Customer Reviews

Google SketchUp Workshop: Modeling, Visualizing, and Illustrating

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is not an intro to Sketchup, and doesn't really cover the actual program in depth so if you are a beginner or even novice user -- this probably is not the best book to get. But if you are already familiar with the application then this workshop in a book can be an invaluable resource as a "behind-the-scenes" look at how real professionals actually use the program, why they chose it, and how they integrate it into real-world projects.

I can't remember another book of this type that reveals so many pro tips and tricks as this book (especially those that involve things other than SketchUp.) The worldwide professional interviewed reveal their workflow, their favorite programs to use in their work, how they use them, plugins, and more. You can tell that this is not just a Google book or "missing manual" type of publication -- this is a different animal.

The actual book itself is beautiful with full color throughout, nice heavy paper and quality printing. Tons of diagrams, screenshots and in-progress project designs really let you see how things were done (even if there is not a true step-by-step handholding.)

The topics and industries covered are quite varied, and this may be a downside for some who would get the book -- if 80% of the industries are not something you work in, you may feel some of it is a waste. However, I think getting perspectives from things like architects, engineers, urban developers, graphic designers and even theatre set designers is fascinating in how many ways this program can be used. I think everyone will take something away from each part of this book.

So, all in all - highly recommended as long as SketchUp is something you work in and are very comfortable already. A rare book that doesn't talk down to experienced users and waste time with basics for those who don't need it.

Google Sketchup is one of those amazing products that, although free, goes very deep and wide. And like any CAD package, there's a lot to learn. This book will not teach you the basics, and may even intimidate the SketchUp beginner. But if you already have a few projects under your belt, there is no better book to take you to the next level.

Other reviewers have described the contents. Let me describe how to use them:

IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED 1-2 SKETCHUP PROJECTS:
Flip through the book, pick a technique that would enhance one of your existing projects. Read the chapter, and apply that technique to your own work to learn how a professional would implement the drawings you did. This step alone will advance your skills a lot in one day.

IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED 3-5 SKETCHUP PROJECTS:
The people who wrote these chapters each have different skill sets, and each do things a bit differently. Pick one or two of the projects in this book that do something very differently from the way you do it, and redo one of your own projects using their methods. By using their techniques, you'll learn different ways of getting first class results. I know that it is hard to force yourself to do something differently from a method you know works, but you don't get the opportunity to learn from this many different skilled users very often. This is the nature of a "Workshop"-to learn new ways of doing things.

Highly recommended.

Executive Summary: Have a project in mind, do the online SketchUp tutorials, then read this
book's "Overview" section and whatever other sections catch your eye.

First off, this book isn't an introduction to SketchUp. The online SketchUp tutorials handle that job. Instead, this book is more like a series of conference papers. Very well done conference papers though.

The "Overview" section is suprisingly long at over 70 pages. Those pages, however, are rather good. SketchUp has a lot of oddities. Some oddities are just because SketchUp has its own approach to some things. Other oddities are just sort of odd. The overview provides pointers on making some things easier to deal with and to make projects flow more easily. It also provides a few hints as to why, when SketchUp isn't doing what you expect, and how to get back to predictability. Eventually these things make sense.

The rest of the book is a series of overviews of various people's work, work flows and design techniques. I was immediately drawn to the woodworking project overview because that's pretty much what my initial SketchUp efforts are all about. There are lots of other projects though and they are truly shocking in their complexity and breadth.

A reader can easily read only the overview and maybe a project section or two. That's surely the fastest way to process what you need and then get to your own project. The reality is that you get drawn back in the text. There's that cool longship in the concept art section, the virtual house design, the .... so much neat stuff!

This book is well laid out and packed full of information and theory. However, as a beginner/intermediate user of Sketchup, I was very disappointed. I was hoping for more practical, step-by-step, instructional information, but this was not the case. Instead, it was a show-case of how Sketchup could be used in more advanced situations. Finished projects were outlined within the categories of architecture, engineering, and graphic design.

One would need thorough, advanced knowledge of Sketchup and other applications such as Artlantis, Vray, PhotoshopCS3, Podium, Piranesi, and AutoCAD, in order to appreciate the information contained in this book.

However, having said all of the foregoing, I will read through a bit at a time. Perhaps there will be something here I can use. With better foreknowledge I would not have purchased this book. Advanced users and engineers will definitely appreciate this title. The illustrations are awesome; it was all just a bit over my head as a beginner.

If you want advanced SketchUp lessons, this book may do it for you. However, based on the description, you may be disappointed.

"Discover the secrets of the Google SketchUp with the 16 real-world professional-level projects including parks, structures, concept art, and illustration. Google SketchUp Workshop includes all the wide variety of projects that SketchUp can be used for-architectural visualization, landscape design, video game and film conception, and more. SketchUp masters in every field will get you up to speed in this agile and intuitive software and then show you the real uses with through projects in architecture, engineering, and design.

