PER/FORM: a live performance-based design competition with SketchUp and Sefaira

A few weeks ago, we blogged about how information modeling works in SketchUp. A data-rich .skp can pull off some complex feats, but we prefer to think about an information model as a simple relationship: graphical geometry with any kind of data associated.

With no data, the model is only a design (and maybe a very good one). Without the model, the data is, perhaps, only a math problem (and maybe a pretty smart one). Put them together, and you have the basis for one incredibly powerful output of information modeling: performance-based design.

Architects who practice performance-based design are often trying to measure, adhere to, or optimize building performance: the measurable index of a building’s energy efficiency or operational cost.

The folks at Sefaira are pretty keen on this idea. Their plugin -- Sefaira for SketchUp -- helps architects make decisions that optimize building performance while designing in SketchUp. So now imagine understanding how early-stage conceptual (or practical) choices might affect a building’s ability to retain or dissipate heat throughout the day. We think this is a powerful way to think about design, so together with Sefaira (and some other friends), we’re hosting a competition focused on performance-based design. We call it PER/FORM.

PER/FORM: a live performance-based design competition

You can learn all about the PER/FORM competition on this site, but here are the basics: After an April 2nd registration deadline*, the competition starts with a design brief and three weeks of access to Sefaira for SketchUp. You’ll also have support from the Sefaira team so that you can learn the ins and outs of performance-based building design.

We’ll select 30 winners from the online round, and -- here’s the kicker -- those finalists will have the opportunity to compete live in the final round at the Pratt Institute's Manhattan campus on May 17th. That’s right: this is going to be a real-deal, big city SketchUp shootout.

The top three designers will take home cash prizes, and the winner will see his or her design featured in Metropolis Magazine. What’s that? You don’t have much experience with energy or information modeling? Well, three weeks of free access to a SketchUp energy modeling plugin sounds like a good place to start, right?

Posted by Mark Harrison, SketchUp Team

*We’re sorry to say that this competition is only open to U.S. and Canada participants. Stay tuned for future contests that don’t have this restriction.

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Stunning models of an equally stunning town: a visit to Getaria

Back in May, we announced the winners of the 2012 Model Your Town Competition, Josetxo Perez Fernandez and Pedro Domecq Aguirre, who modeled the beautiful town of Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Spain.

Recently, a team of folks from both SketchUp and Google traveled to Getaria to celebrate Josetxo, Pedro, and Getaria’s citizens. Let’s just say Getaria has pretty much the best fish and friendliest people you’ll find anywhere in the world. The local school, Herri Iturzaeta Eskola, received $25,000 from Google, which was presented during an assembly at the school. Josetxo and Pedro led an inspiring session on how they created their models. Judging by the excitement in the room, we expect there will be some 3D wonder-kids in Getaria’s future.

Pedro and Josetxo presenting SketchUp and Google Earth to the students of Herri Iturzaeta Eskola

Citizens of Getaria also welcomed us at the new Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum, for a reception and tour. The museum’s collection of Spain’s most famous fashion designer is a big point of pride for Getaria, and not to be missed if you’re ever visiting Basque country.

We congratulate Josetxo and Pedro on creating such incredibly beautiful SketchUp models. You can explore Getaria for yourself in Google Earth and then compare the 3D models to the real thing in this photo gallery of our visit.

Posted by Allyson McDuffie & Tyson Kartchner, SketchUp Team

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And the 2012 Model Your Town Competition winner is…

Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Spain!

Over the past several months, hundreds of teams from all over the world have submitted stunning geo-models for our Google Model Your Town Competition. These examples of pure 3D civic pride are breathtaking to behold. Difficult as it was, the SketchUp team managed to pick six finalists, after which we asked the general public to vote for their favorite collection of models. Tens of thousands of you weighed in, and the talented team from the north of Spain were victorious. Zorionak! (That’s “Congratulations!” in Basque.)

