Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year Everybody! Enjoy this model from the user "Google 3D Warehouse":

One Times Square is the name of the building in Times Square upon which the famous New Year's Times Square Ball drop is performed annually. It was originally designed by Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz and James C. Mackenzie, Jr. and built by the New York Times in 1904 as a headquarters for their operations. Upon completion, the 25 story, 395 ft (120 m) skyscraper was acknowledged as the second tallest building in the world.

This is included in my following 3D model collections: Around the World in 3D, 1900s, Americana

Time To Track Santa!

It's time to track Santa on Google Earth in real-time. I'll be keeping my eye on him all day! Merry Christmas... http://www.noradsanta.org/

UPDATE: Santa was just spotted over the Great Wall of China! (see below!)

Santa's Workshop

EDIT: Well the experiment was a success and Christmas has been saved by people all over the world. Santa's got a sweet new workshop including transparent windowpanes, a stack of gifts, snowmen, reindeer, flying letters to Santa, and the Aurora borealis.

Thanks to all who participated-- see you around the Island-- and Merry Christmas!

Are You a Super Modeler?

3D modelers across the world: Please welcome the newest Super Modeler, TANG!

Chosen by public vote based on his awesome 3D models, TANG (aka Tang Huang) is the latest 3D geo-modeler to join the elite ranks of the Super Modelers!

As a Super Modeler Tang now has access to the Super Modeler forum and web site and his models are featured in a special collection. Additionally, Tang's model preview page is now graced with the Super Modeler badge.

Other perks and surprises await him as well if past experiences of other Super Modelers are anything to judge by...

Welcome once again Tang!

Are you a Super Modeler? Nominate yourself HERE!

Terracotta Warriors

Check this out. Geo-modeler J.A. Alvarez pointed out to me a nice series of models he made-- the housing for the famous terracotta warriors in Shaanxi province, China.

The figures, estimated to be about 8000 in number, date from over two thousand years ago and were discovered by farmers accidentally in several buried pits in the 1970s.

More models can be seen HERE and HERE.

This model is included in my following 3D model collections: Museum, *Favorite Thumbnails

Google Earth 6

Woo-hoo! Time to download the newest Google Earth 6! Check out some of the new features in this video from the SketchUp blog.

Pumpkin Fishy

Check out the pumpkin-themed fish model (or fish-themed pumpkin model) created by Cathy in France for both the "SketchUp Island Pumpkin Patch" 3D model collection and this week's 3D Challenge: Fish.

Make your own 3D fish for the design challenge, or create a Halloween pumpkin and add the tag sketchupislandpumpkins2010 for inclusion in our fun pumpkin 3D model collection. Or try both!

Pumpkin Boats, Houses, etc.

There are so many creative pumpkins being made this season for the SketchUp Island pumpkin patch. Check them out below.

Haunted Pumpkin

Another beautiful pumpkin "carved" using Google SketchUp, this time by Cathy Tritschler of France.

Upload your own pumpkin carving to the Google 3D Warehouse with the tag "sketchupislandpumpkins2010" (no quotes) and it will be added to this great collection of SketchUp pumpkins!

Pumpkin in a Pumpkin in a Pumpkin

Many thanks to Aerilius for sharing his creative talents with this beautiful virtual pumpkin carving!

Share yours this October on the Google 3D Warehouse and add the tag (without quotes) "sketchupislandpumpkins2010." It will be added to the pumpkin patch model collection.

The Pumpkin Season

It's that time of the year again in SketchUp Island-- the pumpkin season!

Honolulu Power Plant

Aloha! Check out my latest model! It's the Honolulu Power Plant modeled first in Building Maker and then refined quickly in SketchUp. "Built in 1928 and 1955 and supplying power to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The power plant is considered by some to be an eyesore and may be demolished to make way for waterfront development..." This model is included in my following 3D model collections: Power Plant, My Building Maker Models, 1920s, Models By Zoungy, Zoungy Google Earth Models, *Favorite Thumbnails

Google Street View in Antarctica

Hikers in Antarctica with ship in distance (from Google Street View)

One of Google SketchUp's "sister" products, Google Street View, now features coverage on all seven continents including Antarctica.

It's pretty cool-- you can even see penguins!

3D Warehouse Gone Insane

This is inspiring. It's the OK GO video for "This Too Shall Pass" featuring a continuous four-minute shot of a Rube Goldberg machine operating in sync with the song.

