Google Sketchup

[ChrisMayernik]

I recently just discovered Google Sketchup. http://sketchup.google.com/product_suf.html

It's free and perfect for concepting architecture and creating unique shapes to paint over. I'm using it to create block models to paint over in photoshop. alright give it a go. I recommend turning on anti aliasing in your graphic card profile. have fun

[Prometheus|ANJ]

I thought it could be useful for block modelling. Looks pretty simple to use judging from their videos.

[JustinBeckett]

Isn't that cheating?

[jfwalls]

That's pretty darn cool. I threw this together in about 45 minutes. It looks like you can create buildings, and then upload them onto google earth. I'm sure though that they have to be real buildings, and no crazy sci-fi things. I want to see if I can make my own texures though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jfwalls/test1.jpg

[Farvus]

JustinBeckett - Some time ago I've read Feng Zhu Q&A on some other forum and he said somethig like this:
"Also learn to work smart and efficiently. Remember, we are designers first, artists second. Don't get caught up on doing everything "traditionally" simply because you think you are an artist. Think like a designer and your world will change."

I used Sketchup a lot for creating project visualization in urban design (which I studied at university). Really fast and easy program :)
Here's my example. Of course models can be more complex but simplictity was more important.
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8346/urbanip5.jpg

[_Mario]

Isn't that cheating?Are a few vanishing points, a horizon line, and a pencil cheating?

[Calle_]

mario- yepp

[2b BOY]

I'd rather just get to the construction spot and build it from scratch.

[Prometheus|ANJ]

Real artists arrange individual molecules to make their picture... no wait, atoms, Hmm no, make that quarks... uh... uh... superstrings?

Cheating is simply when you have agreed to a set of rules and give the impression of following them, but don't.

Then of course, you can cheat yourself out of a learning experience. It is useful to be able to construct perspective by hand.

[GriNGo]

That's pretty darn cool. I threw this together in about 45 minutes. It looks like you can create buildings, and then upload them onto google earth. I'm sure though that they have to be real buildings, and no crazy sci-fi things. I want to see if I can make my own texures though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jfwalls/test1.jpg

i think most of us can make that in photoshop or illustrator in about 5-10 minutes :P apart from that, this prog looks handy from architect students!

*off to tell my brother of it!

[Idiot Apathy]

Real artists arrange individual molecules to make their picture... no wait, atoms, Hmm no, make that quarks... uh... uh... superstrings?

AHAHAHAH!

Anyways, sweet program - will help me get into this ... perspective thing you all seem to love.
Edit: Ooo, so intuitive... I loves it.

[Justin.]

THIS IS SO FREAKIN INTUITIVE... OMG

It's SO easy... picked it up in 5 minutes, no prob.

Made the following in under an hour of opening the prog for the first time;

[guggemmaneuver]

hey guys those architecture models are HAWT! gringoloco, farvus, justin... i applaud your work!

[DSillustration]

nice justin!
did you make that door in that time?
or did you grab it off of google's library?

to second what everyone has said, this program rocks.
SO simple.
anything more would be overkill for what i need it for.
thanks for the link chris.

[Justin.]

I made it totally from scratch, no reference :D

As a note;

When drawing rectangles, hold shift for a dotted "Ruler" that can line up your masses!

Now if only they could make Animating and camera movement this intuitive!

[Slash]

This is an invaluable tool for quickly prototyping level design and explaining a level concept to a mapper. And for a lot of other stuff as well of course.

[Verannis]

Isn't that cheating?


You know, I have had a hard time teaching myself that nothing is cheating in art. I used to think that using a photo for reference was cheating. It actually got to the point where I was in figure drawing class and I thought I might be cheating to use the core shadow because it would be too easy to render the form...yeah, that was bad.

But no, it's not cheating. Once you know the rules, you can bend them.

[JustinBeckett]

Yeah you guys are right...It would definitely come in handy for doing quick paintings/renderings.. I have seen alot of pro artists build up stuff in a 3d modelling program first and then paint over it. I guess that is just the same thing.

I was saying isn't that cheating, because, then you are letting a computer pretty much do all your work, wouldn't it be best practicing by hand so your lines become more efficient. Although in loomis's book he even says, no one can draw a straight line, thats why there are rulers.. I donno, im just rambling on :)

[jfwalls]

Here's my house!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jfwalls/246Koele.jpg
I'm trying to figure out how to get into google earth. I can do it on my pc, but I want to add to the 3d warehouse with a "view in google earth option".

[Snarfevs]

I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this app.

[Justin.]

How did you DO that??? Or rather- how do you copy and paste shapes that are equidistant apart?

[Idiot Apathy]

I find it's pretty helpful to 'group' an object so you can easily move the whole thing around and copy paste it. You can still edit the individual parts if you double click too. Check out the 3 videos they have hosted.

Equidistant? You could just enter in the measurement you wanted, draw it all out and copy paste or double up your objects then 'leapfrog'.

[Flake]

Isn't that cheating?

Yes.

Everyone who has ever used any artificial device such as a ruler, compass or computational device (even a Mac) is now officially disqualified from art.

From "The Big Book of Art Rules", Gobshite and Hambeast, 1913, 667pp ISBN No. 0800 898 666 666

[Snarfevs]

How did you DO that??? Or rather- how do you copy and paste shapes that are equidistant apart?

create your shape, and then add a line or surface the distance you want to partition your objects by. Create a component out of it, copy-paste and then use the line to dock your new component to the previous. The separation of the line and the rest of the component will space your components apart.

Oh and someone call the waaahmbulance, these peeps used stencils. Some would say they traced straight off the reference!

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/908/dsc00046jb0.jpg

[voraz]

Looks like a great application.
Snarfevs- how long have you been working with that? don't tell me it was your first try at this program too...

[Snarfevs]

Looks like a great application.
Snarfevs- how long have you been working with that? don't tell me it was your first try at this program too...

Took about an hour, first try. Very intuitive interface. Somewhat less useful than I first thought as an augmentation to perspective because i simply don't paint like the model, but it's good getting the lines right on specific components like arches at odd angles. Other than that it was back to vanishing points and the line tool.

[Idiot Apathy]

@Snarfevs: I'm curious - what is it that you can't get perspective wise in this program?

---
Here is some quick junk I've made while trying to learn the program:

[Hookswords]

I gotta say. I went through the intro tutorial and played around for a bit, and this is a lot of fun.

[Hookswords]

Here is an attack carrier I made along with a fighter that would launch from it.

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/318/carrierbf7.jpg

there are a couple other angles in my sketchbook

[Sundance]

We use sketchup at my Interior Design office for a couple of years now. Its a great tool for getting a hand sketched look quickly for people who cant sketch worth a damn. It is also, as others have said, very easy to pick up, and very intuitive.

[rorke]

this painting was over some columes i created in sketch up

[Hookswords]

Building a fleet here. The carrier with escort missle boats in the fore and back ground, as well as some fighters in the very foreground.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1007/fleetzd1.jpg

[fire_at_will_76]

I'm in first year uni studying architecture and we use sketchup quite a lot, it's very easy to pick up...if I can do it anyone can!