Treasure Tables is on hiatus as of December 13th, 2007 -- after two years of daily posts, I needed a break. If you're looking for GMing material, I have two recommendations: the hundreds of posts in TT's archives, and my new project, the multi-author GMing blog Gnome Stew. Happy GMing! -- Martin

Google SketchUp for 3D Modeling

Tue. January 2, 2007 

Google SketchUp is a free 3D modeling program aimed at modern-day construction projects — adding an extension to your house, for example. But that’s not all it can do.

I downloaded SketchUp and played around with it for a bit, and it’s got some surprisingly robust tools built right in — like the ability to draw a 2D shape and then stretch it in any direction to create a 3D object, as well as view your creations from any angle (useful for tactical maps).

With a bit of time invested in it, creating simple structures looks like it would be pretty straightforward, from modern buildings to sci-fi ships, medieval castles and open areas like jousting fields or combat zones.

Graphics programs aren’t my forte (to say the least), but I can see some good potential in it for GMs. Update: And based on the comments so far, there’s a lot you can do with SketchUp for your game!

If you give SketchUp a shot, or if you’ve already tried it, tell us in the comments!

More posts about: Tools

Comments

11 Responses to “Google SketchUp for 3D Modeling”

  1. John Arcadian on January 2nd, 2007 10:50 am

    I played around with sketch up a bit. It isn’t bad for conveying a basic “news flyover” style of a scene. Here is where this is, there is where that is, etc. For me there is too much time investment to get the results I desire.

    For landscape (which is where I like to use images ) I tend to use Terragen
    especially because of results like this:

    Terragen snowscape

    and I have heard good things about Bryce.

    For more detailed though, like an indoors, or if I just need to accurately portray objects, then this works fairly well.

  2. John Arcadian on January 2nd, 2007 11:00 am

    Let me update that a little. I just checked out sketchup and it has improved immensely since I last played around with it. It is still time intensive, but dang it looks much more realistic than when I started.

    Now I may have to go play around with it.

  3. Dr Rotwang! on January 2nd, 2007 11:17 am

    …

    …

    …if I download that, my family might not see me for DAYS.

  4. Spleen23 on January 2nd, 2007 12:14 pm

    Havan’t downloaded it yet, but some of the stuff in SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse
    under dungeon and castle look promising enough to give it a try.

  5. Ilwan on January 2nd, 2007 2:17 pm

    I made a temple thingy some time ago. Here is the result:

    http://mapventures.com/files/temple.jpg

    or more in-game friendly:

    http://mapventures.com/files/templesketch.jpg

  6. Cineris on January 2nd, 2007 10:19 pm

    SketchUp is a great little program, and, of course, it’s free. The best part of SketchUp, for me at least, was looking at some of the amazing models other people have already built and made freely available. With just a little work one could assemble a pretty nice collection of 3D models for structures to use in your RPG games (if you run a modern-day campaign you need not even work for it, just browse the already available models).

  7. Martin on January 3rd, 2007 8:03 am

    I linkified the URLs in the comments so far, just to make them easier to read/visit.

    And holy crap there’s a lot you can do with SketchUp! The 3D Warehouse looks quite handy, and Ilwan, your temple rocks — I love the sketchy, campaign-ready version.

  8. Bryan on January 3rd, 2007 6:46 pm

    Holy moley that’s going to be useful!

    (Well, as soon as I own a computer at home that will run it, that is…)

    Starship models with interiors, here I come!

  9. Dr Rotwang! on January 3rd, 2007 8:44 pm

    Ho.

    Lee.

    CRAP.

    SketchUp? Meet some Traveller deckplans. You guys are going to be bunking together for a while.

    Oh, and the Keep on the Borderlands, too.

  10. drow on January 3rd, 2007 11:37 pm

    very nice, indeed. i wonder if there’s some way to get some XML import going…

  11. Martin on January 4th, 2007 5:24 pm

    No pressure, but I’d love to see some starships (interiors and exteriors) — if you knock any together, I hope you’ll link to them here!