It reminds me a bit of what might happen if the all the contents of the Google 3D Warehouse were to go crazy and start moving around on its own! Enjoy.

House of Cards

Watch artist Bryan Berg make magic happen in the YouTube video below. It's a house of cards made entirely with freestanding, unattached playing cards. And it's not just any card house-- it's the Rhode Island State House!

Check out the Google Earth/SketchUp version of the Rhode Island State House above, which I have added to these 3D model collections: 1900s, American Capitols

3D Basecamp Looks Fun

I was unable to attend this year's 3D Basecamp at Google Boulder, but I can live it through this post by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist, on the SketchUp blog.

From what I can tell/what I have heard, it was a blast. There were about 250 attendees (a handful were geo-modelers) who split their time between the Google Boulder Office and a second location called the Milk factory (?) or something like this.

3D Printing Takes Off

All rights reserved by i.materialise

According to this article from the Seattle Times, 3D printing is really taking off.

It is now being used to create not just small-scale plastic models, but also functional objects like prosthetic limbs and (soon) entire concrete houses!

Although the printers are costly hobbyists can purchase starter kits for around a thousand dollars.

Dónde puedo conseguir SketchUp?

Pardon me, Spanish speakers, if that was incorrect Spanish (but I thought I would try using a handy phrase taught me by a friend-- I just replaced one word "cerveza").

Modeler John Wilkes from UK sent me this nice video he found on another modeler's YouTube channel. Auquicu was the winner of this year's Google Model Your Town competition in Barranco, Lima, Peru.

Trying Out New Modeling Features

Hi! So I quickly tried out some of the new features in SketchUp 8 and Building Maker. I am still getting accustomed to them and may not remember all that I did, but I'll take my best shot.

Happy Belated Birthday

By PinkCakeBox on flickr

OMG! I forgot that SketchUp Island celebrated its 1st birthday on August 23!

Poor little forgotten SketchUp Island.

Well, better late than never.... happy birthday, blog, and many more!

P.S. Thanks to Beryl Reid for the awesome birthday banner!

Sounds Good To Me

One of the ideas we brainstormed at the Mapper-Modeler conference this past spring in Zurich was the idea (often suggested before, apparently) of having sound in Google Earth.

Check out the YouTube clip above demonstrating what that would look like (and sound like), or try it out here in an embedded Google Earth window.

I think it adds a lot of realism to the buildings and terrain without adding a lot of heavy polygons. What do you think?

Have I Been Asleep for Two Months?

Click to enlarge

When I said in my last post that "everything is different" in the SketchUp/geo/modeling world, I didn't literally mean it.

But now I'm wondering if I should have.

Today I previewed a 3D building model in the Google 3D Warehouse and used the Street View tab to check for accuracy. All very normal. But...

I'm Back! Everything Is New!

I'm back and everything is new!

While I was away from the Island on a two-month adventure the SketchUp people developed Sketchup 8. Just click on that link to find out more as there is too much awesomeness to describe. Really!

Basically, everything you ever hoped SketchUp could do, it can now do. At least that's the way I feel.

New Los Angeles Imagery

Updated Google Earth imagery makes 3D models look better

Today I noticed an imagery update to the Los Angeles area where some of my Google Earth models are located. In my opinion it is an ideal imagery update, for several reasons:

1) Color correction. The color is beautiful and true to life. It looks like you are really there. My own models look much better as a result of this new backdrop.

2) Clarity. The imagery is fairly sharp.

3) Angle. These pictures were taken for the most part from a straight-down point of view. This helps in making the models and creating a realistic atmosphere.

4) Consistency. Covering a large area (I haven't found the edges yet) this new imagery is seamless and again, helps to make the area look very real.

A Diller, A Dollar, A Ten O' Clock Scholar

It is satisfying to see a model you've created appear in Google Earth, especially when you've made it with care. My model of the Orloj in Prague (hybrid SketchUp/Building Maker model) just became one of Google Earth's newest.

Actual Google Earth screen captures

I had fun using GE's weather and sun features to "revisit" the Orloj at night and with more sunny weather than when I actually visited it (see screen caps).

Cuckoo for SketchUp

Download the model and watch the tour-- be sure to have your audio turned on and you'll be amazed! Thanks to Aerilius, modeler who never fails to surprise.

Orloj Ahoj!

