Hello SketchUp community,

My name is Bert van't Veer and I am the lead developer of Yuzu, a software suite by Picard Innovations aimed at professionals in the field of measuring spaces and buildings. Part of this platform is an extensive SketchUp plugin which allows you to connect a laser distance meter (Leica only for now) and create SketchUp models while taking measurements in real time. Yuzu also offers a set of useful tools to automate common tasks and get things done more easily. Eventually this will be a commercial plugin, although no pricing has been set yet.

Yuzu is designed to aid in Architecture, Surveying, Interior Design, Engineering and Construction, Project Development and Facility Management. We think the tools can be useful in other areas as well, such as game development and realtime presentations, as it allows to generate continuous building models from simple floor layouts. In the near future we will also support generating certified building reports from models created with Yuzu.

For now, Yuzu only supports the Windows version of SketchUp, however a MacOS driver is in the making. Yuzu will work with both SketchUp and SketchUp Pro 8.0 or higher. Only metric units are supported at this point, so please select a corresponding template (meters/millimeters).

Here are some of the basic features Yuzu offers:

• Getting measurement data directly from a Leica Distometer with Bluetooth.
• Create 3D floorplans by drawing simple layouts with common SketchUp tools.
• Punch holes for doors and windows and create columns by measuring offsets
• Measured extrude function
• Angle measurement
• Distance measurement (move objects by measuring the space between them)

We are currently releasing the first beta and we would very much appreciate the SketchUp community to have a look at it. Many functions are still incomplete or missing, but we hope you get the idea of what you can do with Yuzu. We are looking forward to your feedback so we can improve Yuzu to meet your needs.

The download can be found at http://labs.picardinnovations.com, please subscribe to the forums to get access.

Sincerely,

Bert van't Veer
Picard Innovations

Yuzu in action: