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 HERE about the new "Earth View" feature in Google Maps.

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.

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?

GO Green Team! GO Entourage!

A Googler pointed out this very cool collection of Google Earth-accepted greenery and entourage. It's called "The Green Team."

Use it for inspiration and, as collector Ghaleb fawzi puts it, "to encourage further... green areas in Google Earth because of its beauty and [enhanced realism]."

A Little "Poke" at Google Street View

"We work for Google Street View. But don't worry-- I'll pixelize your eyes away."

I should really start a collection of cheeky Google Street View comics. A German friend pointed this one out to me: If I understand correctly this comic is drawn by German artist Til Mette. The original source can be seen HERE.

I always wondered how the imagery was blurred... ow I know.

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

Restaurant Zunfthaus zum Rüden, Zürich, by Tomciozg

After a late night hanging with other modelers at the Mapper Modeler Summit in Zurich, someone suggested "Why don't we get up in three hours at 6AM and shoot pictures of the Old Town-- you know, for making 3D building models?"

Amazingly, everyone agreed. And so on the following crisp, sunny (and very early) Tuesday morning we met at the Münsterbrücke for this purpose, just below the statue of Bürgermeister Waldmann.

Unfortunately for me I forgot to charge my camera battery, and so I got a few, nice, 'touristy' shots but that's all. But others turned their sets of photos 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 must find their way back.

Toy Story 3 is set ten years later. Andy is about to head off for college (can you believe it?) and something must be done with all his toys... trash or donation. This great teaser clip shows you an extended scene. (Sorry I couldn't embed).

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.

Argentine en Google Earth: Fresh, New Look!

My friends in Argentina have sent me a "bottle with a message" about their revamped blog,
www.argentinaenge.com.ar

Even if you don't speak Spanish it's easy to enjoy the blog with the new, automatic Google translate bar that appears along the top of the page (at least it does for me in Chrome). You should check it out!

Create SketchUp Island Header Artwork!

Dear SketchUp Islanders,

The seasons are changing at SketchUp Island-- it is no longer snowing anymore-- and yet the banner of our Island still shows a wintry scene!

This is an invitation for you to create a new banner for the blog.

Labor of Love

Check out this video. 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 to go with it. See the original model HERE.

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.