It is marketed as an easy-to-use conceptual tool with a simple interface. A well known feature in the SketchUp World is the 3D Warehouse. Users can use their Google Accounts to upload models, and then browse the 3D Warehouse for many components and models.

Some of its key features and uses include:

• A “smart” drawing cursor (inference) system that allows users to draw 3D objects using a 2D screen and mouse.
• Simple massing study capability via “push-pull”.
• “Follow Me,” which creates 3D forms by extruding 2D surfaces along predetermined paths.
• Ability to animate camera and sun movements.
• Interoperability with Google Earth

SketchUp was developed by startup company @Last Software, Boulder, Colorado which was formed in 1999. SketchUp was first released in August 2000 as a general purpose 3D content creation tool. It won a Community Choice Award at its first tradeshow in 2000. It quickly found a market in architecture and building design industries and was revised to suit the needs of working professionals. The key to its early success was in its fast learning curve, allowing for a shorter learning period than other commercially available 3D tools.

As of SketchUp 5, features were added to allow the user to extrude and widen as well as the ability for a face to “follow” the cursor around an object.

On March 14, 2006, Google acquired @Last Software, attracted by their plugin for Google Earth.

On January 9, 2007, SketchUp 6 was released, featuring a handful of new tools as well as a beta version of Google SketchUp LayOut. LayOut includes a handful of 2D vector tools, as well as page layout tools making it easier for professionals to create presentations without jumping to a third-party presentation program.

On February 9, 2007, a maintenance update was released. It corrects a number of bugs, but brings no new features.

On April 27, 2006, Google announced Google SketchUp, a freely-downloadable version of SketchUp. The free version is not as capable as SketchUp Pro 6, but it includes integrated tools for uploading content to Google Earth and to the Google 3D Warehouse, a repository of models created in SketchUp.

The free version of Google Sketchup exports to a number of 3D formats, including Google Earth .kmz files, while the Pro version extends support to include .3ds, .dwg, .dxf, .fbx, .obj, .xsi, and .wrl file formats. Google SketchUp can also save “screenshots” of the model as .bmp, .png, .jpg, .tif, with the Pro version also supporting .pdf, .eps, .epx, .dwg, and .dxf.

Ruby Application Programming Interface (API)

Ruby is a scripting language whose use in SketchUp was first introduced in SketchUp 4. Since its introduction SketchUp users have shown their creativity by creating hundreds of useful tools using SketchUp Ruby.

There is a Hello World Tutorial for Google SketchUp about creating dialog boxes.

Other Information

• Developed by  Google (previously @Last Software)
• Initial release  August 2000
• Latest release  6.4.112 (Windows) / 6.4.120 (Mac OS X) / December 14, 2007
• OS  MS Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Apple Mac OS X (10.4-10.5) (Universal Binary)
• Available in  English, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish
• Type  3D computer graphics
• License  Freeware/Proprietary

Links

• Website  www.sketchup.com
• Google 3D Warehouse
• SketchUp Video Tutorials
• SketchUp Google Group
• SketchUp - Wikipedia

The goal of Art of Illusion is to provide powerful 3D modeling tools with a user interface that improves on those found in other 3D software packages. Though its interface is simple, Art of Illusion contains many features found in high-end commercial graphics software. Some of its features, like the use of online repositories and a built-in downloading tool for installing extensions, are not found in similar proprietary software.

The primary creator and maintainer of the software is Peter Eastman.

Art of Illusion is written in the Java programming language. Distributed under the GNU General Public License, it is free software.

