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I wasn't sure if this should go in the Software forum or what, since it isn't aviation-related or O-Club related, but it's just fargin' cool.....and maybe our treadhead friends can use it to draw up some cool tanks or somethin' who knows.....

Anyway I hadn't heard of this and ran across it in my web travels.....Google SketchUp, a free and amazingly easy and wicked 3D drawing program.

Sounds complex? Think again! Cripes, if you can draw a box you can use it, I swear! Rather than tell you, take a quick peek this tutorial video at the link below.....starts off slow but things start to happen fast!

GOOGLE SKETCHUP INTRO

If that tantalized you, a bunch of tutorial videos are HERE
Anyway there's more info here at the Sketchup home page, and the FREE version is like, well, FREE!

http://www.sketchup.com

(If ya decide to download it, go for the "free" version shown on the right or you get tied up with this big questionaire if it thinks you're tryin' to download the trial-period $495 "Pro" version....yikes!

And yup, I tried it out, downloaded it and went through the tutorial and then started playin' around.....before you know it (about 45 minutes later) I had this stupid 3D model built up of a dude with a big hangar and an aircraft bein' built and...this is the cool part......from inside the program I accessed the online Google Sketchup 3D Object "warehouse" and found a radial engine to go on that baby that's jesssst abouuuut the right size, if maybe a little underpowered.....



Not a very amazing picture I know (except for that it's a fully-rotatable 3D model) but for DANG sure, this is a pretty amazing free gizmo, I tell ya!

I knew about this from Google Earth but hadn't messed with it...you get a blurb about it when you load GE with an image of a big Chuch thingie from time to time along with their tips and stuff. I might have to give this a try now. Thanks for the heads up...might have to build a brewery or something for Thomas Lake for folks to enjoy in GE now.

here are a few other Free CAD programs

Alibre Design Express (Basic version free) see article in the Nov. 2007 issue of Fine Scale Modeller to learn how to use this to design and have built, your own scratchbuilt model parts

www.alibre.com/xpress/...xpress.asp

And Blender which is a full service no-holds barred 3-D design program

www.blender.org/

Jeff Lewis