SketchUp

SketchUp Make is a really easy to use 3D drawing application and completely free of charge! Many of the illustrations in DT Online started life in SketchUp Make, some of which have been deposited in 3D Warehouse, the on-line Open Source library which contains thousands of pre-drawn components and assemblies freely accessible from within the program.

Drawings can start with simple shapes which can be extruded, joined or subtracted to create 3D forms. These can be rotated, rendered and even placed into Google Earth as if they were real objects. Many Architects use the SketchUp Pro version for their presentations, but starting to use SketchUp Make is suitable even for complete beginners and there are many SketchUp Video Tutorials to assist.