RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: Improved interface and drawing capabilities, new photo matching and hand-drawn effects - and it’s still free.

Over the years @Last Software’s SketchUp managed to win itself a small fanbase, particularly among architects, for its valiant attempt to make 3D modelling as simple as 2D drawing...

The program’s fortunes changed radically when it added a plug-in to enable its models to be integrated directly into Google Earth. Google took notice, bought the company, added new internet-based model searching and sharing capabilities and opened up the renamed, and now completely free, Google SketchUp to a whole new market.
For this first major update under the Google brand, the SketchUp interface has been reworked to make it more accessible to its new wider audience. By default the main toolbar has been simplified, there’s a new Instructor palette, the Components and Materials browsers have been streamlined and the new colouring of sky and ground planes and the inclusion of a default figure in new scenes greatly helps orientation. Most importantly, SketchUp offers generally quicker handling - Google claims up to 5X for some operations.
SketchUp’s core drawing capabilities have also been made easier with new modifier keys that let you quickly create copies of objects and force the direction in which a line should be locked – minor tweaks that make a huge practical difference. More advanced drawing power comes through enhancements to SketchUp’s intersection capabilities which can now be limited to currently selected objects or to the current group or component. There’s also a new Paste In Place command which makes it simple to move selections in and out of geometry as desired.
SketchUp’s text capabilities have also been overhauled. As well as the existing ability to create text and linked annotations that either remain fixed onscreen or follow the object they are linked to, you can now set a fixed height for text so that its size changes, like the model itself, depending on the zoom level. There’s also a completely new 3D Text tool which lets you set a font, size and extrusion depth and then creates actual geometry that you can then place into your scene.
The most impressive new addition to Google SketchUp 6 is the new Photo Match capability. This is accessed from a new floating palette from where you load your images. Based on the photo you can quickly mark up horizontal and vertical lines, for example based on a building’s windows, and then set a central origin, say to the point where two walls meet. Based on this information, SketchUp then works out the camera position, field of view and perspective accordingly meaning that you can then quickly build up your model’s geometry using the image – ideally multiple images handled as scenes - as your guide. Best of all, once you’ve finished your geometry, you can simply project your photos onto it to create an immediately recognisable textured model.

The new Photo Match capability makes it easier to create textured models based on real buildings

You’re then ready to integrate your finished models with Google Earth and to post them to Google’s 3D Warehouse if you want to share them with others. To use your models in further 3D-based workflows you’re almost certainly going to need the commercial Google SketchUp Pro 6 (see boxout) though native SKP support is spreading. You can still print directly however, and also output to a number of bitmap formats. Before you do that though, you need to get your scene looking just the way that you want it.
SketchUp isn’t intended for producing photorealistic renderings so there’s no advanced control over materials or lighting, though you can quickly apply bitmap textures and set up accurate location and time-based shadows, and now add fog to create a sense of depth. Instead SketchUp is designed to produce drawings that look as if they have been created by a real draughtsman. In this latest release the options on offer for producing these more artistic renderings have been extended to include “sketchy effects”, that make lines look looser and hand-drawn, and watermarks, that can be used to brand images or to give them a textured surface like canvas. There’s also a new central Styles palette in which you can quickly choose between a whole set of preset rendering effects, customize them and create your own house style.

New styles and effects can give a hand-drawn look to drawings

Starting with its ability to “sketch up” 3D models and ending with its apparently hand-drawn output, Google SketchUp would be an extraordinary program at any price. If you’ve ever thought about getting involved with 3D here’s the perfect entry route: surprisingly simple and powerful, and completely free.

EASE OF USE 4/6
FEATURES 5/6
VALUE FOR MONEY 6/6
OVERALL 5/6