I need "Getting Started" Advice

[Bayer]

I am a landscape architect working in a small office. My employer is stoked about sketchup and put me in charge of obtaining and learning it? I have Questions.

1. Is sketchup.com the only place to purchase sketchup pro, If not where is the cheapest?

2. Two of us will be mainly working with it, is is cheaper to buy two individual seats over the network. What are the pro and cons of both options besides money?

3. Once we purchase sketchup, what tutorials do you think are the best and most comprehensive. If I am going to learn it, I want to know the most possible, not a watery
   version. What would you recommend?

Thank You.

[sorgesu]

There is always a discount offered at one of the trade shows. AIA and ASLA as well as MACWorld and SIGRAPH etc. You can check on the SketchUp website to see if they are attending a trade show near you or if you know someone who is going, they can pick up the discount coupon code for you. It usually means $100US off the price.

Aside from that, there is a very rare discount offered at weird times. Like when the SketchUp for Dummies book came out they offered $50 off plus the book when you buy SketchUp. There was another one once, can't remember what the occasion was but it is not what you might expect like XMAS or something of that sort.

It isn't expensive really when compared to other software, so ultimately you buy it when you need it.

[boofredlay]

Welcome Bayer.

As for learning materials, go Here and start with thePrevious SketchUp 5 Videos.
Then move on to the Google SketchUp 6 Videos.

SU can be a great out of the box tool for Landscape Architecture. Check out this model I did one afternoon for our Landscape Architect.

[Edson]

ok, here it goes,

tutorials:

1. go-2-school: site with great videos. and fun to watch too.
2. site with tutorials that illustrate chopra's book: Google Sketchup for dummies. very good.
3. simple tuts, but useful-->http://www.brightcove.com/. type sketchup in the search box.

free components of all sorts of things:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/

books:
by [url=http://tinyurl.com/2298fm:2uilux6v]Bonnie Roskes[/url:2uilux6v]: The Sketchup Book
by [url=http://tinyurl.com/38v8ed:2uilux6v]Aidan Chopra[/url:2uilux6v]: Google Sketchup for dummies

if you watch the tuts, read the books and do the exercises they propose, plus follow this forum you will soon be a SU wizard.

welcome.

[linea]

Hi Bayer

As modelhead said, the best place to learn is here. The SU for dummies book is pretty good too, as are the Aidan Chopra books.