Sketch Up (free)

[Domarius]

http://sketchup.google.com/gsu6vtviewer.html#id=3

 

It's a free modeller geared towards quickly mocking up architecture. The obvious use for us (after watching that video) iis to take those awesome concept art for buildings that kmfcall has been doing and quickly whip them up in 3D

 

Though the free version (like GMax) only saves to a proprietry format.

 

It's cool to watch the vids and see how quickly structures evolve out of their simple mouse clicks. I've been fiddling with it - there are only a few basic tools but as you can see from the vids, they let you create basic architecture very quickly.

 

Could be a great starting point and then take it in to your favorite modelling app for the detail work.

 

Features page

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/ans...&topic=9027

 

I found this out through a friend of mine who works for a design company - they have their whole company using this.

[SneaksieDave]

Good heavens, what did they do to google's video player? They took the most friendly player out there (you can seek to anywhere and start from there) and turned it into the worst - it can't be manipulated at all, nor does it show download progress? wtf.

 

Will have to watch this when I get a spare... um,... I don't know how long it is.

[Darkness_Falls]

Pretty interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

I like how the Google Sketchup site has: "How would your campus look in 3D? You show us. Announcing the Build Your Campus in 3D Competition."

 

They're probably just looking to have the citizens of the world make campuses in 3D so they don't have to, in order to update Google Earth. (Google Earth has 3-D buildings in it; albeit not very detailed ones.) I just think they're trying to get free labor to do the dirty work of modeling the world's campuses in more detail. Time will tell.

[Domarius]

Haha, possibly But who cares.

 

I'd love to get into this app myself. If ever in my hobby game dev I need to build buildings (highly likely) this is where I'll start.