Photo-Realistic Rendering in SketchUp

If your project renders in Google's SketchUp don't quite cut ir, how about taking it up a notch and create images like this one?

It looks so real you'd really have to take your time to figure out otherwise. And that's exactly what you can achieve with this Shaderlight SketchUp renderer.
If you just want to play around, you can use the free version. And while it is Windows-only for now, a Mac version is said to be coming soon.

Google SketchUp 8

Google's 3D modeling program we've all grown to enjoy and love in the past few years is better than ever with its latest version. SketchUp 8 is ready to rumble and it brings some interesting new features you won't want to miss.

There were a lot of improvements in geo-modeling in SketchUp and some of the thing even rubbed on to other Google products: Building Maker can now use Streetview images.

Sculptris - 3D Organic Modelling

If you want to work in 3D, you can find great free software out there: Google Sketchup, the amazing Blender, and lots others.

However, they're mostly tuned for "artificial structures", and things start to get messy when you want to create and model organic shapes and figures.

But... check out this Sculptris!

This free program weighs just a bit over 3Mb, and offers unbelievable freedom in creating 3D organic models. Basically it allows you to play around with "digital clay" you can sculpt as you wish.

The results can be truly amazing, as you can see in the following video:

The World in 3D

Google has been pushing to have the entire world mapped in 3D, using Google Earth and SketchUp.

They're now showing you just how easily it can be done, creating your own house in 3D and sharing it with others.

Sketchup 7

In case you've missed it, you can now upgrade to SketchUp 7, the free 3D planning tool from Google that allows easy 3D modelling whether you're trying to plan your dream house, or just figure out a way to efficientely move your furniture around...