Play video for 3D tour of Old Town Square, Prague (not a SketchUp model)

I just uploaded my 3D model version of the Orloj-- the 600-year-old Astronomical Clock and Old Town Hall in Prague. Then I found this video (above) of a detailed 3D model someone else made which is way cooler. I'm still happy with my own model though.

Mine is a hybrid Building Maker - SketchUp model, utilizing some photos I took myself while visiting Old Town Square in Prague. Check it out, and also look at this link showing a faster animated version of the clock dial (makes it easier to understand).

Representin’ Tulsa

Chris Sardinas (photo by Zoungy)

Meet Chris Sardinas. Chris is one of the "super modelers" who recently attended the Google Mapper-Modeler Summit in Zurich, and a finalist in the Google Model Your Town competition.

In this article Chris describes what motivates him to be a prolific 3D modeler for Google Earth, using the town of Tulsa, Oklahoma as an example.

Why does he do it? Read on!

SketchUp Island + GTA = Interesting

Auquicu, aka Jorge, aka winner of the Google Model Your Town competition, sent me this cool video made with Google Earth in the style of GTA (Grand Theft Auto).

Whether you are a fan of GTA or not, you'll probably enjoy it. Also thanks to Auquicu for creating the cool GTA fan header for the blog to go with this post. (GTA name and artwork is property of Rockstar Games and is not officially associated in any way with this blog).

Grand Theft Auto collage by Auquicu for SketchUp Island blog

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

A remarkable model of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, newly added to Google Earth by Antonino G. Video tour HERE. I have added it to these 3D model collections: Favorite Thumbnails, Place of Worship, My Favorite Models

Get On the Bus!

Recently in London I was fortunate enough to ride one of those red double-decker buses similar to the old fashioned Routemaster-- but not an actual Routemaster!

Luckily, I found a collection of vintage buses on Trimble 3D Warehouse-- including Routemaster, bus of my dreams, with detailed interior!

A new Routemaster design was unveiled this week on BBC News. Have a look at the before and after photos. The former design was retired in 2005.

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Auquicu, aka Jorge de Albertis Bettocchi of Barranco, Lima, Peru-- winner of the Google Model Your Town Competition!

The Barranco school district will receive a $10,000 donation from Google as a result of Jorge's winning town model, chosen by a public vote.

See the collection of his town models HERE. Read the Google blog announcement HERE. Congratulations to the four runners up whose really cool town models serve to inspire as well.

Photo of Jorge is from the Google SketchUp website.

Footloose Part 2

Recently I wrote about a new, automatic feature in Google Earth that helps keep your building models aligned to the ever-shifting and updating satellite imagery beneath it.

Sometimes you may get a message on your model preview page in the 3D Warehouse which reads, "Google Earth imagery has been updated. Please check your building position and update as required."

London Bridge Is In... Arizona?

You learn something new every day. Today I discovered that the famous London Bridge ("London Bridge is falling down") is in Arizona. That's right. At least, one of them is. Allow me to explain.

Footloose

The engineers at Google have come up with a great new idea-- automatic re-adjustment of your building model's footprint to match the updated Google Earth imagery! See the joyous announcement HERE.


Now there will (hopefully) be no more fooling around with this pesky problem of slipping imagery and crooked footprints!

West Palm Beach, USA (Model Your Town 5/5)

Last in the five-part series of official videos from the Google Model Your Town contest, West Palm Beach, Florida (USA). Check out the video tour and click HERE for more media and information on all five finalists.

Dursley, United Kingdom (Model Your Town 4/5)

Have a look at this video tour of the 3D Google Earth model of Dursley, a small town in Gloucestershire, UK, and one of the five finalists in the Google Model Your Town Competition.

NEW Earth View in Google Maps Features Models

Bruce Polderman of Google has posted an article about the new "Earth View" feature in Google Maps.

Now explorers have the option of using an embedded 3D view of Google Earth right inside Google Maps.

Also included are the 3D models created by many of you. Some of them are even featured for the launch in the left-hand side bar (maybe yours?). Click on them for a tour, and click on the creator's name to launch a new window featuring their other work.

Donostia - San Sebastian (Model Your Town 3/5)

Here is the third look at one of the five finalists in the Google Model Your Town Competition. The town is called Donostia - San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain. Check out the video tour!

