Thanks to all those earth modellers, the 3D showcase has been awesome, fun to learn and play with, and get inspired by those with creative and fantasticly talented GE models. Whats next, will GE go trimble?
Cheers

Hi
I do have a small CNC machine (Carvewright) however its software designer is proprietary. I will be pleased to follow this thread and comment. I have used sketchup designs imported to the software thru grayscale png images. Here are some samples of designs with and without sketchup.
Without SU https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VtbEQ11Mit8eB5QZUbbKCNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
With SU https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_ARIIvY-0ihQ0AclttwxptMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
Cheers
Irv

Magnificent model of ancient Inca city, and cheers for dedicated effort to create it! Having hiked there in '83, your model exposes much more than what we could see at that time. The mountainous terrain is so much a part of Macchu Picchu that it really adds to the SU complexity and challenge.

An interesting dilemma concerning creating a SU model of the Bridge below, came from my SU model image posting celebrating the ten year anniversary event on the TFG forum at http://forums.tfguild.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showthreaded&Number=27429#Post27429
The next posted reply was not expected.
"Hi Irv,

I wonder if what you have posted above is a breach of copyright ?

We all of us here know the original designer of this bridge.

I am sure that no offence is intended (either way) and hence I simply raise this as a topic for thought, comment and discussion.

Regards"

I have carved this wood model for myself and is not for sale(design by Reid Costley and Ed Levin) .

The question is how far do you need to go, when modelling public structures that already exist?
Cheers

I used a lovely sketchup model of a rhino to export to my CNC modelling program. The carved sign will go to my brother who works for USAID in Africa.

Absolutely amazing and creative content, its like looking into the future, with ability to change what will happen. I wish I was younger and could ride the wave like our creative authors.
Cheers
Irv

Gaieus, you are sure right about non-profit, plus sweat-equity on recovering about 30 km of trails in my younger days. I really appreciate what Google Earth free allows us to do, it is a great service. Now I have work on my 3D SU models to populate the local GE terrain.
Cheers

BTW, thanks Gaieus for your great work to finding and packaging the google earth forum discussions in this forum.
I used GE Plus to download GPS data from my garmin, print in higher resolution, and exchange trail data etc with other mapping software(Ozi-explorer). GE free is much better than it used to be, and when our region was poor resolution satellite images, I overlaid topo maps in GE to get better looking 3d perspective on terrain maps.
As an example the GE map image in the attached pdf, shows the biking trails, nordic trails, and ski trails that I entered from GPS and map interpretation. I was able to overlay a handwritten map of an old logging railway track that was lost in a large forest fire in 1926. We are trying to recognize heritage and enhance trails near Golden BC, Canada.
Cheers
alpmeadow

Golden West Heritage.pdf

For those using google earth plus(me) I noticed that Google Earth Plus subscriptions will be ended and only GE free or GE Pro ($400/yr). It too bad see more at http://groups.google.com/group/earth-plus/browse_thread/thread/4b97c79b587e738e?hl=en
I wonder if any other GE Plus subscribers, have any thoughts on this?
alpmeadow

Very Impressed with this presentation format. I am wondering out loud how to best use a google earth import in SU and view terrain and model with this plugin. In the future, is there interest in making this plugin works with Google Earth?
Thanks for this.
Cheers
alpmeadow

Graziano just noticed that the spelling for Sketchup on your site needs correcting.

Golden Greetings
I found this site http://homepage.mac.com/dscher/ which creates dynamic geometry in 2D motion. I wonder if and how this might be recreated in a SU dynamic world. Simple geometry, simple motions, and imaginative results. Is this a DCC challenge? I don't have SU 7 Pro. Enjoy

Great Shots of New York
However it looks like Chicago is not too far behind. Attached is an aerial shot of Chicago in article by Philip Greenspun on photo.net(http://photo.net/learn/aerial/primer)

Cheers
alpmeadow

Please see The Sketchup Show #50 - Using Antics 3D with SketchUp. It may have a more creative dynamic for you to consider.
http://go-2-school.com/podcasts

Seasons Greetings!
I sent the following comment to the SU tools survey, thanks gaieus! I was wondering if I am correct, or mistaken with this comment?

