3D modeling made easy

I recently downloaded and played around with a neat 3D modeling tool called Sketchup. @Last Software's SketchUp is a 3D modeling package intended to be used by architects and designers who need to quickly outline 3D ideas, but don't care for the difficulty of a CAD program, or the advanced features of a high-end 3D modeler. SketchUp's toolset is fairly simple, offering a Photoshop-like, two-column tool palette. SketchUp has also a very helpful grid guidance system, with multiple colors to guide you through the 3D orientation plans.

2 minute read

July 9, 2004, 9:50 PM PDT

By Ken Snyder


I recently downloaded and played around with a neat 3D modeling tool called Sketchup. @Last Software's SketchUp is a 3D modeling package intended to be used by architects and designers who need to quickly outline 3D ideas, but don't care for the difficulty of a CAD program, or the advanced features of a high-end 3D modeler.



SketchUp's toolset is fairly simple, offering a Photoshop-like, two-column tool palette. SketchUp has also a very helpful grid guidance system, with multiple colors to guide you through the 3D orientation plans. Layers can have assigned colors that enable the user to see layer assignments in the model. This feature is helpful because the user can identify model modifications in geometry easily through this interface. For example, if a surface is modified, with one of the tools such as the push/pull, tool, all the planes adjacent to the customized surfaces also change.



Planners and architects can benefit greatly from the "Urban Model"-feature by constructing basic buildings to their appropriate dimensions. Using "push/pull"-functions you can move surfaces increasing or reducing the building footprint. Slap on textures and you have a semi-realistic looking model. I downloaded the demo software and was up and running without much instruction - ended up building a decent looking replica of our old Victorian house house. With past work in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy I was particularly excited to discover Sketchup's feature that allows visualizing the shadow created by a building or model. The time of day for shadow casting can be set, including day of the year and daytime.



Most importantly, in my mind, the new release allows the user to export directly into ArcGIS 9's visualization extension. This means planners and GIS users now have an easy to use tool to bring buildings into their 3D analyst fly-throughs.


Ken Snyder

Ken Snyder is Executive Director of PlaceMatters

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive