Google Earth launched in 2005 and it was cool enough...satellite images of a vast portion of the globe. But in typical Google fashion, there are already updated features. Last month, Google bought @Last, a 3-D modeling program and within a few weeks, spit out a free version. Most free 3-D modeling programs are pretty limited, so Google SketchUp was a breath of fresh air. Right? Go ahead, model whatever you want....and then, why not throw it up on Google Earth? Between architect wannabes and tech geeks, the 3-D version of New York City, for example, has grown massively just weeks. Good Morning Silicon Valley summarized it pretty well: we all work for Google.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Google Empire: Keep Building
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3 comments:
Actually, most 3-D modeling programs are the opposite of limited. They're so jam-packed full of complex features and painfully incomprehensible plug-ins that you have to be a computer science major just to understand how to start a new drawing. But perhaps the heaviest reason for 3-D modeling software's inaccessibility is the lofty price tag attached to most programs:
Maya Unlimited: $6999
AutoCAD 2007: $3995
Cinema 4D R9.5 Studio: $2995.
Google has provided a simple, free application to hobbyists and the average-joe designer, as well as a gallery to display work (google earth). So chalk up another excellent innovation for our new lord and master, google. Hopefully someday they'll actually pay me for all the work I have done and will continue to do for them--preferrably in stock options.
Nice colors. Keep up the good work. thnx!
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Very pretty site! Keep working. thnx!
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