Google SketchUp is a 3-dimensional digital drawing tool that is by far the most intuitive and most quickly-learned software in its category currently on the market. Most people who try SketchUp are able to begin drawing with it almost right away.

SketchUp (or any other digital drawing tool) isn't meant to replace drawing or model-making by hand altogether. Sometimes, though, you just want to get an idea of what something will look like in 3-D quickly and play around with different variations of the design. SketchUp is a program that will help you do both.

SketchUp does not replace AutoCAD, but it does provide a way to draw more realistic-looking 3-D scenes and offers the landsape architect or other designer the chance to design on the computer using form manipulation.

"Snapshots" (3-D vignettes, sections, and images of the entire model) taken from your designs on SketchUp are excellent for presentations.

We hope that this tutorial will give you a basic introduction to SketchUp. We think you will really enjoy using this program. Have fun!