Trimble Lanuched SketchUp 2013

Trimble introduced SketchUp 2013, a 3d Modeling program for all people who love to model in 3d. It is easy and much powerful than version 8.

For SketchUp 2013, Trimble focused on two things: making LayOut even more powerful, and building an ecosystem that makes it easier for millions of SketchUp modelers to find and use the plugins, add-ons and extensions they need.

Introducing Extension Warehouse
In this new version, you can add any extensions very easily as you install an apps to your iphone. In 2013, Trimble made it dead simple to turn SketchUp into exactly what you need it to be. Need a special tool? There’s an excellent chance someone’s already built it.

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SketchUp - Minecraft Export

To do this you need 3 software downloads:

• binvox & viewvox available here You can install these program files anywhere on your system.
• Obj2mc available here
• MCEdit available here

Once you have downloaded the above packages:

1. Create a folder on your desktop called “Minecraft
2. Put the .zip files into this folder.
3. Unzip the files.
4. Open the SketchUp file that you wish to export to MC. (Use a small model to start with. Nothing too complicated.)

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SketchUcation Plugin Store is live!

We teased you for the last few weeks showing you how we were installing plugins directly into SketchUp. Now we are pleased to announce that the SketchUcation Plugin Store is now available for the community!

There's lots of cool features we added over the last few months to help SketchUp users search for and install plugins that are part of SketchUcation folklore. Not only that, but installing is just a simple click, no more dragging and dropping files and folders.

To find out all the details about this new tool just follow the read more link below. You'll see why we are so excited about what make this tool awesome!

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How to apply SketchUp in education

Designed to allow “… everybody to experience the power and fun of building their ideas in CAD” (Schell, n.d.), Google SketchUp is a 3D modelling program that allows the users to model almost any object that they wish. The depth of the program provides users with the ability to create realistic virtual models and a range of 'plugins' extend this to 'augmented reality' models, 3D printing and pattern development and cardboard modelling.

Meg Ormiston (2011) describes Google SketchUp as "... amazingly powerful 3D modelling software..." (Ormiston, 2011, p. 35). She talks about the ability to increase student engagement by building a digital-rich curriculum. She says that Google SketchUp and Google Earth are integral for engagement, collaboration and active learning. SketchUp integrates with Google Earth in a seamless manner to provide the user the opportunity to place the models in a real world context. This can be achieved by either importing the appropriate location from Google Earth into the SketchUp workspace, or by exporting a completed model into Google Earth itself.


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