Want to see how they won? Take a look at Team Getaria’s collection in the 3D Warehouse, pop over to our winners’ page, and watch this video to see their astounding work:

The winning team is a dynamic duo: Josetxo Perez Fernandez, 36, is a professional who works in computer administration; and Pedro Domecq Aguirre, 45, is a programmer, 3D data specialist and network administrator. Those are their day jobs, anyway. It turns out that they’re actually world-class, polygon-wrangling, texture-mapping, megabyte-optimizing, geo-modeling superheroes. And now they’re bona fide local heroes, too. Thanks to them, millions of people across the globe can now get familiar with the beautiful little town of Getaria.

The beautiful coastline of Getaria

Not only that, but we’ll also be awarding US$25,000 to a local school and hosting a celebration with the town of Geteria in honor of Pedro's and Josetxo's accomplishment.

Getaria Lighthouse on Mount San Antón

Zorionak to the winning town, to the other five finalists, and to all the other entrants who collectively modeled almost 25,000 local landmarks that are now available for all to enjoy in Google Earth’s 3D Buildings layer. The virtual world is a richer place thanks to your efforts, and the real one is a lot better off, too.

Posted by Allyson McDuffie, SketchUp Team

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Maxwell Render for SketchUp competition winners announced

In November, our friends at Next Limit Technologies announced the release of the Maxwell for Google SketchUp plugin, a dedicated photo-renderer that operates entirely inside of SketchUp. Soon after, they issued a challenge to see who could make the juiciest render using either the free or licensed version of the plugin. The winners of this first Maxwell for SketchUp render competition were announced this week, and they are, in a word, delicious. See for yourself.

Licensed Category:

1st place: Brodie Geers

2nd place: Karlis Musts

3rd place: Francois Verhoeven

4th place: Michael Loper

5th place: Gui Talarico

Voted #1 on social networks: Paulo Avelar

Free Category:

1st place: Arcen Dockx

2nd place: Iwan Widjaja

3rd place: Satrio Hadi

4th place: Saul Giron

5th place: Pandu Pebruanto

Voted #1 on social networks: Daniel Currea
Judging from the quality of these renders, the contest was a big hit. Congrats to everyone!


Posted by Gopal Shah, SketchUp Marketing

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Sketch-a-Space contest deadline extended

Easter Seals has extended the contest deadline and will now be accepting Sketch-a-Space entries up until January 13th, so there’s still time to enter.

To refresh your memory, this year's competition is focused on drawing attention to the employment needs of individuals with autism. The idea is simple: use SketchUp to design a space that represents your dream job, career interests or plans for future employment.

The contest is open to all, so submit your entry soon for a chance to win up to $3,000.

Posted by Gopal Shah, SketchUp marketing

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Ideas Made Real: a Wine Bar, a Trebuchet, a Skate Park, a Movie Model...

In November, we launched the Make Ideas Real project with the goal of creating a showcase of the best SketchUp work from around the world. To build out this showcase, we asked you all to share stories of how SketchUp is helping you to turn your ideas into something tangible. The response has been overwhelming.

In just one month, our launch video received nearly quarter million views and several hundred of you took the time to tell us your SketchUp story. Your positive reaction and the quality of the work you’ve shared with us is inspiring, but to truly blow out this showcase, we need to hear from even more of you.

If you haven’t yet told us your SketchUp story, share it now by filling out this form. If SketchUp has helped you turn an idea into reality, we want to hear about it.

And for your inspiration, here are just a few of the hundreds of quality submissions we’ve received so far:

Wine Bar design by Bertier Luyt of France

More images (See! You can use SketchUp to build a wine bar.)

Scout Trebuchet by Peter Leroux and friends of South Africa

More images | 3D model | Ropes and Poles blog

X Games Street and Park Courses by Dug Ketterman of California

Dug's website

The Machine by Evan Seccombe of California

A re-imagined prop from the film Contact, 3D printed

Posted by Gopal Shah, SketchUp team

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Announcing the 2012 Google Model Your Town Competition

Following the success of last year’s Google Model Your Town competition, today we're launching the second Google Model Your Town Competition. Model Your Town is about geo-modeling – making photo-textured models of real-life buildings that appear in Google Earth. The Model Your Town Competition is also a chance to celebrate your town by adding it to the 3D map. Of course, the USD$25,000 for a local school/district is a nice incentive too.

