Yet another google addon, luckily this time it's useful. (Google Sketchup)

Member Name: LoolooMe

Product:	Google Sketchup
Date:	14/08/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very easy to use a very good program and FREE!

Disadvantages: Needs a little work to get it perfect.

I stumbled across this fantastic software after reading seantheprawn's review. Now I gave up architecture a long time ago, but I still love designing and this software will also help with my current studies. So what exactly is it? It is freeware 3d modeling program from google. This means that it is completely free to down load the basic one (like it is with google earth), and it will allow you to design models in 3d.

What are its good points?
-Free (always a bonus), - Very easy to use, - Doesn't take up much room on your computer, - good for a wide rang of projects., -online free training, -inference.

*Ease of use*
If you have experience with design programs, such as corel draw, photoshop etc. then you will find using this very easy and off you go. If you are new to graphic programs, don't despair they provide free video tutorials which will help you along. I do suggest that everyone has a look at the tutorials as they will give you tricks which will speed up the time it takes you to produce your masterpiece. Such as how to use the "Follow Me tool".

*Range of uses*
If you need to create a 3d image, for what ever reason, then this s the program for you. It's only function is 3d, so that's where all the development time has been spent, which means that it is a fantastic 3d program.
You can also import images to either lay on top of your image or import a google earth image and then use it as your blue print.

*light on space*
My computer (which can barely run Sims2 with everything turned off) can run google earth, google sketchup and Mozilla Firefox all at the same time. Now my computer is about to be 5, so I am confident that if your computer can access the internet it can handle this. I also haven't noticed any lag.

*Inference*
This is google sketchup's big thing. It is an inferring tool. This allows you to raise blocks to all one level, match up sides on a cube and basically gives you guide lines so that you know what you are lining up your line with. Check out the online tutorial on it, very useful and infact it would be very frustrating without this.

Now that I've sung it's praises it's time for its bad points.
- 3d only, - walking around, - limited range of textiles, - fiddly, -google earth import is in black and white.

3d only. Yes ok it needs to be in this so that you can create your master piece. Personally for me I have a high 3d IQ score, basically I can imagine things in 3d, for those of you who can't then obviously you will find it more difficult, but it won't be impossible. They have made it very easy and give you colours for your x,y and z axis, so for example you line will turn blue when you are on the x axis.

Walking around.
You can not walk through walls. I know that this seems obvious, but it's really annoying when you have spent ages creating a perfect door, and then you must delete it so you can get through to the other room.

Textile range.
Ok yes it is free so I shouldn't complain, but it is so frustrating as they have supplied a limited number of textiles for you to cover your surfaces in. This results in me wanting more. In all credit to them though they do have a sufficient variety such as metals, water, wood, colours and you can edit them by changing their transparency and colour, but still I want more!

The fiddeliness.
They have the autofeature where the program guesses where you want the line to connect to, unfortunately sometimes it is wrong and it just won't click to where you want it to as it is too busy thinking you want something else. This is easy to fix, just zoom in which gives the program greater sensitivity or spin around to a different view which has less going on. This autoclick is a common problem in most graphic programs I have used, however it is very useful when it guesses correctly, and it is quite easy to fix.

Google Earth B&W.
It is so helpful tracing over a google earth image. But you know what they are like, a little bit grainy, and with trees in the way etc so it's not always clear just where exactly the house ends and the garden starts. Luckily you can decipher this when it's in colour, but when it is in black and white it is almost impossible. I presume that it is in black and white so that it saves space, but maybe in a later edition it could get imported colour and then once you've traced what you need then you could click desaturated google earth image.

All in all, great program, in fact I spent 7 hours on it yesterday and so far 4 hours on it today. Looses a star as they are some tweaks that it needs, it's not perfect but then again who is?

P.S. What does Noise mean? I didn't know so i've left it blank.

Summary: If you use 3d images for anypart of your life then I recommend this program.

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