So, SketchUp...Site:
http://sketchup.google.com/Background/My opinion on stuff:Google bought them a couple years ago, and I'd say it was one of their best purchases. SketchUp (from here on out, SU) is, in my opinion, the closest thing to sketching in 3D. This is a really big deal, because designers and architects have designed 3D objects/structures in 2D for a very long time, and most people in the industry will tell you that that is absolute bollocks. Physical models are a way to design in 3D, but it just takes too long and so naturally we fall back on 2D Plan Elevation and Section drawings, when a quick and dirty 3D model would probably result in a better designed space. It only makes sense to design 3D space in 3D space, right?
Of course, like all new technologies there is a lack of acceptance from some, but that's fading fast and SU is definitely finding itself a strong place in the design phase. The next big step will, in my opinion, be adding a way to view SU models in proper 3D; digital models not feeling 3D enough (and thus it being harder to understand the space in 3D) is the one big argument against computer modeling that I'd consider legitimate.
Something else to note: after Google bought SU they started offering a free version (I'm not sure whether or not there was a free version before; there may very well have been). The big thing to note here is that Google has removed almost all of the differences between the two versions, though you might not realize that by just looking at the SU website. The only differences I'm fully aware of are shadow location control, image export resolution, and model export types. In the free version all exported images will be the size of your monitor's resolution, whereas in Pro you can choose whatever size you want. And in the free version you can only export models in the SU file format and the Google Earth format; all the standard 3D model file types are available in Pro. There is a backdoor work around in the free version to get your models into the other formats, but that's all I'll say about it here, as I'm sure the savvy among you can find info on it if you must (still better than pirating the full version IMO).
NOTE: the free version is for non-commercial use.
What to use SU for:Quick and Dirty 3D designs; roughing out your ideas in the 3D space they'll inhabit instead of just 2D sketches.
Pre-Rendered graphics for, say, a 2D platformer, or flat objects that always face the camera in a 3D world.
Low Poly Modeling!!!
Roughing Out Levels/Level Design (Ishi has mentioned doing this himself, so you know it's legit.
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Level of Model Detail:In terms of the level of detail of your models, well, that's a messy area. Technically SU can handle a lot of polygons, but a lot of people have this attitude that because SU is easy to use and "simple," they shouldn't use it for anything above a certain detail, and programs like FormZ or Rhino should be used for that. I think there is probably
some truth to this, but SU can be taken quite far, and I'm not convinced that it shouldn't be.
Intro to using SU:SU has some incredibly well done tutorials that you follow along with in SU (these are some of the only software tutorials I've ever liked, so that's really saying something). They used to come with SU, but now need to be downloaded separately. Here are the download links (just download the model files and open them in SU):
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=901231215767ef7a545172f70efed474http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=a00309dbdab49ffb545172f70efed474http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=1cedfc63585117f7545172f70efed474http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=36b35705038c6b79545172f70efed474http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=b00b19302f0150c6545172f70efed474Here are some video tutorials that cover more advanced stuff; they seem to be organized by tool (I don't think these specific ones were there when I learned SU):
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=96866&topic=13706First things to do when starting SU:I highly recommend changing your toolbars to show a whole lot more tools. Just go View->Toolbars. I have almost every single one checked.
I don't know why it's not on by default, but you've got to check a little box to "unlock" the landscape/terrain tools. Go Window->Preferences->Extensions and check all the boxes ("Sandbox Tools" is the terrain stuff).
3D Warehouse:One of the great things about SU is that there's this massive library of free models online called the 3D Warehouse. You can find an obscene amount of stuff there, and you're encouraged to upload models of your own too.
Ruby Scripts:It is possible to extend the functionality of SU with Ruby scripts. This is a pretty big deal, as some incredibly scripts have been created, and you'll want to stock up on useful scripts immediately. An example is a script that quickly creates grids with tiles of a chosen size. On the "cool" end of the spectrum is SketchyPhysics, which allows animation and physics in SU; I've downloaded it but haven't had a chance to play around with it yet.
For those that are interested, I highly recommend playing around with scripting, as I'd love to see SU's functionality be extended even further. And I do think it would be possible to create a script that would allow games to be run in SU (I have heard talk of this, but as far as I'm aware no one's really tried). Now that would be indie, taking a tool and turning it into a game world!
Last few things to note:Keeping a well organized model in SU is really important, so being obsessive compulsive about using Groups and Components is key. Groups are groups of elements that can be treated as one object, and Components are Groups that all change when you edit one. So you'd make a one of a kind building into a Group, and a streetlight into a Component (so that if you revise the design of that streetlight, you only need to edit one to edit them all).
In comparison to other computer aided design software, SU has a very small tool palette. Where some people would see this as a weakness, I definitely see it as a strength, as it requires a certain level of creativity to use each tool in the myriad of possible ways. When asking yourself "how do I model this," thing very carefully about the tools at your disposal and how they can be used alone and in concert.
So I'm going to try very hard to be around answering questions in this thread, but in all honesty I'm starting a new project on Monday and can't guarantee just how busy I'm going to be this week. SU is quite easy and I'm sure you'll all do fine; do ask questions though, as I will make and effort to answer them.
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