TECH-120: Introduction to SketchUp for Planners

This one-hour hands-on webinar will introduce planners to Google SketchUp. Topics will include downloading models, walking through the project and exporting the results to Google Earth. This webinar will help you explore using SketchUp for urban design level planning.

You will be able to work concurrently on SketchUp and Google Earth throughout the session. The instructor will demonstrate each step twice – once while you watch the webinar, and a second time while you optionally perform the task yourself.

This is the first part of a series of webinars on Google SketchUp. Learn more about the second part, TECH-220: Density Conceptualization with SketchUp.

• Webinar Outline
• About the Instructor
• Student Testimonials
• Prerequisites
• Additional Notes
• Video Recording
• AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits
• Purchasing Information

Webinar Outline

1. Download SketchUp models of houses
2. Import a location from Google Earth
3. Place houses on the site
4. Walk through the project
5. Export to Google Earth
6. Study shadows

• The webinar will be conducted using GoToWebinar.
• You will need Internet access, a web browser, and access to a telephone to call into the audio portion of the webinar.
• The registration details will be emailed to you 24 hour prior to the webinar start date and time.
• Please login to the webinar 10 minutes prior to the planned start time to ensure that you are able to access GoToWebinar and download the required plugins. (You can attend GoToWebinars using both MacOS and Windows.)

About the Instructor

Charles A. Donley, AICP is an urban planner who specializes in applying technology to planning issues. Chuck is president of Donley & Associates, where he has worked on projects nationally and internationally. Chuck brings 25 years of experience in public and private sector planning, working on current and long range processes. As Technical Director for CommunityViz, he guided training, professional services, technical support, and software development.

Student Testimonials

"I really enjoyed the course. The teacher was very clear, patient and polite."
-- Pablo Davies, Architect/Urban Studies student

Prerequisites

In order to gain the most from this webinar, you must meet the following pre-requisites, and perform the following activities at least one day prior to the webinar.

• SketchUp must be installed on your computer. Download and install SketchUp from http://www.google.com/sketchup/downloads/
• The free new user videos offer basic orientation to the software (Help>Video Tutorials>New to Google SketchUp - 25 minutes).
• Google Earth must be installed on your computer. In the demonstration, we will be using the current version 5. If you prefer to use an earlier version, you can, but you will be responsible for knowing your own controls. You can download the application from http://earth.google.com.
• You should be comfortable navigating in Google Earth.
• Ensure that the computer you are using to participate in the webinar has Internet access.
• Ensure that the computer you are using meets or exceeds the following recommended system requirements for running Google Earth:

Windows
Recommended:
- Operating System: Windows XP or Windows Vista
- CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+
- System Memory (RAM): 512MB
- Hard Disk: 2GB free space
- Network Speed: 768 Kbits/sec
- Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 32MB of VRAM
- Screen: 1280x1024, "32-bit True Color"
Source: http://earth.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=20701

Mac OS
Recommended:
- Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5.2
- CPU: G4 1.2Ghz
- System Memory (RAM): 512MB
- Hard Disk: 2GB free space
- Network Speed: 768 Kbits/sec
- Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 32MB of VRAM
- Screen: 1280x1024, "Millions of Colors"
Source: http://earth.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en-uk&answer=32347

Additional Notes

• This course assumes that you are comfortable using a computer and web browser. If you don’t feel confident using a computer, this course is not for you.
• The course will be conducted in a hands-on format where you will first watch the instructor perform a task in the webinar, then switch to Google SketchUp and perform the same task. If you have difficulty performing a task on your own, the instructor will be unable to assist you personally. Instead, simply watch the instructor perform the task a second time.
• We try to accommodate different learning styles. Toward this end, we will provide a detailed, step-by-step script of the hands-on exercises 24 hours prior to the webinar start time.
• Cancellations must be made three days prior to the webinar. Cancellations made within 72 hours of the webinar start time will forfeit the course registration fee.
• If you require a certificate of completion, we will (a) evaluate performance based on your participation in the full webinar (as audited by GoToWebinar); and, (b) your satisfactory completion of the course activities, as demonstrated by a screen shot from Google Earth upon conclusion of the hands-on activities. Please request your certificate of completion following the webinar by sending an email to editor@planetizen.com. Include the telephone number from which you accessed the course, and a screen shot of the completed siteplan from Google Earth.

Video Notes

A video recording of this live webinar is also available. This video is a screen and audio recording of a live webinar, covering all the topics mentioned above. This video can be viewed at any time, irrespective of the next scheduled webinar.

Registration for this video course is $34.95.

AICP Certification Maintenance

This course has been approved to provide 1 credit for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification Maintenance program.

To claim your CM credits, review the Guide to Claiming AICP CM Credits for Planetizen Courses.

Purchasing Information

Option 1: Live Webinar - $49.95

This option includes access to the next scheduled live webinar session.

Purchase This Option Now

Option 2: Video Course - $34.95

This option includes access for 30 days to the video recording of this session.

Purchase This Option Now

Option 3: Webinar and Video Package - $69.95

This option includes both the next scheduled live webinar and access for 30 days to the video recording.

Purchase This Option Now

Please note that you must be a registered Planetizen user to purchase this course. If you are not a registered user, please take a few seconds and register for free.