Be Your Own Architect

May 26th, 2006

As an architect, Mr. Brady (of the Brady Bunch) was always in his den drawing sketches. Now, along with getting a groovy perm, you can create your own sketches with Google SketchUp (Free and Pro versions are available). Now I’m not really sure why Google went and acquired this platform, but if you had more money than you knew what to do with, you might be purchase things you don’t really need.

I have been using drawing programs on the PC ever since there was a mouse — from basic shapes to sophisticated CAD programs, and I must say that SketchUp is a great compromise of the two and very easy to use. In no time, you will be able to create complex structures in three dimension. I was able to reproduce my house only a few hours after installing the program and running through the included tutorials.

You basically start with 2-D objects and push/pull them into 3-D objects. To help make you the perfect drawer, the tools “snap” to the X, Y, or Z axis, or to existing objects endpoints or midpoints. Going through the tutorials, you begin to see just how complex a drawing you can create using basic line, rectangles, circles, and arcs. The dimensioning tool allows you to annotate your drawing with actual scale dimensions like those on blueprints.

The 3-D rendering is really cool and quick. With the orbit tool, you can easily spin your drawing to look all around it. You can “paint” the surfaces with materials including colors, roofing, siding, brick, and many others. You can also switch to wire frame or X-ray views to speed up the performance as you draw or to look inside your structure.

A sampler of over 50 components is included to add to your sketches. These include human forms, buildings, trees and shrubbery, vehicles, doors, and windows. Many more are available from online libraries, and I believe the intention is that you might upload your own components to share with others.

There is also an interesting option to integrate your drawing into Google Earth, the global mapping application comprised of satellite images of the world. After creating my house, I was able to place it in its exact position on the “Earth”. Perhaps this is why Google made this purchase. I can foresee the three dimensional recreation of structures of the world enhancing the satellite photography.

If you are considering renovating your home, or just interesting in architectural drawing, SketchUp is a great tool to easily draft some options for yourself to bring to a real architect or builder.

Google SketchUp (free) is available here.

Entry Filed under: Technology

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