My Google Map Blog

Back in 2012 Google sold SketchUp, the excellent 3D modeling tool that was used to make most of the older 3D models found in Google Earth. In October 2013, Google stopped importing models from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, and now solely rely on automatic generation methods for 3D imagery.

Earlier this year the 3D Warehouse was completely revamped by new owner Trimble. Also, at some point, the URL for the warehouse has changed from the Google domain (sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/) to a the sketchup.com domain (3dwarehouse.sketchup.com).

Google has implemented redirects on the former URLs, but they are not all working correctly. The result is that links that we created in the past to KML/KMZs of models in the 3D Warehouse no longer work correctly. Instead of being redirected to the download of the KML/KMZ, they get redirected to the SketchUp model (.skp) download instead.

Also, it seems most of the links within Google Earth relating to 3D models are broken. If you click on a 3D model, a popup shows more information about the model. It used to display a small picture of the model on the right, but now there is just a question mark. In addition, almost all the links in the popup are supposed to direct you to the 3D warehouse, but most of them do not work correctly.

If you have links to KML/KMZ files on your website then it is not difficult to correct them. Each model has a unique ID that has not changed. A typical old URL will look like this:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/download?mid=2fc1bb50f5aaf8ab91735325f76051&rtyp=k2&fn=Stadhuis+1&ctyp=other&prevstart=0

To fix it:

• Copy the unique ID shown in bold above.
• Search for it in the Sketchup 3D Warehouse.
• Click on the ‘Download’ button, and you should see two options, the Sketchup model and the KML/KMZ file.
• Right click on the KML/KMZ link and select ‘copy link address’ (or your browser’s equivalent).
• Replace your old link with this URL.

The new link should look something like this:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/warehouse/getpubliccontent?contentId=57bca5fd-1c8d-4e4f-a8a7-ca4985b230c3&fn=Stadhuis-1.kmz

Although the ‘report a problem’ link on the 3D building popup does not work correctly, we did use Google Earths ‘report a problem’ feature to let Google know about this issue.

The post SketchUp 3D Warehouse URL issues appeared first on Google Earth Blog.

While it no longer has the close connection to Google Earth that it once did, we know that many of you remain avid SketchUp fans and will be pleased to learned that SketchUp 2014 has been released. Along with the new version of SketchUp is a completely revamped 3D Warehouse.

There are quite a few enhancements to the main SketchUp product, including tweaks to the core SketchUp modeler and an updated API. For the 3D Warehouse, one of the best new features is a way to easily embed visuals of your 3D models via their new WebGL Viewer. As an example, the following embedded model should be fully 3D for most of you.

All in all, it’s some great enhancements to an already excellent program. Learn more over at the SketchUpdate Blog.

The post SketchUp 2014 and a refreshed 3D Warehouse released appeared first on Google Earth Blog.

Over the years we’ve shown you a wide variety of add-ons that can be used with Google Earth to make it more useful, and TechRepublic has recently posted a list of their favorite five.

Their list includes:

1 – SketchUp: Our favorite 3D modeling tool.

2 – RoboGEO: A tool to geotag image files.

3 – KMZ to GPS Converter: The name sums it up; convert your KML or KMZ files into GPS files.

4 – The Google Earth API: We’ve shown you many games (such as the classic Ships) and tools over the years that use the GE API, as it can be very powerful.

5 – Cache for Google Earth: A third-party program that helps extend the usefulness of the Google Earth cache for offline use.

If you’re wanting to extend the usefulness of Google Earth, this list is a great place to start. For more, check out the full list on the TechRepublic site.

What is your favorite tool to use with Google Earth?

The post Five tools to make Google Earth more useful appeared first on Google Earth Blog.

Trimble (the company that purchased SketchUp last year) has just released SketchUp 2013 with a variety of upgrades and enhancements.

Extension Warehouse

The new Extension Warehouse is designed to be a “one-stop shop for anyone looking to customize their copy of SketchUp”, with tons of new features included.

LayOut in SketchUp Pro 2013

New in 2013 they’ve “added hatching and other pattern fills, speedier vector rendering, better zoom, more useful callouts and other improvements we think you’ll love”.  Here is more info about LayOut from the SketchUpdate Blog.

SketchUp Make

The free version of SketchUp now has a new name: SketchUp Make.  The word “SketchUp” now refers to the family of products, with includes the “Pro” and “Make” verions.

All told, there are quite a few great updates in the latest releases of SketchUp.  While SketchUp isn’t being used for Google Earth as much as it used to (due to the automated 3D Imagery continuing to be rolled out), it is still an amazing tool for creating 3D models.

You can read more about this update in the SketchUpdate Blog.

The post SketchUp 2013 released appeared first on Google Earth Blog.