Braunschweig, Germany (Model Your Town 2/5)

Check out this video tour of the Braunschweig Niedersachsen, Germany model that was created for the Google Model Your Town Competition.

Each day for five days I'll post the official Google video displaying the work of one of the five finalists. After you've seen them all be sure to vote for your favorite-- but vote before the deadline of May 1!

Hurray For Hollywood

According to a BBC News article, the famous Hollywood sign has been saved from redevelopment. Now the hilltop where the icon "lives" will remain protected and in its natural state. A Chicago-based group had considered plans to develop the hilltop as an exclusive residential neighborhood.

I've added this model to the following 3D model collections: Favorite Thumbnails, Around the World in 3D, Americana, My Favorite Models

Barranco, Lima, Peru (Model Your Town 1/5)

Check out this model video of Barranco, Lima, Peru (Part 1 of 5). It is one of the five finalists in the Google Model Your Town competition.

De Belles Maisons De Cathy

De Belles Maisons De Cathy

If you look regularly at the Google 3D Warehouse, you may have lately noticed a beautiful series of maisons appearing there, all the creation of modeler Cathy Tritschler of France, and all beaux modèles!

Cathy is one of my SketchUp 'pen pals' and I thought I would showcase some of the beautiful work she is doing here. Then, if you care to see more, visit her collection right HERE.

Did I get the French right?

Does Your Space Navigator Glow? Mine Does.

The greatest thing about attending the 2010 Google Mapper-Modeler Summit in Zurich last month was getting to meet lots of cool people doing similar things with modeling and mapping in a friendly, social atmosphere.

A close second might be the 3Dconnexion Space Navigator which Google may or may not have sent home with each of us. I'll let you guess...

I'd been playing with the Space Navigator since I got back from my European tour and I liked it. Only problem was, it didn't glow. I could go on about how it made navigating 3D space in Google Earth easier, more fun, and more smooth, but really, I just wanted it to glow.

Wouldn't THIS Make a Great Model?

Gas station in Melrose, Louisiana in 1940. See the original high definition image (and thousands of other high definition photographs) HERE on my favorite historic photo blog, www.shorpy.com.

Photos like these would be a great starting point for those interested in a "historic buildings layer" on Google Earth-- or for people who simply want to model cool old places.

I wonder what's there now?

Modelers Run Amok in Zurich

One very late night at the 2010 Mapper Modeler Summit in Zurich, someone suggested we wake at 6:00 am to shoot pictures in Old Town for making 3D building models.

Amazingly, everyone agreed. On the following crisp, sunny Tuesday morning crazy 3D modelers met at the Münsterbrücke for this purpose, just below the statue of Bürgermeister Waldmann.

It may have been quite early, but those sets of photos turned into 3D magic. Check out this collection to see what I mean!

Thanks For Sharing Art

Reader-submitted header artwork

I just wanted to offer thanks to the people who have graciously donated their creative skills to SketchUp Island by creating header art. In three days I have received three fantastic submissions!

Toy Story 3 Clip

For many of us, one of the first really memorable 3D graphics experiences we had was seeing the film Toy Story way back in 1995.

In that film, Andy's favorite toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear have gotten lost while the family moves house, and they must find their way back home.

Ten years later Andy is about to head off for college and something must be done with all his toys... trash or donation. This great teaser clip shows you an extended scene. Looks like it could be good!

YES WE CAN... Model Our Towns

Don't forget to cast your vote in the most important election of the month! Well, one of the most important at least. It's time for the public (you) to choose your favorite town in the Google Model Your Town Competition!

TEN THOUSAND dollars ($10000) are at stake, which will go to the winning town's public school district. So...vote! Do it before May 1, when polls close.

Labor of Love

Check out the video below. Modeler Tobias Merk (who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Zurich Mapper-Modeler Summit two weeks ago) created a model of his hometown train station to a pleasing level of detail, and also a video tour.

I've added this model to the 3D model collection Golden Age of Rail.

Social Networking Directly In 3D Warehouse

Check out this post from Bruce Polderman, Product Manager at Google.

Now you can share models to social networking sites like Facebook directly within the Google 3D Warehouse website. Cool stuff! Share your own models or another one you like, instantly.

Good Times

Hello All, just a quick update from Europe. The Mapper-Modeler Conference in Zurich was a great success- we got to meet dozens of talented and passionate modelers and mappers in a fun and welcoming setting.

