SketchUp Pro 2014

Pros

• Accessible to beginners and has professional tools
• Easy to export and share images in both 2D and 3D formats
• Comes with many textures, colors, and designs loaded in the program

Cons

• Circles and domes often look jagged
• Lacks some fundamental CAD tools

SketchUp 2014 is a 3D modeling program with many tools for both beginners and professionals. Unlike some other 3D programs that are full of jargon, this software mostly uses nontechnical language so that it's accessible to any user. You can create sketches and models for anything from cars to buildings and more.

Features

SketchUp 2014 contains over 100 tools and features to help bring your 3D sketch to life. If you're an architect or want to learn about 3D modeling, then this program should have all the tools you need. This program was built to be accessible to beginners without sacrificing the advanced tools that professionals need.

You'll find tools for adding color, texture, shading and more. From simple designs to realistic frameworks, SketchUp is able to create models that can be used as product prototypes or building plans. There are drawing tools, many textures to choose from like glass and metal and even filling tools so that you can easily finish the model.

Warehouse

Building sketches and models from scratch can be tedious. It might be necessary if you're making something unique or custom, but there's no reason to do it for common items like a faucet or door.

That's where the SketchUp 2014 Warehouse comes in. This is a database of 3D models that you can choose from to either add to your design or to customize yourself. Many of these models are common household items, but there are also some unique designs like laser blasters and whole buildings. This makes it much easier to build up complex designs and saves you time when it comes to adding common items to your 3D environment.

Exporting and Sharing

SketchUp 2014 makes it simple to export and share your designs. For those who wish to export, you can either export a flat 2D image for easy printing or viewing in other programs or a 3D model. The 3D models can be imported by other CAD programs so that you can do more work on the model. You can often open these files in animation programs as well if you want to make the model move.

There are also sharing features to easily upload the file to popular websites. With the push of a button you can upload to your favorite social media outlet. You can even share the file directly with friends through email with the sharing feature.

Circles and Domes

You can make basic shapes like with any other 3D modeling program. For some reason SketchUp 2014 has problems with making circles and domes. You will notice that they usually look off. There will typically be jagged edges or the texture may not fill properly.

This doesn't happen all the time, but it's frequent enough to bring up. There doesn't seem to be any fix for it. Just be aware of this and make clients aware that the product or design won't have that jagged look once it's in production.

Adding Text

Adding text either as a note or as part of the design is very easy. Simply select the type of font you want and where you want to add the text. This allows you to write notes for things to change when the model is exported, developer notes so that others understand what they are looking at or as signage in the model.

Pros

• Accessible to beginners and has professional tools
• Easy to export and share images in both 2D and 3D formats
• Comes with many textures, colors, and designs loaded in the program

Cons

• Circles and domes often look jagged
• Lacks some fundamental CAD tools