provelo.co.uk

Since I seem to be just about the only person in the UK to have a new amazon kindle to show you, I’m going to try and get on the first page of Google search and keep you updated on how I get on. Currently there’s 45 million results for new amazon kindle so you might be forgiven for laughing me off the pitch! Anyway, here’s some images I took yesterday:

The new amazon kindle, Wi-Fi is available in the UK for pre-order for the first time. Pre ordered items are due for delivery from the end of August.

When I get round to it I’ll post up a review then give away this kindle for free. Shout up in the comments field below if you want the opportunity to get it.

Update 09:55 August 5th

So here I am on the first page of Google just seconds after posting. I searched for “new amazon kindle” and clicked “latest”. Not bad, but this will disappear as soon as it’s replaced by more recent posts.

Update 10:04 August 5th

This post is on 3rd page of google.co.uk out of 6 million results. Let’s try for the the 1st page with both the amazon kindle and the new kindle wi-fi.

Breaking news 10:52 August 6th

Amazon have just announced the launch of their brand new UK Amazon Kindle Store. It already stocks 84 out of the top 100 UK bestsellers, and boasts at being “the biggest selection and lowest prices of any e-bookstore in the UK”.

Update 21:55 August 7th

You may already have guessed – this being a CAD and 3D Visualisation website – that I don’t actually have a kindle. The images above are rendered with Shaderlight, the new renderer for SketchUp due for release soon by ArtVPS. I modelled the Kindle completely in SketchUp and rendering just takes a few minutes.

Modelling the sketchup version from photos

So what does this have to do with search engine rankings? Well, the render has already helped by giving us images of the product to display before it’s been released. These will appear on Google’s image search, and if popular enough, the first page of the main search page. This might not be that relevant for a product like the Kindle which already has lots of marketing hype surrounding it, but could be a vital tool for any other less known products you were trying to sell from your web page. Even if your website didn’t come up in the main Google search, it would still come up in the image search.

The next step is to use this SketchUp model to gain a presence in another of Google’s popular content sites…

Alibre Design Standard is on offer for just £150 until December 31st. That’s a jaw dropping £450 off! Alibre Design is parametric 3D design and 2D drafting software. Check out Alibre’s website for a free trial or to take advantage of this special offer.

Google have just announced their release of SketchUp Pro 7.1. So what does that mean to me? Surely a “point release” as opposed to a full release won’t change much?

You might be a long way off the mark there. Here’s my quick analysis of the changes:

Dimensioning

Ever since SketchUp was born Architects and Engineers have been crying out – nay screaming for dimensioning of 2D views. We’ve been ignored and ignored for five years. Suddenly it’s here. I’m mind-boggled and reeling from this I must say. We always thought the reason for Google not releasing dimensioning tools was because they had a secret little agreement with you-know-who so that designers still had to buy 2D CAD. This appears to have been un-founded, especially in view of the next paragraph…

Collada in. DWG out

Google have announced their intention to support Collada as their main open file format (the one you can use to transfer CAD files from one app to another). This is a major blow for dwg and dxf (AutoCAD’s file formats) especially when you consider SketchUp Free won’t be supporting them any more. Anyone for Autodesk shares? Anyone?

Handling large models

Along with dimensioning and flickering shadows in animations, handling large models has been at the top of the wish-list for years. Thank you Google. Thankyou!

Get Photo Texture / Nearby Models

Driving ever forward the integration of Google Earth with SketchUp, these two functions are a major, major leap. It means that SketchUp is the only 3D Modelling application with full 2-way sharing between Google Earth at the click of a button.

Analysis of Google’s intentions

What seems clear from this release is that Google wants there to be a larger distinction between Free and Pro versions. This would be to drive up sales of Pro from an already massive Free user base. They are doing this by offering further enhancements to Pro, especially in terms of CAD dimensioning capability within Layout 7.1. Furthermore, closing down DWG/DXF capability in Free and moving to Collada breaks Autodesk’s hold on the CAD market, allowing other CAD applications to jump into the breach.

TurboCAD Deluxe 16 is being sold for just $69 until the end of June, and if you order the DVD version they’re including a $50 value training too. See the offer here.

What were you doing when you were 16? Designing space stations? Well, obviously. Who didn’t? But which CAD software would you choose for such an undertaking? CATIA, ProEngineer, Autocad, Bentley? SketchUp anyone? Eric Yam, joint winner of the NASA Space Settlement Contest used SketchUp to produce a whole range of detailed illustrations and visualisations in a 96 page document!

