SketchUp

One of my boys has recently gotten hooked on Google SketchUp. It seems that his teacher asked him to do some extra work since he was the first to finish something or another in his Technology Information Communication (TIC) class. He was given a choice of studying the program Moviemaker, making a PowerPoint quiz that would link to YEAH! or BOO! at the end, or studying Google SketchUp. He chose to study Google SketchUp, and according to him, at some future date, he would "teach" his teacher (and perhaps his classmates) how to use the software.

He started with SketchUp at school and continued playing with it at home. With some guidance and tips from MacGyver, he has managed to come up with his ideal house.

Let me give you a tour of his first draft.

This is what his house looks like from the outside.

Notice something weird under driveway in front of the garage?

No, there is no mistake in the picture. That patch of dark is meant to be there.

Do you want to know what it is?

Well, it's where the batmobile is hidden (of course!). You can see it from this angle.

(BTW, there is a Ferrari in the main garage for his daytime driving.)

Now that you've seen the what the house looks like from the front, check out the backyard...

(This is based on the backyard of the house where we stayed for over a month.)

... and the bathroom.

(This is essentially what can be found in the bathroom here at Northern Views.)

And now ... here is the main attraction ... the shots you have been waiting for ... the master's bedroom.

From afar you can see the piano, the study table with a PC and printer, a plasma TV, four speakers, two bean bags and an airconditioner.

Can you guess now who designed this masterpiece of a room?

If you guessed RD, you're right! This view of the room shouts RD with all those Perry the Platypus plushies on the headboard.

To prepare for that future date where RD would be required to 'teach' Google SketchUp, we had a dry run at home where MyGirl and I were his students. MacGyver rang a bell to announce the "start of class" and RD called his class to order. RD taught us how to create floors and walls, how to change the color or texture of these surfaces, how to download images for our designs, etc.

So thanks to RD, I have learned something new.