3D printing from SketchUp with CADspan: Now even better

CADspan have released a new version of the plugin that allows 3d printing, and here's a video that explains more:

some of what's new:

* CADspan is now available for both Windows and Mac
* It now supports SketchUp 7 (which we released in November)
* File processing times are about 10x faster
* The system is much more reliable (hooray for beta testing!)

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Via Sketchup Blog

SketchUp Architectural Plugins from 1001bit.com

1001bits tools is a collection of shareware plugins (Ruby scripts) for
Google Sketchup that are dedicated for architectural works.

Imagine...create 3d models of staircases, spiral staircase,
escalators, walls, doors and windows, and even self-generated roof
rafters, by keying in the parameters, dimensions, then with a simple
mouse click --> they're done! in 3d!

Via sketchup plugins

Passive Homes Heat Up Around the World

Passive design is architectural design that eliminates the need for mechanical heating and cooling of a building through the use of smart, time-tested heating and cooling strategies such as natural ventilation, solar heat gain and solar shading and efficient insulation. Around 15,000 passive houses have been built around the world in a few short years, yet few are cropping up the United States. Scandinavian and German-speaking countries are sweeping the industry and streamlining the modern family’s heating bill in the process. Passive homes seem to be the next logical step in, well, logical design - German Bauhaus style coupled naturally with Scandinavian modernism, later exploding into what we now know as mid-century modern. Now with 2009 well underway, the world’s budding designers are leaning on the shoulders of sustainability, while passive design is planting its feet in the homelands of Alvar Aalto and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

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Via Inhabitat

Easily Embed Panoramas into a Blog with 360 Cities

With 360Cities.net you can embed panaoramas into a blog. The company, registered in the Netherlands, is dedicated to promoting
geo-mapped, VR panorama photography and VR photographers around the
world. Aimed at creating a unique global network of members who are
specialists in VR photography their viewing platform is notably
feature-rich. For example, it is easy to embed your panorama directly
in a blog after uploading. The example of the London Eye below is by Tom Mills, an international panoramic photography award winner, Tom's work has been exhibited in England and France.

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view Panoramic photography of The London Eye Illuminated

Via Digital Urban

Augmented Reality Plugin for Google SketchUp

With ARplug-in, Google Sketch-Up
users are allowed to visualize their 3D models directly in the real
physical space which sorrounds them. In a very precise sense, through
ARplug-in, Sketch-Up 3D models can be visualized out of the digital
workspace directly on users' desktop, by connecting a simple webcam and
by printing a suitable code. The Plug-in provides users with an
advanced visualization functionality which serves two main purposes:

• Study and analize scaled virtual prototypes in real environments
• Communicate 3D projects immersively and astonishingly

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SketchUp Virtual Construction by D-Studio

Here's a video previewing new project information/project management software in SketchUp which is in development by D-Studio:

Via Sketchup Plugins

30+ Free Online File Hosting Services

If you are looking for a free file hosting service where you can
store your data so that you can access it from anywhere anytime you
like then here's  some of the most widely used file hosting
services on the internet today.
It's up to you to decide which one you want to go with.

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Cool touchscreen sketchpad

Below is a demo of ILoveSketch, highly intuitive new software that enables designers to create fluid 3D sketches through a gesture-driven interface:

Via Kevin Kelly at The Technium.

Free Software that can Save Energy and Money

I just discovered a post to some valuable free software that can help you save
lots of energy at home while also saving some big bucks!

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Daylight Simulation in 3ds Max Whitepapers

Learn how to take models that were created in Revit® or AutoCAD® and import them into Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design to create accurate and compelling daylight simulations with the Exposure™ feature. This white paper is for the daylight simulation novice.

Daylight Simulation in 3ds Max Design 2009: Getting Started (pdf - 6698Kb) Download pdf for instructions.

Learn about advanced concepts in daylight simulation using the Exposure™ feature in Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design. This white paper is for architects, designers, engineers, and visualization specialists who are familiar with daylight simulation and want to take it to the next level.

Daylight Simulation in 3ds Max Design 2009: Advanced (pdf - 3342Kb) Download pdf for instructions.

Via cgarchitect

Introducing SketchUp 7

Google has finally released Sketchup 7 and can now be downloaded from its website.Both pro and the free version are out.

Below is a video showing whats new:



You can find an exhaustive list of what's new in 7 on the What's New in SketchUp 7 page from Google.

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Via Google Skecthup Blog

Gmail brings Voice and Video Chat

Google has introduced voice and video chat from gmail. All yo need is a plugin which can be installed from within Gmail.

