Hi everyone. This is my first post and its going to be a little different than what you might see. I need some info and some opinion, so fire anything at me you feel may be useful, as i have to start somewhere.

Firstly, to be clear, I am a complete pre-beginner at sketch up.

I am interested in 3d visualization because I see it can be of so much benefit to clients in the residential building and construction industry. It seems it is massively under utilized. I have worked in this industry at the building end for some 15yrs a portion of it being as a project manager.

I think the 3d graphic and animation used on the English "Grand Designs" with Kevin McCloud, needs to be taken to the masses. Almost all people I have come into contact with, who have had bespoke homes built would have had been hugely advantaged both in confidence and budget, to have been able to virtally tour their home before the construction phase. It would have enabled early design alterations, material choices and color options.

So question 1 easy one
Is this 3 d animation possible with sketch-up?

Question 2
I am not a designer and would never pretend to be. But I am good at making design a reality. I would like to now make it a virtual reality. If a building is drawn on say auto-cad by a designer or architect. Can Sketch-up or some other program read this and take it some way into the 3d imagery or do you have to manually take the drawings over?

Question 3

I feel there is a gap in the market here in New Zealand for this type of product. I would love to set up a business where designers and the like would contract this work out. Is that some thing that is occurring elsewhere in the world.

I said this was a weird first post.

I know I can learn the programs, but in relation to basing a business on it, is this possibly viable or am i just blowing smoke out my A.

All comments welcome

Astute 1