I'm pretty sure that BP are happy pay whatever compensation is deemed necessary because they themselves will not actually be paying it. When the full investigation, of how this tragedy happened, is completed, BP will simply reclaim any money they have spent (+damages of course) from those responsible...Transocean, Halliburton!!!
Unless it turns out it was there fault...in which case they're F@*?#d.
Try zooming in to the google earth model a bit so that Skethcup will allow you to import a section of the island.
Then in Google Earth pan over to a new area, try to make it over lap the previous section slightly and back in sketchup import this new area.
Build it up like a patchwork quilt. Google Earth and Sketchup should place it in the right position...
The round corners plug-in may do the job for you?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=20485&hilit=rounded+corner
If not try to post some pics of your problem, as sugested by KarinaGM.
Nice design and nice model, thanks for sharing
Those renders are tip top too!
I've just completed a model of Noguchi's Freeform Sofa for a colleague,
Thought I might share it with you peoples as there doesn't seem to be another one out there in the Warehouse.
Hopefully somebody might get some use out of it.
I thought it might have been a waffle...in which case I'll suggest Waffle Pit,
Although I have no idea what a waffle pit is!
Well...it looks like a sketch of a house up in the air...so i'll go for the obvious and say 'Sketchup'!
I usually leave the toolbars on, which is pretty inneficient I guess, as everytime it crashes and the toolbars go flying I never put them back in the same place...It takes me ages to find the tool I'm looking for!
for the common commands I use keyboard shortcuts.
and yes I use the large toolset...the small ones are just too small for my inefficient eyes...and I have massive glasses! 
Could you not save a copy of your CAD file and bind the xrefs to it? That way when you import it to sketchup everything will be in the correct place, and your villas will be blocks.
A solution perhaps?
To answer the original question, by the sounds of it, I think, you should just stick with sketchup.
If you want to be seen as professional, produce good looking work, well thought out and speak confidently about your schemes. How you get there shouldn't matter.
Great collection of cutout people can be found here
http://vyonyx.com/category/down/cutout-people/
most of them look a bit too casual for offices, but there are a couple of dudes in suits!
Thanks for the swift reply and clarification.
The model actually imports really well, just wanted to check I wasn't missing something fairly obvious! Trust me...I've done it before!
ta
@unknownuser said:
You can also use the .3ds format. But the textures must lie in the same folder as the .3ds file.
Can anyone offer some advice?
I have just downloaded a 3DS model from http://www.archive3d.net, I've placed the model in the same folder with all the textures, but when I import it into Sketchup there is no sign of the textures, I can't see any options for not importing them!!
Am I missing the obvious, or could it be that the 3DS was built without the textures mapped!
I cant even imagine how this works...I can only presume that it is withcraft.
Regardless of that I think it is totally amazing...now just to find a practical use for it in the rather 'boxy' Architecture I'm used to producing!!!
Wonderful effort TIG!
I've found that the 'roof' plugin by TIG takes care of most of my roofing needs!
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=153&t=3470
have you tried that?
@unknownuser said:
Have you checked the DWG Options section in the Export settings?
I think Coen is on the right lines...
If you chenage the name of the export layer for the mullions to 'Mullions' before export the DWG then when you open the model in Sketchup the Glass and Mullions should be on seperate layers. At least it appeared to work for me!!!
Arroway textures have a great selection of dry stone, coursed, and uncoursed rubble walling. They also offer free demo versions of the textures to trial in your model.
Depending on the needs of your model the demo versions are actually pretty good.
Check out Stonework Volume one, link below, you should find something suitable.
http://www.arroway-textures.de/en/products/stonework-1/contents
Attached is a rather nasty little tutorial hastily thrown togehter. Although the results are not perfect it may be an alternative method of trying to achieve the desired result. Think this will only work on relatively straight roads...
hopefully of some use!
joe
you can find quite a good selection of designer furniture at http://www.e-interiors.net
you have to register but registration is free, and just use the filters to obtain 3d models.
most are in DWG or 3ds format.
good luck!