The Geospatial Revolution is going 3D. Immersive technologies such as Oculus Rift, Samsung GearVR, HTC Vive, are revolutionizing how places and data are viewed and analyzed. Instead of interacting with data on a 2D desktop screen, researchers and decision makers can immerse themselves in virtual environments where geospatial data are represented in intuitive, immersive, and flexible ways. VR and 3D modeling are going hand in hand; with the ready availability of massive amounts of environmental data (e.g., LiDAR) and efficient 3D modeling technologies (e.g., SketchUp, CityEngine), realistic immersive scenarios are easier to create than ever before. We are witnessing a paradigm shift which enables new methods of environmental decision making from urban planning to climate change. The combination of iVR and automated 3D modeling enables models of real-world places to be integrated within data visualization workbenches. This course will provide students with an overview of current developments, details different workflows that are available, and provides hands-on experiences with 3D modeling and VR technologies.

Getting started with SketchUp Pro. 1st video from SketchUp.
Video covers using basic drawing tool, push/pull tool, navigation, and using scroll mouse.

You can 3D a simple house after learning these basic tools.

SketchUp tutorial where you create a more detailed house with some drawing tips and the Follow Me and Offset tools.

Part 3, which focuses on an interior space. You will use the Tape Measure tool to create reference edges, learn more about the Offset and Push/Pull tools, copy objects and finally paint surfaces and bring in additional models from the 3D Warehouse.

Part 4: We create a hallway table to emphasize the use of groups and components in SketchUp. We'll copy and mirror parts of the table and create detail and accuracy.

Odds are good you know about the Arc tool. You may even know that there are four different versions of the Arc tool... But did you know that there is a difference between single and double clicking to complete an arc? Did you know that the Arc cursor tells you what step of drawing an arc you are on?

We've all been there... You have to create a dodecahedron, from scratch, but your math skills are utterly appalling... What ever can you do?

Inferencing with Down Arrow key - It's your new best friend in SketchUp.

Have you ever seen one of those cool looking exploded views of a piece of furniture or model of something? Did you know you can make one of those in just a few minutes in SketchUp? Check out how to use a 1" cube to make your own exploded model!

If you are not careful, using Follow Me to extrude a shape can cause less than ideal results. Check out this Skill Builder to see how to use Arc and Follow Me to make perfect Pipe elbows... Because, we all want perfect elbows, right?

Groups and Components is another set of feature that help you organize and manage your 3D model in SketchUp. See what the difference are so you can use the right tool for your 3D modeling.

Time to make your own scale figure! First step is to import an image so that you can trace yourself into 2D immortality! This video will walk through the steps to get your image imported, scaled and oriented, so you can start drawing!

Here are 10 things that you may not have known about the Measurements Box that could make you an even better modeler!

There are plenty of activities where repetitive actions are unavoidable... commuting, playing tennis, chewing... Sometimes you have to do the same thing, over and over again. But not when using Follow Me! Check out how to get multiple shapes to follow a single path in one click!

What's worse than getting 15 minutes into detailing your model and realizing the main portion of your model needs to be resized? Nothing. There is nothing worse. Fortunately, you can save all those little edits you have done AND make an edit to the base geometry with one simple command: Paste in Place!

Match Photo is a great way to magically convert a 2D photograph into a 3D model. That is, if you have the right photo. So what makes a photo a "good" photo vs one that is "garbage" (yes, "garbage" is a technical term for grading the usability of a image for Photo Match)? Watch and find out!

Getting a geolocated SketchUp file into Google Earth is even easier than you think!

Tag along as we tackle time-saving tips for tapering table legs. You'll want to tap into these techniques and modeling tidbits the next time you modify primitive shapes into more interesting ones.