NCCE 2010 Session 2 - Introduction to Google Sketchup

Session 2 - Intro to Google Sketchup, Ron Hall

Google Sketchup (http://sketchup.google.com/) is a free software from the folks at Google which gives the user an opportunity to explore and learn 3d modeling. At LaSalle I know we have had a few students playing with it in the lab creating models of anything from text to the school itself.

With Google Sketchup you can move images into the Google Earth workspace to create presentations.

• you can build images to scale
• Easy to share
• NOT PHOTO REALISTIC (although you can "skin" models with photographic images)
• LIMITED ANIMATION
• meant for design and integration, not creating the next Shrek
• Import to Google Earth!!! we can put up anything from our houses to the school or anything we want (yes, there is a validation process by Google before it goes live on the Internet.)
• render both sides of an image - model through an open door to the inside of a building

As for use in the education sphere . . . a teacher has done mock ups of famous authors homes and sites from To Kill A Mockingbird (here's a link to Samuel Clemens childhood home, I've been there and can attest to it's accuracy http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=7b79b82ecf224742daa266217a65f9d7&prevstart=0)

Additionally there are limitless lesson plans available for math (think geometry models - who needs geosketchpad!), science, engineering, etc. Google has a site for educators which is a good place to start (http://www.google.com/educators/p_sketchup_discovery.html) looking for resources. Some other projects I can come up with off the cuff include: Mesoamerican Ruins for Spanish, biosphere creation, presentation of literature, etc.