What do people use SketchUp for?

brookefox

Something which I don't that I have recently been doing is light fixture design. Perhaps there is not much of that going on but as likely is the fact that folks are protective of their work; that certainly has kept me from posting more of it, as if someone might think my concepts worthy and would evilly profit from my glorious work!

(Yes, the limits of SU alone for this are clear - creating the actual light emitting source (without renderers or add-ons).)

On the other hand, all you manufacturers out there, PM me with your offers, please. (BTW, that's a joke, not a solicitation.)

Otherwise, architecture and fun, and self-aggrandizement.

Alan Fraser

@al hart said:

This might be enough to start a poll. (Does SketchUcation support polls from users?

There's a poll creation tab next to the one for uploading attachments, Al.

My use now is content creation...although I started using it for straight book illustration. Dorling Kindersley type stuff...cutaways of castles etc. Native output was, and still is, near perfect for that.

dukejazz

Illustrations:

model objects arrangements
site layout
to screen cut jpg
to screen cut avi
illustrations to a word documents.
3d geometry drawings
white board
prospective spacing

Helps to fast track redlines or ideas

Al Hart

Thanks for your ideas everyone.

I have put these into a poll if you want to slip over and enter your favorite uses.

Poll: How do you use SketchUp

EscapeArtist

EVERYTHING.

Stained glass
Sun angle/shadow studies
Architectural visualization
Furniture
Art
Vehicles (scifi, aircraft, cars, military)
Random objects
Hopefully someday I can get a RepRap or MakerBot and use it for 3D prototyping as well.
Interior design
Fixtures

SketchUp does it all for me.

On the other hand, I do not specialize in anything in particular. Whatever the needs of the moment are.

mitcorb

I am currently modeling campuses of two hospitals and a college in my area on my own time, since I was not commissioned for the work. This is just to experience the process of modeling using ground based photographs, where I can get them, Google Earth and Bing bird's eye. My office has work projects on these locations. Needless to say, these are not high precision models.

genma saotome

A fair number of people besides myself use SU to produce static models for use in train simulators (the old Microsoft Train Simulator is probably the most common use).

oganocali

"Sun and shadow study": Solar energy planning.
I recently showed a solar energy company how to find energy hours using geographical features from google earth and date and nearby buildings obstructions etc.

Daniel

Architectural design exploration and iterations.

fuzzion

I believe Iron man designed his suit using sketchup. So add this one

Designing Anti-villian armour and weapons

deskpilot

I use SU to keep my old brain alive(71). No, that's just a side effect. Actually, I'm a recreational Pilot with a wish to build my own plane. A plane that's "different" and SU is enabling me design it. Whilst most of the models I have seen on this site are Architectural, the Warehouse shows many people using it for Mechanical Engineering. I consider myself a rank amateur compared to most of you but I do my best.

Current design

StilTeg

I am using it for préprototyping scientific instruments, or for setting up virtual booth for my tradeshow, and for customer presentations ...

tim

@unknownuser said:

Actually, I'm a recreational Pilot with a wish to build my own plane.

Be really, really, careful with putting your body in between the two wing leading edges. Imagine a firm intersection with terra firm (aka 'crash landing') and what might happen as the inertia of the wings causes them to fold forward and those root ribs rotate…. 'head in a vice' seems like an unpleasant phrase to have in an obituary

DanYHKim

Braaaaiiinnnnsss!

[flash=640,480:1hwi95zr]http://www.youtube.com/v/L0ZNFJFcRqI[/flash:1hwi95zr]

This is a SketchUp model of the http://youtu.be/rA3mNjis3m4 LONI Probabilistic Brain Atlas (LPBA40) that I made by importing the 3D brain regions from the http://scalablebrainatlas.incf.org Scalable Brain Atlas. Each of the paired structures is in its own layer for visibility control and automatic coloration.

DanYHKim

I have used it to create animations and simulations of engineering projects built by others in my department

[flash=600,410:1m4yup38]http://www.youtube.com/v/ZUL6S5JMxls[/flash:1m4yup38]

The videos are produced as part of progress reports to partners and clients, and the models and animations help to illustrate functions that are difficult to see in real life, or which may be dangerous to film on-site.