The GE modelling with SU are amazing 3D tools and inspiring for viewing remote areas like our alpine terrain. It greatly assists recreation groups to model trails, locate unique features and descriptions that would otherwise be impossible. Keep up the great work!

Dedicated GE/SU crossover users may benefit/contribute further from a more interactive forum that brings together knowledge, modelling enhancemants, galleries and support. Sketchucation, GE Community Forums are great, but doesn't foster a dynamic collaboration, as compared for example, to SU and the reuse in rendering media.
Cheers and Happy New Year
alpmeadow

Thanks Rick for your V4 upgrade on windowizer. I have used windowizer for independently and ocsssionally with the housebuilder ruby and it works well, if you size the rough openings correctly.
Just a suggestion to check if V4 will continue to work with housebuilder. Are there many out there still using housebuilder.rb? or has it fallen from grace? Do you need any help translating US English to Canadian eh?
Cheers
alpmeadow

Golden Greetings Mut and DMA
Its been awhile, my 3D wood carving continues in learning phase and SU does help in converting 3D in my cnc software called designer. However I don't have its full version yet. The best I can do for now is take my SU model and using styles and fog to blacken the background and improve its depth appearance. SU models are saved as png from which I import into designer. It is then adjusted to carving face and depth. The final design model is then sent to the cnc machine with various router bit selection for final carving. Here are some samples of my work.
I am mostly carving wood working projects, recreation, natural scenes and wildlife signs and have much more development work to do.
Good luck with your projects.
Cheers
alpmeadow

sobon.pdf

Thanks Tom for your response on GE/SU, I have to volunteer at the hobbyist level too. I see many questions about GE on this forum, and there isn't a corner to collect these threads or meaningful contributions like many of the other SU friendly software. I believe that Google will continue to enhance the GE/SU crossover modelling, and where and how to follow these developments is my question?
Certainly, it may not be in the interest of the forum board and moderators, to take on more GE/SU content. I couldn't agree with you more, Tom, there is some really good work been done, but its been lost in the sheer volume of content(3DW).
I'll have to take another ride on the London Eye.(I'm sure sketchphysics could give this ride a real spin!)
Cheers
alpmeadow

Google Earth 4.3 has time lapse modelling enabled as can be seen in the model below. Apparently the kmz file can be modified for time.

http://code.google.com/apis/kml/documentation/time.html

Cheers
alpmeadow

Thanks for the cheatsheet. What plugins/functions are special use shortcuts/functions that are enabled for you?
I use a timberframing ruby with its own shortcuts that are somewhat different. Below is a listing of the preferences for its functions. I want to minimise the potential conflicts with other rubies. Thanks for your help.
alpmeadow

0 0 0 F6 Edit/Item/Flip Along/Component's Red
0 0 0 F7 Edit/Item/Flip Along/Component's Green
0 0 0 F8 Edit/Item/Flip Along/Component's Blue
0 0 0 F4 selectDimensionTool:
0 0 0 F3 viewZoomExtents:
0 0 0 F11 Edit/Item/TF Make Shop Drawings
0 0 0 F9 Edit/Item/Text Position/Outside Start
0 0 0 F10 Edit/Item/Text Position/Outside End
0 0 0 N selectTextTool:
0 0 0 A selectProtractorTool:
0 0 0 V selectFieldOfViewTool:
0 0 0 F5 Edit/Item/Rotate 90 around Z
0 0 0 F2 viewFront

Just to make this more effective. Here are some external links on help/learning files on SU & GE.
The main Google Earth Communityhttp://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php/Cat/0 I refered to above.

Just one the the posts on this site with SU tutorials[url]GE Tutorial
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/405081
[/url]

The Sketchup Show #4 & 5: Sketchup & Google Earth (pt.1& 2)
The Sketchup Show #9: MacWorld 2007, new Google Earth & 3D Warehouse
http://go-2-school.com/podcasts

Modeling Buildings for Google Earth [url]
http://sketchup.google.com/3dbuildvideos.html[/url]

How do I place a SketchUp model in Google Earth?
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=36241

If anyone has any other links/threads that help with 3D SU on GE, please
contribute and comment.