If you use SketchUp and AutoCAD in your practice, chances are you have imported one of your AutoCAD files into SketchUp or visa versa. SketchUp was developed by two former AutoDesk employees and it makes sense that these programs are directly compatible.



In fact, they share many congruent elements. Layers in AutoCAD will import directly into SketchUp. If you have a large CAD layer list, as many projects do, and then open the layers menu in SketchUp (windows  layers) after import,… Continue

In my previous blog, I wrote about SketchUp and Landscape Architecture. Today's blog focuses on how SketchUp is an econmical tool for landscape architects.



Design professions have changed a great deal with the advent and use of computers. From hand drafting we now have CAD drafting. Hand rendering has been replaced with Photoshop illustratives. Instead of pen and marker perspectives, we use… Continue

I will always remember the first time I saw SketchUp. A colleague brought a promotional video to the office by a company called @Last Software. The short video demonstrated how to create a simple square, extrude it into 3D and add a roof to make a house. Then, just like that, the video added windows and doors and some funky looking trees around the little 3D home.



It took me all of 10 minutes to download SketchUp version 3 (we are now on version 7) and run through the accompanying… Continue