Now, while Eric probably isn’t the typical 16 year old, he does represent a growing trend regarding the IT literacy of school leavers, which now also extends to 3D design with SketchUp. What this means to you and me is that the generation behind us is born 3D CAD literate. They have tools in their hands we could only dream of. Software companies such as PTC in the past tried to become the de-facto CAD standard by giving away free versions to schools, but these attempts proved fruitless. Indeed, PTC’s ProEngineer has lost much of its market share. It’s too hard to use and too expensive for the mainstream.

What CAD vendors don’t appear to appreciate is that we’re all children when it comes to learning new things. We all start at nothing and work from there. So if software is not useable by children it’s not useable by mainstream adults. Conversely, what works on children will work on adults too.

Worried CAD vendors

Anyone who profits from CAD in any way, either as a user or seller, has a lot to be worried about right now. SketchUp is growing in its user base (and edu base) at an unprecedented level. I was recently at an Autodesk Revit training event where more of the audience questions revolved around SketchUp than the actual product we were there to learn about. And the industry is worried for one very simple reason. They’re starting to lose customer loyalty, and with it their market share. “If you can design a NASA space station with $400 SketchUp Pro, why can’t I use it for my project too?”

Yesterday Urbs company announced the initial release of Modelur application, which makes the design of urban space rapid and simple. This new application is based on Google SketchUp and is available for testing to all participants of a Pre-beta partner program until the first release. Participation in Pre-beta partner program is free of charge.

What are the advantages of Modelur?

The main advantage of the program Modelur – in comparison with existing computer aided design applications – is its specialization for use in urban design and planning, which makes it a great time saver comparing to traditional tools. Beside special tools for parametric urban design of buildings, it also offers real-time survey over achieved urban control values and warnings when some limitations, such as minimal distance of two buildings, are not fulfilled.
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A new book is due to be released by 3DATS entitled 3ds Max 2010 Architectural Visualization – Advanced to Expert. It’s 700 pages long, and it better be because of the massive $119.95 price tag! But if you get your credit card out straight away you might just be able to get the pre-order discount of $40. Offer ends May 7th 2009. If anyone gets a copy and wishes to post a review here, please get in touch.

The single most important announcement in the development of the internet this millenium has just been made. Did you miss it? Ok then, for those who did, here it is again: Google puts 3d on the web

I must say, I feel more than a little vindicated by this announcement. For several years my family, friends and colleagues have put up with me raving about how the web will go 3D, and do so hand-in-hand with SketchUp. But have they taken me seriously? And my web designer friends have largely ignored my plea that they go and get 3D educated or at least 3D aware. So yes, I feel a little better now:)

But let me put these portends in plain English. Google is 100% behind a 3D internet experience. A 3D enabled Chrome is now being advertised on the front page of Google, coincidental with the release of the O3D programming interface (Open 3D).  Every web designer and developer now needs to ask themselves “can I afford to ignore this?” or a more pertinent “how long have I got to exploit this before I’m left behind?”

There’s just 15 days to go if you want to submit an entry for the 2009 CGarchitect.com Architectural 3D Awards. Award categories are split up into moving image, still image, and real-time entries:

Architectural Film/Animation

• Best Overall Architectural Film/Animation
• Best Editing
• Most Original Film/Animation Treatment
• Industry Choice

Architectural Image

• Best Overall Architectural Image
• Best Architectural Interior Image
• Best Exterior Architectural Image
• Most Original Image Treatment
• Industry Choice

Real-Time Presentation

• Best Overall Real-Time Presentation

To give you an idea of the quality of entry you’re likely to come up against, check out this link for last years finalists. I think you’ll also love this animated entry by Uniform (UK) which is a superb example of how you can mix 2D and 3D to engage the viewer in a storyline.

CGarchitect.com 3DAwards – Uniform (UK) from Jeff Mottle on Vimeo.

The superb Vue 7 landscape creation and rendering software has been released for free! Vue Pioneer appears to have the full functionality of Vue Esprit and is limited by a logo over the rendered image. Pioneer is for non-commercial use only, but the logo can be removed and renders used for commercial use by purchasing any one of a number of upgrade packs. These start at 33 pounds UK.

This is a novel approach to rendering software sales and is done in the hope that users will buy content from the cornucopia content library. A similar approach has been tried by DAZ 3D which has previously released their DAZ Studio software for free. Daz also sells the Bryce landscape generation software, Vue’s main competitor.