From May 2010 Issue

DBUG Presentation May 26, 2010 by Evan H. Shu, FAIA

Notes on Use of Building Maker by

I. Concepts for Use a) Easy online modeling utility; b) Free modeling labor for Google; Figure 1: Building Maker c) Limited metro. areas at first; provides multiple views (above) for you to manipulate the CAD building blocks (in red). d) Good practice for photo-texturing; e) Can be used in conjunction with hopes over time to model many of the (5) and SketchUp (7). cities and much of the world’s buildings in 3D. II. Requirements However, there certainly is a two way a) Website: http://sketchup.google.com/ benefit for architects and builders (and city 3dwh/building-maker.html (or just do planners, facility managers, etc.) as it is a search for "Building Maker"). very nice tool to build a context model for b) Download free Google Earth plug- your building site, your campus, or your in for browser. neighborhood. c) Need to use Google Earth 5 or up (free) to load Building Maker model. ARCHITIPS The way this tool works is by marrying a simple CAD block modeling program with III. Methodology Google Earth’s impressive photo display. Building Maker by Google In concept, you draw simple block and a) Pick location, pick site, stick polygon shapes that match a series of pushpin at site; There is an ingenious new views for your building’s location. b) If enough modeling photos are by Google called Building Maker that Building Maker will then clip those photos available, you will get side menu combines basic CAD building modeling per your block faces and map them to showing 4-6 images; and photo-texturing to create surprisingly those block faces. Ouila! — a c) In each image, use modeling bar to realistic context models. Released by photorealistic building model results in create and adjust location for basic Google in October 2009, this modeling minutes. tool is a online web application that makes primitive modeling shapes. If neces- creating photo-realistic building models You save this new model to Google’s 3D sary, use multiple block method. fun and easy. d) Check with Viewer function; Warehouse (see Dr. OPs), where it is now available to you or anyone else to use. e) When satisfied, save to Google What is even more amazing about this tool Furthermore, it is submitted to the Google Warehouse (your ). from a societal and economic viewpoint is Earth gatekeepers who will review it and f) Can be loaded into Google Earth 5 that it has gotten thousands of people hopefully pass it on for inclusion in the (3d Bldgs layer on) or further refined working for Google for free! All the next update of Google Earth’s 3D Build- in SketchUp 7. buildings that you make in Building ings overlay. g) If approved will appear in 3D layer Maker, if they pass Google standards for for everyone to see. But it will always accuracy, can be incorporated into the To get started with Building Maker , you download a Google © 2010 Shu Associates, Inc. May 2010 Page Two

Position Bar (Figure 12) to pick the (“Model in Cambridge, MA, USA”) much relative position the new modeling more specific, as well as make the current component will have to the first block building description, such as “Modeled (e.g. aligned to bottom, side, or top). A with Google Building Maker” more new block will appear next to the first detailed even adding the specific address Earth plug-in that runs completely in your block and you can manipulate it in the of the building. web browser (, Firefox, same way you did the first. Safari, Internet Explorer, etc. are all Once you click the final Save button, and supported). This plug-in allows you to The choice of primitives (Oct 09) that you the process of photo texturing (mapping access Google Earth from within your web can use in Building Maker is not too bad. the photo images to the model faces) browser plus have access to the online In addition to the basic Box block, you also automatically begins and a message will modeling tools. You navigate to your can choose from Freeform Polygon Block, appear when done. Note that your model specific location in the same way that you Hip Roof block, Horizontal Freeform now lives in the Google 3D Warehouse “travel” in Google Earth (see Mar 06). Block, Gable Roof, Pyramid Roof, Flat- not on your hard drive. However, once When you are at an appropriate zoom Top Pyramid, Ramp, and Vertical loaded, you can download it back to your level, an orange bubble pin appears that Freeform. Furthermore, you can do computer from 3D Warehouse. Getting you can move around with your mouse. additional refinements on your 3D included in the Google Earth 3D Buildings When you center in on your building, you building in SketchUp once you have saved Layer, however, may be a bit more make sure the pin is fixed on that building your building model to the Google 3D difficult depending on the review process (Figure 1). Warehouse. (based on accuracy, existing buildings only, and no advertising allowed) and can Next you punch the “Start Building” When you are satisfied with the result, you take up to 30 days. button and it will give you six different click the Save button and you will get the aerial views of your location. You will Google 3D Warehouse save interface (you Google Building Maker now makes some also have button bar that gives you your will need to sign in to your Google 75 cities and metropolitan areas available different modeling block choices. Start Account) and dialog. You may also get an with high resolution photographs. It is with your basic rectangular block. Once error message if not all your model faces both fun and addictive at times. But it is clicked, a generic rectangular block will are properly fixed (constrained) and you also an incredible tool that architects can appear in your current photo view. By will need to cancel and go back and fix now use — even while Google is using using your mouse, you can move the block these faces. Click the Save button. In the them in return! ( and/or move the corners of block to dialog, make the provided generic title relocate or resize the block. Your mission, should you choose to accept it Mr. Phelps, is to match each of the visible corners as closely as you can with the photo so that the modeling block appears to match the building block itself. It is fairly easy, once you get the hang of moving the building block corners with your mouse.

Once, done, you move on to one of the next 6 photos in your image and make any further adjustments to that same block’s positioning. Try to fix the block in at least one image for each side of the building and one image for the roof (5 images). When ready, click on Viewer and it will Figure 2: For multiple block show you what you have done in context buildings, you use Position- in Google Earth. ing Bar (above) to designate placement relative to first To add additional blocks, you select the block. last block you positioned and then use the

May 2010 © 2010 Shu Associates, Inc.