* Packed with 16 real-world Google SketchUp projects from working professionals that traverse the entire spectrum of what SketchUp can accomplish
* Covers both the free and Professional versions of the Google SketchUp program - it is not bound to any version
* Teaches 2D illustration and pre-visualization through to the fully rendered 3D Model - from start to finish "

That's the book description. While it is truthful, it leaves out the fact that you need to be an advanced user to really get this book. Also, almost every project uses other software - Illustrator, PhotoShop, etc. TO do every project in the book, it would probably cost you $5,000 to $10,000 in software. Although the book covers the free & pro version, nobody actually uses the free version for examples.

It's good - it's just far more advanced that advertised.

What could be better than having one author define the strengths and fluid spectrum's of modeling with Google Sketchup? Well, this book has the novel approach of getting 16 real world projects, by more than a dozen authors, to explain their work-flows in each of their own professional perspectives. Strength in numbers - crowd sourcing at its best, is the key to the scope of this publication.

This really is one of the main strengths of the book: The ability to see the numerous fields that are utilizing a much loved piece of software, to provide clients with stunning visuals, models and illustrations. As such, the book is a remarkable advertisement for just how powerful Sketchup really is, and the diverse uses it has found in the graphics world. Each of the contributing authors provides a microcosm of their projects needs and every author provides a rich contextural tapestry of their own expertise, showing just why Sketchup has grown to become an integral- in some cases even exclusive -part of their work-flows.

The book is very richly illustrated, written with an engaging-even humorous-style, and has the added benefit of many `Tips'- `Resources' and Info' highlights that provide and drive home crucial tidbits that could be easily missed, if not so highlighted.

The book is targeted at the intermediate to advanced user level and I personally picked up quite a few new ways of doing things and each of the authors provided eye-opening moments into their respective fields. Whether it's Architecture, Urban design, Engineering, Process Plant Design, Woodworking, Theater Scenic design, Archviz rendering and numerous others, it is all covered in quite some detail here. If you want to get past the HOW's and get to understand the WHY's of doing things with a particular methodology, this book will illuminate your sketchup world.

Also, good to see many of the famous plug-in developers getting a well deserved mention for extending sketchups abilities, ever up and onwards.Thanks Guys you make sketchup ROCK...

I highly recommend this book, every school and college and everyone in love or curious about sketchup should have a copy.

Rashad.

I work in an Architectural firm and I'm responsible for supporting Sketchup Pro for my end users.

While I'm not a power user, I've used the program lightly, and have seen what the design team can complete with this product. It's quite an amazing program for creating 3D architectural models.

The biggest value that I've found in this well documented, and colorful book is the beginning chapters. "Working on Complex models/ Configuring Sketchup" and "When SketchUp misbehaves.

From my viewpoint, those 2 chapter alone, are worth the price of this book, because, as I've become immersed in the CAD software world, I've learned that PROPER configuration of your program is more than half your battle when it comes to performance.

The following chapters deal with various designs of different types of projects, and are excellently laid out, and documented.

I highly recommend this book for the novice, or the intermediate user.

The original product description for this book indicated to me that it was intended for all user levels. When I see that sort of description I generally assume that the author took a least common denominator approach, and that the book is mostly suitable for the novice - in this case me. It was quickly clear to me that this is NOT a book for novices.

There are lots of tips and tricks, workflow discussions with designers, case studies, discussions of plug-ins and other programs used in conjunction with Google SketchUp, but there is little step-by-step sort of instructional material for SketchUp itself.

I ended up passing this book to one of my design friends. He's involved in Civil Engineering, and I decided to wait until I received feedback from him before I wrote my review. He thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it 5 stars. I was thinking of a 2-star rating, not because the book is badly written, but because it was a subjective analysis of how useful the book was to me. In fairness though I think that I need to give more weight to someone from the intended demographic market of this book so I'll give it a weighted-average of 4 stars.

Bottom line: don't buy this book if you are a novice. If you are a engineering or design professional however and you are looking for case studies and pro tips on how to get the most out of Google SketchUp, then this might be the perfect book for you.

Although a how-to section of around 70 pages is included, this is not so much a "read this to learn how to do X with SketchUp" book as it is a "here are some interesting things that people have done with SketchUp" book. It mainly consists of detailed discussions of real-world projects that involved SketchUp (along with other software). The reader is not expected to follow along and copy the projects in the book; they're intended more as inspiration. And inspiring they are! Lavishly illustrated and clearly explained (albeit with a few awkward moments; to be expected in a translated technical document), there's a lot of intriguing material in here. This isn't going to get you going as a SketchUp beginner, but if you've got a handle on the program, it may give you some good ideas to use on your own projects. And, honestly, some of the chapters are just plain fascinating reading.

Well this has got to be the fastest I have flicked through a book and dismissed it.
I was expecting a WORKSHOP. where I could follow along and build items in a step by step style.
It didn't even have a dvd to accompany the book with examples of drawings and materials to allow me to get my teeth into anything.
It was nothing but case study's, a chance for authors to show off their skills and bragg about what they had done.
There was nothing to pick up and run with.

Awful, Awful book.