Barranco, Lima, Peru

The Model Your Town Competition is open to just about everyone, just about everywhere in the world. Form a team, model buildings (using SketchUp or Building Maker) and upload them by the end of February 2012.

You can model as many structures as you like – which types of buildings you choose to include is entirely up to you. The important thing is that your choices say something about the character and history of your town.

If your town wins, a bunch of us from the SketchUp team will visit, throw you a dinner party and do our best to make you feel like the local hero that you truly are. Check out the competition website for details, and start rounding up teammates!

Here's some inspiration by way of the 2010 winner, Jorge De Albertis, from Lima, Peru (just to get your creative juices flowing):

New to geo-modeling? Learn more at Your World in 3D, then get started modeling your town!

Posted by Allyson McDuffie, Google Geo team

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SketchUp Halloween Challenge: The Best Entries

Lots of you entered the SketchUp Halloween Challenge, and the results are impressive. In no particular order, here are our favorite entries:

Haunted Houses

Haunted Chapel by Sebastian Sosnowski of Wrocław, Poland
SketchUp and Twilight Render | Model | More Images

Mansion RB by tubero44 of Granada, España
SketchUp and Photoshop | Model | More Images

Haunted House by KonZawad of Morąg, Poland
Only SketchUp | Model | More Images

Casa Tétrica by Ronald of Perú
Only SketchUp | Model | More Images

Arris House by Arris Di Donato of Italy
SketchUp, Photoshop and Paint.net | Model

Haunted Farmhouse by Debi Long of Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
Only SketchUp | Model | More Images

Skull Chapel by Tomasz Szular of ZIelona Góra, Poland
SketchUp and GIMP | Model | More Images

Haunted Castle by Robert Waldo Brunelle Jr. of Jericho, Vermont, USA
SketchUp and Photoshop | Model | More Images

Zombies on Hunted House by Mosen of Brazil
Only SketchUp | Model | More Images

Apparitions and All Ghouls Haunted House(s) by visionvision of Ithaca, NY, USA
SketchUp and Photoshop | Model | More Images

Ghost Home by Kian Lind of Lago Vista, Texas, USA
Only SketchUp | Model

I see dead people! by Jorge De Albertis "Auquicu" of Lima, Peru
SketchUp, GIMP and Google Earth | Model | More Images

The Old RR Depot by Scottio of Newtown, Connecticut, USA
SketchUp, IDX Renditioner and Photoshop | Model | More Images

Haunted House Contest 2011 TMM by Thomas Mutch of Coral Springs, USA
Only SketchUp | Model | More Images

Hallowed Haunts by Pat Hannigan of Philadelphia, USA
SketchUp and Photoshop | Model | More Images

Spooky House by alsomar of Valencia, Spain
SketchUp and Photoshop | Model | More Images

Jack-o'-Lanterns

Three Friends a Greeting by Sebastian St.Troy of Austin, TX, USA
Only SketchUp | Model | More Images

Space Invaders Jack-O'-Lantern by Mike Ford of Surrey, UK
Only SketchUp | Model

Mario Jack-O'-Lantern by Mike Ford of Surrey, UK
Only SketchUp | Model

We Come In Peace by Mark Hammari of Modesto, USA
SketchUp and Shaderlight | Model | More Images

Abóbora Hallowen by Josianny Silva of Belém, Brasil
SketchUp and Microsoft Office Picture Manager | Model

Jack-O'-Lantern in Memoriam by Rachel of Florida, USA
Only SketchUp | Model

As for our top three in each category, we'll announce those in the next edition of the SketchUpdate newsletter. We're still open to suggestions, incidentally; please feel free to use the Comments to vote for your favorites. Thanks to all those who participated, and have a very happy Halloween!

Posted by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist

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SketchUp Halloween Challenge: 13 Hours Left

A quick reminder: The SketchUp Halloween Challenge deadline is only 13 hours from now. If you're planning to submit a haunted house or a jack-o'-lantern, now's the time.