You can view the videos in the small fly-out panel or pop-em out to a large PIP view. You can even blow them up to full screen and have a smooth chatting experience at the same time.

Below is a video tutorial highlighting some of the features of this new service along with instructions on how to use them.

Voice and Video Plugin Direct Download

Via Sizlopedia

The Sketchup Show:Energy Analysis Plugins in SketchUp

This Episode by the sketchup show, shows you how to use the Virtual Environment -
Energy Analysis Plugin from Integrated Environmental Systems (aka: IES
VE). You can download this free plugin for SketchUp from the IES
Website: www.iesve.com. The Plugin allows SketchUp users to conduct
energy analysis simulations of their SketchUp models at the earliest
stages of design, which will hopefully help us all to design buildings
that will be more energy efficient, reduce energy consumption and
ultimately keep Earth from melting.

Video can be viewed and downloaded here.

Import Satellite Imagery and Terrain from Google Earth IN COLOR!

The Google Earth plugin  imports a black and
white satellite imagery into skecthup. This episode (#52) by the skecthup show shows how to import sattelite imagery and terrain from google earth in COLOUR. The Episode is a continuation of Episode #51.

Video can be viewed or downloaded from here.

Search for it in youtube..it could be uploaded. Last time I checked it wasn't available yet.

Browse the 3D Warehouse in Google Earth

You can browse 3D Warehouse models in Google Earth! Clicking this 3D Warehouse Community network link launches Google Earth and shows icons wherever geo-located models have been placed in the 3D Warehouse.

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Via Google Sketchup blog

Synchro: Your model in 4D

Synchro is a 4D (3D +
scheduling) application that allows you to create and see the
construction schedule of your project -- all at the same time. They've
created a plugin
for SketchUp and have full support for the SKP file format. The plugin
allows you to bring geometry from SketchUp into Synchro with a unique
ID attached to each component. This gives users the ability to make
changes in their SketchUp models and port those changes back to Synchro
while iterating on designs.

Below is a video representing the product in action provided by Construction Software Advice:

Via Sketchup Blog

15 Free Tools for Web-based Collaboration

In this article, you’ll find 15 free tools to help you facilitate remote/web-based collaboration.
Whether you need basic whiteboarding/brainstorming tools or
fully-featured project management applications – you should be able to
find a tool or two that’s worth checking out.

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3D Warehouse - now with 3D maps

You can now view 3dmodels in google 3d model maps using the Google Earth Plugin.

To see this in action, first find a geo-referenced model in the Google 3D Warehouse. Then, click on the Map tab and choose the Earth
map type (this plugin is currently only available on Windows). You'll
see the model load and the view change to focus on the 3D model - all
within the 3D Warehouse.

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Mixing Physical and Virtual Models: Augmented Reality

The movie above details 'MxR Architecture' - a mix of physical and virtual models together in a single interface.

Using Mixed Reality, virtual models can be superimposed over real
models in real-time, allowing the designer/user/client to make changes,
simulate sun angles, run agents studies, add components as well as
transition to a fully-immersive VR view at any time.

Produced by Daniel Belcher of the Design Machine Group at College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
University of Washington.

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Via Digital Urban

The Making of Photosynth

The video above looks at the making of Photosynth, its informative and provides a glimpse of where Photosynth is going.

Click here to Read More.

3D Printing from SketchUp

CADspan just released a plugin that allows for the generation of solid, 3D printable files directly from a Google SketchUp model. This software re-creates a model by "shrink-wrapping" it with one continuous mesh. The result is a single object, in STL file format, that is completely solid and ready-to-print.

Video Below shows how to use the plugin:

Via Sketchup Blog

Synth of Taj Mahal using photosynth

Just trying out the new photosynth application which is a great tool for architectural visualization.

Below is a synth created of taj mahal which can be viewed from every angle and in detail. Please note that you have to install a plugin to view this:

Revit 64-Bit Released

Autodesk has released the 64-Bit version of Revit and can be downloaded on the subscription website.

Benchmark results have also been made to show the improvement and what would be best for Revit users.

Below are the results which you need to download to view:




Via ARCHin3d

Augmented Space: Projecting onto Architecture

Pablo Valbuena's work featured above is taken from the TodaysArt Festival in The Hague.

Projected onto the side of City Hall the installation was entitled ‘Augmented Space’

Via Digital Urban

Photosynth A tool for Urban Visualisation

Photosynth is an application by Microsoft which can be used to for the visualization of architecture. Hidenori Watanave and students from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used it in such a way to create a 'synth' of the Nakagin Capsule Tower" by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa:

Via Digital Urban