The New Product Connect plugin for Google SketchUp

Recently, our friends (and official Partners) at Igloo Studios released their Product Connect plugin for SketchUp. The plugin is designed to help you get more out of product models stored in the 3D Warehouse.

3D models which are “Product Connect-enabled” are rich with information; they can include SKUs, website links, dimensions and in some cases, pricing information and environmental statistics. After adding these PC-enabled models to your SketchUp project, you can use the Product Connect plugin to export the metadata as an organized product schedule in the form of a spreadsheet. Igloo’s new offering makes going from conception to production a heck of a lot simpler.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Download the Product Connect plugin from Igloo Studios website and install it on your machine.
  2. Find a Product Connect-compatible model in the 3D Warehouse and download it into your SketchUp model.

    3. SketchUp model with Product Connect-compatible models

  3. Open the Product Connect tool set and click Report Maker.

    4. Report Maker window

  4. Select a product schedule type (such as Cabinet or Appliance), then click the Create Reports button. The plugin generates a spreadsheet containing all of the product models as well as their relevant metadata.

    5. Product Schedule report

Today, there are hundreds of Product Connect-enabled models freely available in the 3D Warehouse. These include:

Are you a product manufacturer who’d like to offer PC-enabled models on the 3D Warehouse? Any product manufacturer can participate by creating new Product Connect-enabled models or by upgrading existing SketchUp models to be compatible with this system.

New Organic modeling with the Artisan plugin

SketchUp plugin wizard Dale Martens (a.k.a. Whaat) recently released an amazing and incredibly useful organic modeling toolset called Artisan. Based on Dale’s popular Subdivide & Smooth tools, Artisan is perfect for people who want to use SketchUp to model organic shapes and terrain features. Artisan includes a set of “deformation” tools that allow you to sculpt, smooth, flatten, pinch and apply textures just like you would with a brush.

The toolbar for Dale Martens’ Artisan Organic Toolset for SketchUp
Eric Lay modeled Patrick Beaulieu’s “Bobby Bubble” character, then rendered him (her?) with Twilight Render.
Use Artisan’s Sculpt tools to “paint” 3D deformation onto surfaces.

You can add or reduce polygon complexity in your model, allowing for more or less detail. There’s also a suite of vertex tools that you can use to model based on controlling vertex points. Oh—and did I mention that it’s a ton of fun to use? Have a look at some of the features yourself…

As anyone at the office can tell you, I’m no artist or designer, but I thought I would give the Artisan tool a try over the weekend. Below is something that I whipped up; not too shabby for an hour’s worth of work.

I modeled this hamburger. Er, yum?

If slimy, unappetizing hamburgers aren’t your thing, no worries. It’s not a stretch to see how the Artisan tools might be applied to a whole range of different markets and use cases: character design, product design, environmental design, construction, civil engineering, architecture and, of course, landscape architecture.

Peter Stoppel modeled this scooter.
Peter also modeled this wedge of landscape.
Artisan is also incredibly useful for freeform terrain modeling. This model is by Daniel Tal.

For more information and video tutorials on the Artisan Organic Toolset for SketchUp, check out this website. You’ll also find a great writeup on the Artisan tools in SketchUcation’s February issue of the CatchUp news magazine.

Thank you to Dale for building this great plugin, and special thanks to Eric Lay (a.k.a. Boofredlay), Peter Stoppel (a.k.a. Solo) and Daniel Tal for your great graphics.

Amsterdam – another dimension in Google Earth

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful city of Amsterdam for yourself, I’m happy to say that Google Earth now offers the next best thing: Amsterdam in 3D.
Recently, several thousand buildings have been added to the capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. Using Google Maps with Earth view or Google Earth’s “3D Buildings” layer, you can now travel the city’s charming streets and canals to experience its rich architectural history. Download this KML tour from the Google Earth Gallery to take a virtual tour of the 3D landmarks for yourself.

Navigate in Google Earth to visit one of Amsterdam’s famous museums like the Rijksmuseum or the van Gogh Museum. And with the Google Art Project, take a peek inside the museum to see high-definition renditions of many famous paintings.

Van Gogh Museum (front) and Rijksmuseum (right)
Since you’re at the Museum Square already, take a look at the Concertgebouw (Concert Hall). Turn around and go along one of the three most famous canals in Amsterdam: the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht and the Prinsengracht. Don’t forget to stand still at number 263, where Anne Frank wrote her unforgettable diary during the Second World War.

Continue through the lovely small canals to the city’s major square: the Dam, where you’ll find the impressive 350-year old Royal Palace and the National Monument. Not far from the Dam, you can admire the Beurs van Berlage, the old Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

Beurs van Berlage, the old Amsterdam Stock Exchange
You’ll find modern Amsterdam in 3D as well: next to the Central Station is the NEMO Science Center, which looks like a Flying Dutchman’s ship rising from the water. Then fly south to the futuristic Amsterdam Arena football stadium.

NEMO Science Center
When you’re finished touring Amsterdam in Google Earth, head south to The Hague, where citizens are actively modeling their city with free 3D tools from Google.

Dutch citizens modeling The Hague
If you’d like to get started modeling your town, you can get started quickly with Google Building Maker (where available).