Google Acquires 3D Design Program

By the Betanews Staff | Published March 14, 2006, 11:24 AM

Google on Tuesday announced the purchase of yet another software company to add to its growing portfolio. The six year-old @Last Software makes a tool called SketchUp for creating, viewing and editing 3D designs, and attracted the attention of the search giant with a Google Earth plug-in.

"Google's resources will allow us to serve our current users better, and Google's reach will allow us to expose more people to SketchUp in one year than we could have touched in ten years on our own," said Brad Schell, founder of @Last Software. "SketchUp is still SketchUp, but now it will go places it couldn't possibly have gone before."

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If Google makes this $495 (according to some other site) program free, that will be impressive.

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Very cool! COOL!

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Downloaded it - it is not free and runs on a trial basis.

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I just tried out the demo! this prog really kicks ass!! unbeliavable how simple they made it!
hope google makes somthing good out of this brilliant piece of software!

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WOW!!!!!! Very surprising.

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Now now....just because it's made by Google doesn't mean...

Oh, wait...

You didn't slam it?

Who are you, and what did you use to tie up the real SM? (I'd suggest Duct Tape...it's just so darn useful)

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Screenshots of Google SketchUp here

http://labnol.blogspot.c...autocad-in-googles.html

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SketchUp is an OUTSTANDING program. Nice going Google. This is one Adobe missed out on, big time.

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Something I am sure we are all thankful for...

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... nuff' said

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So I can see how my designs will look in RL via Google Earth?

Wicked.

I wonder if there are height limitations. Could one spec out a maglev? Go outside the earth's atmosphere, perhaps? Anchor a ringworld to the earth's equator? Connect that via enclosed, pressurized, elastic shuttle-tube to the Google MoonBase?

Meh...maybe I'm stretching it a bit. :P

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