Too bad it ended so quickly! I continue my travels elsewhere and leave you with some impressions of my time at the conference.

Model Suggestions

Hello SketchUp Islanders! This time it's me tossing a bottle into the ocean...

Every day I get at least a few "notes in bottles" (model suggestions) for my collections. Since I'll be traveling for most of the next few weeks, I won't be able to keep up with these. I ask that you please hold your bottles/suggestions until after April 7.

Thanks!

Take a Walk On the Wild Side of Modeling

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!

Gipuzkoa3d has uploaded another great video of the work being done in San Sebastian-Donostia, Spain, by himself and others. It looks so real. Check it out!

And then probably you'll be wanting to check out the models in Google Earth to see if they really look that good (they do).

Why Do You Model?

We'll discuss this in Zurich at the Mapper Modeler Conference next week, and I may give a brief presentation too. I invite anyone to respond in the comments section about their own motivations.

Mine are varied. I have interests in history, buildings, photography, art, puzzles, modeling. About five years ago I realized SketchUp was a new "toy" with which I could combine all those interests.

Zurich

In a few short days SketchUp Island will be headed for Zurich, Switzerland for the Google Mapper/Modeler (Un)Conference.

3D Building Models Enhanced in Google Earth

I just noticed this post at the Google Lat Long Blog.

Apparently, the models we make in Google Earth now feature a new, pop-up "balloon" design, featuring photos of nearby places and links to what's nearby. Click on a link and it takes you to a second balloon that includes sponsored links (Google Ads).

Cincinnati Inclined Railroad

One of my favorite blogs, www.shorpy.com, has published a beautiful, high-resolution photograph an old, inclined railroad in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA).

This is one of those non-SketchUp instances where I just wanted to share something interesting and relevant in a different sense.

In the comments section below the photo (at the photo blog) you will see a Google Maps view of the same location-- unfortunately the railroad is gone, replaced in part by a large highway interchange.

Mapper-Modeler Conference in Zurich

Just a quick note:


If you get the chance you might want to attend the Mapper-Modeler conference held by Google in Zurich, Switzerland. Read more about it at the SketchUp blog HERE.


Briefly, to apply for a spot you must fill out a form and provide the following:

• Collection of models: A link to a 3D Warehouse collection that contains geo-models you've built and contributed 
• Brief statement: A short paragraph (3 or 4 sentences) that outlines what you hope to gain by attending the conference. Please also mention any special knowledge or skills you might be able to contribute.

EDIT: Someone pointed me to www.kayak.com as a way to begin planning a trip easily.

AVATAR Created With SketchUp

Surprise! James Cameron's movie Avatar was apparently partly created using Google SketchUp. SketchUp Islander Aerilius writes:

"This article shows beautiful images and explains the new camera which allows to see the real actors in front of the camera as well as a real-time preview of how they look like as Na'vi.

"I checked it out and it's worth a look. Beautiful illustrations and explanations of the technical wizardry that made the film possible."

San Sebastian-Donostia, Spain Video

Screen shot of the San Sebastian - Donostia model video

A bottle has floated ashore on SketchUp Island with a note from SketchUpper "gipuzkoa3d." He writes

I'm working on my new blog, and created a promotional video of my city. I think Sketchup Island is one of the best sites to display and disseminate the qualities of SketchUp and Google Earth. It also promotes community of 3D models and opens up many future options.

Well, thanks, gipuzkoa3d! 

Check out his blog here and the video of San Sebastian-Donostia as seen in 3D/Google Earth here. (Note: If the video link does not work, refresh the browser window).

SittingDuck's Masterpiece

Check it out:

SittingDuck has this to say about this model:

It's a small chapel in Brussels.  More than a year ago I modeled it in the traditional way.  Now a few weeks ago I remade it in Building Maker.  Now I decided to take the best of both worlds.  It took me about 8 hours in total, but I manually combined the photos I took with the Building Maker textures, and very painstakingly corrected all the geometry flaws in the model.  You can see that the colors and shading are still unified, but the textures have increased many times in sharpness/detail.

Cool stuff.

Google Snowmobile

OK, now they've gone and done it. Google Street View for ski slopes! My favorite thing is the Google Street View character (that little orange guy) appears on skis in the bottom right corner of the map.

