When you actually start using SketchUp, you will see that it is really quite easy to create complex models with ease.  There are really just a handful of tools – but they each do several things and are each both powerful and simple and easy to use.

One of my favorite tools is the “orbit” tool.  Once I have created something I often find myself spending a fair amount of time rotating around the object to get different views of it. In fact, one day I was in my third hour of modeling on something and one of my students walked into my office for the third time and said, “That’s funny – the last time I was in here, you were just rotating that picture around.  Is that all you do?”   I explained that there was more to it than that – but, in truth – he had caught me admiring my work.

This is both satisfying and useful. Every artist needs to stand back from their work and take a look at it, squint at it, and evaluate it.  This tool allows you to do that with ease.

More importantly than that though, is the fact that it keeps you connected with your work.  The freedom to quickly rotate the piece you are working on makes it feel as if it is right in your hands and you are free to manipulate it as you see fit.  This, to me, is one of the things that makes SketchUp such a creative program to use.  You are not separated from your work by too many palettes or commands that remind you that you are using a machine to create your work.

It doesn’t take long before you forget you are working with a computer program and are fully drawn into your creation.  That’s the really cool part.  You know you have been using the program a lot when you look at real-world objects and subconsciously think, “Orbit, Push-Pull, Move, Follow Me…”  (And yes – that actually happens to me…)

Ready to start your modeling career…?

So here it is – reason #2 why I think SketchUp is great.

It’s basically free.  That’s right – free.  You can download it and begin playing (er, I mean “creating”) with it.  (You can’t use the word “play” when describing a CAD program or no one will take you seriously – yet that is EXACTLY what it feels like…)

So – download the program and begin to “create” with it and see just what I am talking about.  The pro version (currently selling for about $500.00) has many more features and everything of course that makes it a great deal at that price.   The basic version of the program and your ability to create wonderful 3D models is still free and you can’t beat that.  No “Free trial run for 30 days”. No annoying watermarks on your work.  Just free.

And that, very simply, is reason #2.

So, go spend time (not money) on SkethUp and start creating…

Let’s start with this one.  There are many great design programs out there that are very good.  There is the “industry standard” for film and game development, 3D Studio Max or even Maya.  There is AutoCAD, the “industry standard” for architecture and also 3D design.  Then there are the rest of the programs which are too numerous to list in a blog like this, but suffice it to say that they all have advantages and disadvantages.

Then there is SketchUp.  Let me get one thing clear before I begin.  I do not have stock in SketchUp. I am not an employee or owner or tied in anyway to the company other than the fact that I have been a loyal customer for many years.

I began using the program back in 2004 when a designer friend of mine at Disney showed me the program.  My first impression was that it looked way too simple to be useful.  I played with it a bit and was not immediately impressed.  The hook was when I got a job as an art director on a video game and needed to use a 3D design program to work with the concepts (and try and get some credibility with the game artists who looked at my hand drawn designs with a bit of confusion as I mentioned pencils and paper…).  I had to dive into the program and learn it quickly.

And that was when I got hooked.

It was an incredibly intuitive program to use.  It’s apparent simplicity was really its strength.  In a nutshell – the program allows you to focus on designing, not focus on learning a program.  That is the key.

Since then I have used SketchUp nearly daily for almost eight years.  I have not formally counted all of the drawings I have created in those eight years, but conservatively, I have created well over 10,000 pages of drawings on over 400 designs for TV, film, theater, live entertainment, game design, and many other areas of design. (I will add a link at some point so you can see some of those images).

So, I know at this point you have no reason to believe me, but take my word for it and give the program a chance.

Next we will talk about other reasons why the program is great…

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Here it is – the first post…

First thing I want to make clear – I am not a trainer or instructor certified by SketchUp.

Second thing is that in my humble opinion (IMHO) it doesn’t matter.  There are many (really good) training options out there where you can learn how to use the program and that is not what this blog is for.

Third thing is that I have logged thousands and thousands of hours using SketchUp for over eight years to design projects for TV and film, theater, corporate events, holiday decor, museum design, commercial design, architecture, and many other areas of design and I absolutely love using SketchUp.  I have literally more than 400 designs in the past eight years and thousands of pages of drawings that have been created in SketchUp and my goal with this blog is to discuss with other SketchUp users different techniques, plug-ins, companion sites, and other resources that make the program even more fun and productive to use.

So let’s get started…

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