Why You Should Learn SketchUp

Note: This information is provided on the home page. If you read it there feel free to move onto the next lesson. If you didn't read it I suggest reading it now. It will give you a good starting perspective on SketchUp's utility and importance.

If you're like most people you're probably terrible at drawing. (If not, skip to the next paragraph.) Like most of us you started learning to draw in early Elementary school with a pencil and paper. That meant your perception of how capable you were at creative tasks like designing and building things was determined by how good you were at taking a 3D environment and smashing it down onto a 2D paper surface. The obvious became clear: You simply weren't meant to create anything.

It's not true.

SketchUp in my opinion (and many others in the community) is a world changing product because it bypasses the biggest issue most people have when learning to draw: The ability to take something that's 3D and represent it in 2D.

SketchUp isn't the first software that's enabled us to design in 3D. It's simply the best at doing so because of these four important things.

1. Easy to Start
2. Free and Inexpensive
3. Used for Lots of Things
4. Used by Professionals

1. Easy to Start
There's a lot of 3D design software out there. I've tried and still use many of them myself. In my experience, SketchUp was significantly easier to learn than Maya, Inventor, Solidworks, ArchiCad, Blender, and AutoCad. As you'll see from taking this course, you can make some awesome stuff right out of the gate.

2. Free and Inexpensive
Don't tell the team at Trimble, but you can do pretty much everything you need to with the free version of SketchUp called SketchUp Make. Honestly, this is a gift to all humanity. Right now millions of people of all ages are using SketchUp to design simple stuff like custom bookshelves to more complex things like multi-stage rockets.

The ability to express and improve upon your ideas and designs has never been greater than it is today. Sure, my High School had 3D modeling programs. But unless I was in the classroom I couldn't use them. If I wanted to work on my projects at home I would have to buy those programs for thousands of dollars. That's just not something most people let alone a student could buy. Luckily my drafting teacher let me come in before school, during lunch, and after school to work on projects. I lived in a family with eight kids. Staying at school longer wasn't a hard sell.

Thanks to SketchUp there is continuity when learning 3D modeling now. K-12 and those in College are already benefitting from being able to work on their projects from anywhere and anytime.

3. Used for Lots of Things
SketchUp should be the first 3D software anyone learns because it's used in every industry that uses 3D tools. That means whatever you decide to specialize in, you'll be able to use SketchUp for. Here's a list of major uses.

• Architecture
• Construction
• Engineering
• Urban Planning
• Woodworking
• Interior Design
• Landscape Design
• Game Design
• Set Design
• Robotics
• 3D Printing

4. Used by Professionals
SketchUp is used for serious work. Many major commercial and government agencies use it exclusively.

In the early years SketchUp outsiders thought it was good enough for minor things like a bed frame or at most a kitchen remodel. "Ain't that quaint."

Gradually more and more firms were using SketchUp for client projects like cruise liners, skyscrapers, city planning, and game design. The trend of increased use in firms will continue to grow in the future.

Above is SketchUp being used to design objects in Uncharted 2.

Whether you're new to 3D modeling and design, or you're already a professional and want to incorporate SketchUp into your workflow, this course will get you to your goal. Don't let your dreams be dreams. Make them. With SketchUp Hero I'll show you how. -Jake