERE to put the decompressed items. Mac people ‘know’ where stuff goes, and those that don’t are Windows people using Macs, or people that are afraid of computers in general.
At the very least tell us where stuff is going to go BEFORE installing — and we have to check the log file — so I can opt out before I have to hunt for bits to trash.
Works just fine on my asthmatic Powerbook 17′ 1GHz G4…
Nice freebee…
I love Sketchup! I’ve been wanting to play with it for years and always hoped for a hobbyist licensed version or something, but FREE is even better!
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Thanks, Google!