Google SketchUp Pro 6 Released

- 9 January 2007 - Google SketchUp Pro 6

Google SketchUp Pro 6 is powerful, intuitive 3D modelling software that allows designers and planners to explore, communicate and present complex design concepts. The simple, robust toolset and intelligent drawing system make it easy to create and modify models, while the import/export capability gives you the flexibility and functionality required in professional workflow. And now, with SketchUp Pro’s LayOut (beta) feature, you can integrate 3D models with 2D elements like photographs, artwork, text, title blocks – even handwritten notes – to create compelling interactive presentations. LayOut (beta) also enables you to output large-format, high-resolution documents. In a single program, SketchUp Pro 6 combines high-quality 2D design tools with the ability to manipulate dimensionally accurate 3D models with CAD-like precision and scale.

Who uses SketchUp?

Fans of SketchUp include everyone from industry giants to industry-giants-in-the-making. As the 'Switzerland' of design software, we're neutral with respect to file formats and work hard to get along with everybody. In keeping with this, we've designed SketchUp to be compatible with most other modeling, image editing, and illustration applications that designers use. From architects to movie and set designers, from game developers to graphic artists, our users rely on SketchUp to help make their design ideas come to life.

New Features

And now Google SketchUp Pro 6 lets you create 3D models from photographs, match existing models to background photos, render sketchy effects and fog and mark your models with 3D text, logos and watermarks. With the new Styles palette, you have easy access to a collection of display settings, which you can save and share. You also have greater control, with new features like enhanced modifier keys that let you perform operations like “copy” while you move, rotate or push/pull. If you use Google Earth, Google SketchUp allows you to place your models using real-world coordinates and share them with the world using the 3D Warehouse. Learn more about the new features available in Google SketchUp 6.

*Note: LayOut features of Google SketchUp Pro 6 are currently in beta. For information on known issues read the Google SketchUp 6 Release Notes.

Improvements

In addition to new features in Google SketchUp Pro 6, we have made performance improvements to the existing SketchUp features. Check out the complete list of improvements.

You need Google SketchUp Pro 6 if you want to:
* Export 3D models to CAD and other 3D formats
* Export 2D vector images
* Create compelling multi-page design documents and presentations
* Arrange and annotate multiple scaled images on a single-page
* Create customized elements and symbols for your presentations using 2D Vector graphics toolset
* Create, document and present your designs using a single software package
* Email professional technical support

About Google / SketchUp
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a first step to fulfilling that mission, Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed a new approach to online search that took root in a Stanford University dorm room and quickly spread to information seekers around the globe. Google is now widely recognised as the world's largest search engine -- an easy-to-use free service that usually returns relevant results in a fraction of a second.

Founded in 1999 and based in Boulder, Colorado, the developers of SketchUp comprised of a small group of AEC software industry veterans who envisioned developing 3D design software that would make design exploration more accessible. They envisioned a software program that would allow design professionals to draw the way they want to by emulating the feel and freedom of working with pen and paper in a simple and elegant interface, a very powerful software program that would be fun to use and not difficult to learn, computer technology that could be used during the design exploration process and would allow designers to play with their designs in a way that is not possible with current design software.

About CU's 3D Group:
Computers Unlimited's 3D Design Group focuses on specialist products from a number of vendors including Nemetschek N.A., Abvent, autodessys, NewTek, @Last Software, Eovia, Maxon, AEC Software and Informatix.