[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aVW5X-tb8s]
Google just announced the release of SketchUp 7. SketchUp is a 3D modeling program with a fairly robust free version. They’ve added quite a few features and the one that caught our eye in particular was dynamic components. Dynamic components have behavior specific to the object. The example in the video above shows a staircase changing the number of steps as its height is increased instead of distorting the overall staircase shape. The new version also allows for interaction, so model properties change based on user actions.
Google has always encouraged sharing of objects created in SketchUp. Thingiverse launched today with a similar emphasis. The site is built to encourage the exchange of plans for physical objects. It supports many different file types from plain images, AutoCAD dxfs to Eagle schematics. Many of the designs already posted are made to be cut out by a laser cutter or built by a 3D printer.
[via Make]
I probably won’t end up using it, but this is a cool new function of a very easy-to-learn program. I use sketchup a lot to design electronics cases and furniture
Can moving parts be designed ? Like gears interacting together ?
Google doesn’t announce that they haven’t made a Linux .
Yes, I know it works in wine.
Would be nice perhaps if it could actually be used to compile a (3D) GUI and have the dynamic stuff do the user interaction for that GUI.
It doesn’t work in Wine out of the box yet, you have to jump through a hoop or two. Then it works pretty good, at least on Nvidia. See http://wiki.winehq.org/GoogleSketchup
for tips and the current list of known problems.
I use SketchUp a lot and have been using SU 7 PRO for just over 3 weeks now. I really like the whole dynamic components thing, especially the way you can have custom component options. I.E. I created a car that was fully customisable. Choose your own tires and everything! Hood color, window tint, spoiler. Three cheers to the SU Development Team!!! Hip Hip Horay!!!
thanks for the info, surely will try this new service from Google.
Running SU 7 under Wine 1.2.2 and Ubuntu 10.10. Everything else is great except the dynamic component windows which are completely empty. Anyone experience this? Any suggested solution?