Google's SketchUp 6

Google's Sketchup 6
Software Type: Design, CAD/CAM
Manufacturer: Google
Website: http://sketchup.google.com
Price: Free (Pro version: $495)
Description:
[quote="Google"]Google SketchUp 6 is a 3D modeling software tool that’s easy to learn, simple to use, and lets you place your models in Google Earth. Are you remodeling a kitchen, landscaping your back yard or adding a deck to your home? Google SketchUp makes it faster, easier and a lot more fun. From simple to complex, from conceptual to realistic, Google SketchUp helps you see your vision before you build it.

Once you've built your models, you can place them in Google Earth, post them to the 3D Warehouse.[/quote]

Features:

Simple Interface
Compact toolbox (Line, Rectangle, Circle, Arc Tools)
Easy to make 3D
Easy material appliance
Learning Zone quickly teaches techniques
Easy perspective changes
Easy Zooming [In & Out]
Easy walk through
Easy animating exploration

Review (by Anthony Chu)
Google Sketchup from my experience IS the most simplistic CAD program and easiest to learn. In a few minutes of installing the program i was making simple shapes and figures which take almost twice as long on other CAD software. With the very compact toolbox it is simple for almost anyone to create a basic 3D shape. Simply drawing a rectangle and using the push/pull tool to extrude it into the Z co-ordinate. Also it's very simple to then subtract material from an object because you can simply push back on it. There's no ugly dialog boxes which you have to fill out just to process it! Another feature i particularly liked was the learning zone, after a quick 5 minutes of reading i knew pretty much everything available on Sketchup which is just how simple the program is. The CAM side to Sketchup is nothing short but amazing as well, simple walk through interface (very similar to Design It 3D - a 3D house modelling program) is great especially when used with the animation tools which add "frames" to the file, sadly the same shape must be used globally across all frames, but the animation tool let's you generate an exploration of your object. So if you created a house you could explore inside the house and look aorund it then move outside spin all around it and all sorts then export it as an avi file.

There are a few things which SketchUp doesn't possess due to its utter simplisity which can be seen in some of the other CAD software's that are on the market. One of the main things i had to get trouble getting used to was the different views and changing between them. Although perspective changes are easy there are only the pre-defined perspectives otherwise you have to use the orbit, pan and size tools to navigate the map. With Pro/Desktop for example the use of Workplanes and Sketches ment positions and views could be fixed to specefic points on the screen and it was a simple click and command in order to switch to the workplane you wanted then you select the sketch you wanna draw on, AutoCAD also has VPoint which let's you save your views which SketchUp could probably do with along with shortcut keys on the Keyboard for the different views. Sketchup also lacks a true revolve tool. At current you can "revolve" objects by creating it on one plane, then turning it 90 degrees (so it's then on the other plane) and Sketchup will generate the 3D object. This took me a while to get used to when most other CAD softwares have a revolve tool which simply needs an axis to turn on and a profile and it'll revolve itself. The lack of being able to be precise is my last point. It's hard to make a shape a specefic size. Although there is the measuring tool along with the location bar at the bottem it's hard to draw say a perfect 200x200 square. This is one of the best tools ok Pro/Desktop and also Design It 3D, that you can simply measure a single side, but then adjust that measurement in order to make it that size. Pro/Desktop can also do measurements between two lines as well as measuring angles which is one of it's best points.

Screenshots
Blank:

Quick Extrusion:

Changing Panes:

Applying CAM Techniques:

Final Notes
I'ld say if you're new to the whole CAD scene then SketchUp is a simple and easy way to learn the basics of CAD and CAM. There are quite large restrictions due to the immense simplicity of the program so for those who look to create quite complex models SketchUp isn't best. SketchUp is excellent for architectual designers rather then engineering designs.