Software Features

• Interface
  • Object list, scene layout windows, and animation score
  • Tooltips and explanatory icons
  • Bundled documentation and help interface
  • Built-in “live help” chat client for connecting to the freenode Art of Illusion support channel
  • Extensions available as scripts or plugins with automated installation and update from online repository (requires internet connection)
  • Grid view and realtime display modes including Wireframe, Smooth, Textured.
• Modeling
  • Primitives: cube, sphere, cone, tube, curve, triangle mesh, spline mesh
  • Boolean modeling operations
  • Lathe, sweep, extrude (straight or along a curve)
  • Subdivision surfaces (smoothing) with edge creasing available for triangle meshes.
  • Mesh editor featuring adjustable mesh tension, bevel, taper, various selection methods (including select edge loop/strip), etc.
  • Object array tool (multidimensional arrays or arrays along a curve)
  • Isosurface modeling (via procedural nodes or direct numeric input)
• Animation
  • Distortion tracks for effects like bend, twist, and shatter
  • Skeletal animation with weighting, constraints and IK
  • Poses and Gestures
  • Keyframe editor with interpolating curves
  • Path animation
  • Animation through scripted objects, e.g. particles using Particle Jet script
• Textures
  • Types: Uniform, image mapped, procedural 2D and 3D
  • Mapping options: Projection, spherical, cylindrical, UV
  • Per-vertex, per-face and per-face-per-vertex texture assignment (depending on textured object)
  • Layered textures
  • Graphical language for procedural texture/material design
  • Procedural textures can be based on parameters like view angle (for fresnel-like effects), etc.
  • Animateable textures via texture parameters and use of Time module
  • Environment background can be mapped with any photo (HDR or RGB), as well as procedural textures
• Materials (Represent the internal properties of an object)
  • Procedural and uniform materials
  • Adjustable index of refraction, scattering, eccentricity
  • Animatable materials via Time module
• Rendering
  • Multithreading
  • Global illumination rendering, along with caustics and subsurface scattering
  • Global illumination methods: Monte carlo, photon mapping with final gathering, direct photon mapping, and ambient occlusion
  • Light types: Point lights, spotlights (both with editable radii), and directional lights
  • Soft shadows
  • Light scattering for materials: Both Single Scattering and Photon Scattering (BSSRDF). User can specify either or both at rendertime.
  • Raytraced depth of field
  • Gloss/translucency (blurred reflections and blurry transparency)
  • Motion blur
  • HDRI scene illumination
  • Save renders as HDRI images
• Post Processing
  • Camera filters (Exposure Correction, Glow, Outline, Tint, Blur, etc.)
  • Noise reduction for Global Illumination
• Scripting
  • Scripting language (Beanshell) allowing development of new tools/commands
  • Dynamic Scripts (”smart objects” - see flyswatter tutorial)
• File Handling
  • 3D Import: .obj natively; .dem, .dxf, .geo, .lwo, .pov, .inc, .3ds via plugins
  • 2D Import via scripts: .ai, .svg
  • 3D Export: .pov, .obj, VRML, all native; .stl via plugin
  • 2D Export/Save: .jpg, .bmp, .png, .tif, .hdr, all native; .svg via plugin
• Extended Functionality Through Scripts and Plugins
  • Direct-to-disk rendering using presets like “Letter,” “A4,” with DPI and Bleed settings (Advanced Rendering plugin)
  • Wireframe/polygon renders with antialiasing and SVG export (Vector Renderer plugin)
  • Preview renders in sidebar (Preview Plugin)
  • Subdivision (Ngon) modeler with tools for both open- and closed-mesh modeling and support for Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces (Polymesh Editor plugin)
  • ABF+ UV unwrapping available through Polymesh Editor plugin
  • Procedural tree and plant creator (Tree and Plant Designer plugin)
  • Other major features provided through script or plugin extensions such as: 3D text, mesh thickening, platonic solids, sculpt, fractal/image-based heightfields, hair, grunge, and more
• Development
  • Art of Illusion is a free and open source application and contributions to the source code, scripts and plugins base, and other aspects of the software are welcome.
  • Art of Illusion’s development cycle usually includes two builds called “Early Access” (EA) releases followed by a Beta, or “bug fix” version. However, with a recent announcement, the bug-fixing portion of development has been shifted to make sure that more bugs are fixed in existing features.
  • Developers are welcome to submit scripts and plugins via email to maintainers of the Scripts and Plugins Repository for inclusion in the online repository. This ensures that users will be able to download scripts and plugins easily from within Art of Illusion itself.
  • Developers with code to contribute to AoI itself should submit it to Peter Eastman for approval and inclusion. More information
  • Non-code contributions can be made as well. Details (Note that the Smartgroups link on that page is obsoleted by the Scripts and Plugins Repository)

Other Information:

• Developed by  Peter Eastman
• Latest release  2.6.1 / August 3, 2008
• OS  Cross-platform
• Platform  Java
• Type  3D computer graphics software
• License  GPL
• Website  www.artofillusion.org

Art of Illusion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia