SketchUp 7.1

Google announced the next release of Google SketchUp. Google SketchUp 7.1 is available to download and install.

Google SketchUp 7.1 includes a lot more than just minor tweaks and bug fixes. Google added a batch of new features and functionality that make SketchUp (and LayOut 2.1 in SketchUp Pro) even more useful for everyone.

Large Model Handling

Google overhauled SketchUp's rendering engine to make it easier to work with big models. With the right setup, operations like orbiting, zooming and drawing are quicker and smoother. How much quicker depends entirely on factors like the computer's configuration and the specific model people are working on.

A few new features of Google SketchUp 7.1 are:

• Get Photo Texture gives you direct access to Google Maps Street View imagery from right inside SketchUp. You can use panoramic, street-level photography we've gathered to photo-texture your models.
• Nearby Models lets you use the Component Browser to search the 3D Warehouse for buildings located near the one you're working on. Bringing in a geo-location snapshot first tells SketchUp where to look.
• Upload Component provides a shortcut for uploading parts of your model to the 3D Warehouse without having to save them out as separate files first. This is handy if you're modeling several buildings on the same block; it's also useful for preserving the functionality of Dynamic Components when you upload them.