Dear SketchUp Island: Street View Imagery Texturing

Dear SketchUp Island:  I hear that SketchUp version 7 has the ability to texture using Street View imagery. Is this true? How do I use it? Signed, Street Smart in Bellmore, NY

Dear Street Smart: Smart you are indeed! Google Street View imagery can be used to texture SketchUp models in a few easy steps.

A Leap Back 986 Years

Have a look at this post by blogger and 3D modeler Aerilius. It's a final look at a series of reconstructions he has done of the Limburg monastery.

The post includes roll-over photos of the ruins that "reveal" the reconstructed building (done in SketchUp and then beautifully rendered, and stitched seamlessly into the photos).

Some New Collections

I've been adding some new collections of 3D models to the 3D Warehouse. You can check out all the collections here.

The newest additions include 2010s (found with other decade collections in Models By Decade), Elementary School, My Google Earth Models, and Awesome Models

Frozen Britain

Britain covered in ice

I came across this remarkable image on the BBC News website.

It is Great Britain, seen from space, in its current frozen state. Looking at all that ice I had to wonder to myself, where are the cities? Where is London? Birmingham? Leeds? Grasmere?

How about Carlisle? And Dublin, Dundee, Humberside?

Apparently frozen, too. With Google Earth it was a (cold) snap to find out exactly where the towns lie beneath all that white. I simply used the "Add Image Overlay" feature as seen below.

By saving the frozen Britain image to my desktop, I was able to import it to Google Earth as an overlay and position it (using a series of green "handles" and a transparency slider) until it matched exactly the shape of Britain in Google Earth.

When I was done I saved the place and gave it a title (now it appears in "My Places") and I turned the transparency back to 100% opaque.

Add image overlays using Google Earth (click to enlarge)

Last of all, in the sidebar I turned on "Borders and Labels" to see where cities and towns were on top of the "frozen Britain" image. Brrrr!

Get a Manicure: Make Your Thumbnails Pretty

Today's post deals with sharing your geo-models in the most attractive way on the Google 3D Warehouse. I offer my opinion about the best ways to do it, and hopefully this will lead to more views for your models.

When I receive a model suggestion that doesn't fit in a collection, I either send an email suggesting ways to improve the model presentation, or else I add the model into the More Good Models collection (a collection for models that are good but not matching my other collections).

This is my own model of the ABC Television Building posed in various ways. I'll use it to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of thumbnail illustrations (click image for larger view).

2010 Whistler Games in 3D

Google has created a set of very highly detailed models for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Check out the one above and all the others here.

Burj Khalifa Opens Today

Burj Khalifa, new record-holder for world's tallest building, opens today, January 4, 2009, in United Arab Emirates. Apparently there has been a name switch from the previous "Burj Dubai."

I imported a model of a previous record holder, The Empire State Building (by Google), into a model of Burj Dubai/Khalifa (by Fadlulloh) for comparison. It's quite a large building.

Read more about it HERE.

I've added the model seen above (by Athinaios) to these 3D model collections: Tallest Freestanding Structures in History, 2010s

Argentinian New Year

Clever firewirks model created by NESUA, modeler from Argentina

Happy New Year/Collection

There's a new model collection on the block called "2010s"... and it's empty!

Please visit the collection and make suggestions via the link. You can see the 2010s collection right here. It's also part of the "Models By Decade" collection. 

I'll be adding my personal favorites and ones that match the criteria outlined in the collection called "My Favorite Thumbnails."

Happy New Year (and decade).

Ways To Explore SketchUp Island

Just a quick post about the Island... as a young blog, a significant percent of the Island's visitors are new viewers.

Since there is so much good stuff to look at, I'd like to point out ways you can easily explore the blog.

These exploration options are found in the side column or beneath each post:

• Recent comments. Jump to any comment with one click.
• Archive. Click on the archive if you'd like to browse all archived posts.
• Search boxes. This will point you to your query results here on the blog, on items linked to and from the blog, and on the web.
• Labels. Found below each post and in the side column, labels group posts by category (example: "SketchUp Island Adventures")
• Subscribe. Keep up-to-date with new posts and comments by subscribing to the feed or by adding our gadget to your iGoogle home page.
• Reader Comments. Often readers leave remarks, news, and links to items of interest. Click on "comments" below the posts or leave your own. No spam, please!
• Blogs and Feeds of Interest. Run out of things to read here? Then check out some of my favorite blogs and feeds, constantly updating in the side column.