This allows viewers to have a common point of reference in which to talk about details. Communicating ideas and concepts that involve spatial and volumetric relationships in space, such as comparison of size and distance between objects, is often more effectively accomplished by sharing visualizations and renderings of the subject. Using your imagination to conceptualize physical spaces is difficult. There are use cases for the program ranging from exploring building structures, conceptualizing mechanical objects, teaching complex structures, and remodeling houses. Today, the application is used by interior designers, landscape architects, civil and mechanical engineers, and film and video game creators. SketchUp was developed to be intuitive and easy to learn with the intent to bring “3D modeling to the masses.” It was used early on by architectural firms to provide quick concept renderings of buildings and environments. Three-dimensional rendering software is typically complex and requires a significant time investment to learn and use.

Trimble continues to develop the application and support SketchUp’s growing community of users. In 2012, Google sold SketchUp to Trimble Inc., a mapping, navigation, and surveying equipment company. Under Google’s ownership, the program was developed further and integrated with Google Earth to allow importing models for geo-location. The application was created in 2000 by Software. It is easy to learn compared to professional 3D graphic software packages.

With a free-to-use version available for download, SketchUp is an affordable way to develop 3D models. It may be beneficial to anyone looking to visualize three dimensional structures, spaces, or objects. SketchUp is a three-dimensional rendering application that uses a sketch-based approach for creating models.

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