Google SketchUp 3D Challenge

Google SketchUp 3d Challenge

I loved creating new challenges to give my students when I was teaching in a technology lab. Once they had a handle on the basics of a piece of software or hardware I made them stretch a little by throwing down a personal challenge.

"OK Johnny and Susie, now that you think you know Photoshop. I want you to take a picture of your selves, load it into Photoshop and switch your heads on to each other's bodies. It's got to look real. You've got till the end of the hour. Go!"

This motivated my kids to use the skills they had and maybe explore a little deeper just to accomplish the task.

The Google Sketchup 3d Challenge does a similar thing. Every week they present a new challenge to create a 3d picture using the free modeling software put out by Google [Google Sketchup] . You can post your efforts online for everyone to see and the results are as varied as the skill levels of the folks posting. A couple of the previous challenges were a wooden toy and a Mars rover.

It's a lot of fun. Also, it pushes me a learn a little more about the program with every new challenge.

[image is from the Google Sketchup 3D Challenge site. Created by Don East]