I recently became hooked on playing with Google Sketchup, Google’s own 3D software. The interface and tools are so intuitive it’s hard not to get drawn in. I’ve already built a number of structures in the Surrey/Delta area (figuring it’ll take a while, if ever, for the google autobuilders to reach the ‘burbs), and I must say, the push/pull tool is certainly the best. Need a cube? Sorry, there’s no cube tool, but why not just draw a rectangle and pull/extract it into a cube? What makes this so much better than similar tools in other programs, is the crazy amount of snapping/automatic guides that show up to help the models stay accurate. Of course there’s also a measuring tool which helps, but that merely complements the snapping/guides.

View/download my model of Station Tower and the Cornerstone towers.

Once completed, users can upload their model replicas to the Google 3D Warehouse, where other users can download them, or they can be submitted for approval to appear in the 3D Buildings layer of Google Earth.

If you’re interested in trying it for yourself, hit http://sketchup.google.com or if you just want to see what other people have done, you can browse the 3D Warehouse at http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse. There’s also a 3D Warehouse Network Link you can download to Google Earth, so even if some buildings don’t show up in the 3D Buildings layer, you can still find them!

View/download my model of the Alex Fraser Bridge.

For my models, I only use phototextures rather than stock material textures. They help blend the buildings into the environment better, and really increase the realism. I think the term Google has used to refer to this kind of modeling is georeference modeling – modeling real structures, using the correct geographical and visual information that is available (even if available means getting out and taking pictures to use as homemade textures). It also means I try to keep them as simple as possible to make sure loading isn’t a problem – it’s all in finding the right balance between too much detail, and not enough.

At this point, I’m anything but finished with SketchUp. I figure if I can model the main commercial centers and buildings taller than 10 stories in all of Surrey and Delta, I’ll be satisfied. Central City will, of course, be my pièce de résistance.. that thing is anything but simple, but then I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge!

View/download my models of Ted Kuhn Towers and Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre.

To view the rest of my models, and to check up on future models I upload, visit my 3D Warehouse page here.