Posted by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist

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Enter the Sketch-a-Space design competition 2011

To highlight this October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, our Project Spectrum team joined up again with our friends at Easter Seals to host the second annual Sketch-a-Space competition. This year’s competition is meant to draw attention to the employment needs of individuals with autism.

The contest is easy to enter: use SketchUp to design a space that represents your dream job, career interests or plans for future employment. First prize is $3,000. Sketch-a-Space is open to anyone and split into 4 categories:

• Youth with Autism: individuals with autism age 13-17 
• Adult with Autism: individuals with autism age 18 and over 
• Youth: individuals without autism age 13-17 
• Adult: individuals without autism age 18 and over 

Why are we focused on employment? When individuals with autism have access to the supports they need and engage in work that capitalizes on their strengths, the result is meaningful employment.

Last year’s Sketch-A-Space winner, JP Saikali, is the perfect example. JP started using SketchUp when he was in middle school. Now, he knows he wants his future career to be related to Computer Systems and Network Administration – a degree he’s working toward at Wentworth Institute of Technology.

JP's Ultimate Game Room

Not only that, JP made good on his winning design, The Ultimate Game Room. He used his prize money to make his design a reality creating a game room in his basement, complete with a new flat screen TV and sound system.

Now, it’s your turn. Enter today; you could be our next winner and one step closer to realizing your employment dreams.

Posted by Gopal Shah, SketchUp marketing

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Announcing the SketchUp Halloween Challenge

With Halloween just a few weeks away, nerds here in the Google Boulder office are in a tizzy about their costumes. We take this particular holiday very seriously.

A haunted house I modeled years ago, with two pumpkins by IDW. He modeled them for SketchUp Island's Pumpkin Patch collection on the 3D Warehouse.

This year, we thought it might be fun to host a SketchUp Halloween Challenge for folks who are looking for something to do in their spare time. The nitty gritty:

Categories

There are two: Use SketchUp to model either a jack-o’-lantern or a haunted house. Or both.

How to submit an entry

1. Upload your model to the 3D Warehouse and make sure it’s publicly-downloadable.
2. Upload between two and ten images of your model to a public photo sharing site like Picasaweb. You can use any photo sharing site you like, but make sure your images are grouped into an album by themselves. Images should be at least 1000 pixels wide or tall, depending on their orientation.
3. Fill out the Challenge Submission Form, including links to both your model on the 3D Warehouse and your album of online images.

Judging

On Friday, October 28th, a group of us from the SketchUp team will get together to review the entries. We’ll be looking mostly at the images you submit; models will be examined when we’re picking the top three entries in each category. For an idea of what we’ll be looking for, consider these points:

• Displays of SketchUp expertise are always impressive.
• Anything that makes us say (out loud) “How’d he/she DO that?!!” is worth extra points.
• We don’t want to see anything you wouldn’t show your grandma or your kids.
• Beverages will almost certainly be involved in the judging process.

Multiple Entries

Submit as many models as you like, but fill out a separate entry form for each one. The more the ghastlier!

Rendering Rules

You can (if you like) include photo-rendered images of your model with the images you submit. You have to have at least one unrendered image, though; we’d like to see your work in its purest, SketchUp-only state.

Deadline

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, October 27th 2011.

Prizes

For fun little modeling challenges like this one, we prefer to keep things simple. Instead of prizes, we’ll publish our favorite entries right here on this blog, on October 31st. The best three models from each of the two categories (pumpkins and houses) will be featured in the November edition of the SketchUpdate newsletter, which goes to millions of people around the world.

Why no fancier prizes? When companies host big, international competitions, it takes months for their lawyers to figure everything out. On top of that, people from certain places (like Quebec and Brazil) end up being excluded because of specific laws that apply only to them. Ugh.

Other Stuff

If you’d like a blank pumpkin to start with, this collection contains a few. Other questions about the Challenge? Please ask ‘em in the Comments for this post. Good luck!

Posted by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist

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