I’ve been using Sketchup for a while now (demo version), initially seeing it at the MacExpo in London last year. It’s a brilliant tool, taking (in my opinion) a whole new approach to 3D modelling. It couldn’t be easier to use.
Sketchup introduced a tool to export models straight into Google Earth, and the rest is history. The company was bought by Google, who now offer a free version of the software, which is limited in what you can import or export. You will still need the ‘pro’ version if you want to use the software in conjuntion with (i.e. exporting to) CAD or 3D visualisation software.
Archaeologists - it’s very easy indeed to import an AutoCAD DWG into Sketchup (or aerial photos, DEMs or a combination), and have fun trying out different interpretations. You can then export them to Google Earth.
It’s a lot of fun, and dare I say it, rather useful.
Get more info at the Google Sketchup website.
” I’ve always been a fan of having mobile internet access. It’s the geek in me I guess. That said, it’s also been handy for those down the pub moments where everyone is desperately trying to remember something (who was it who created Rupert the Bear again? Oh I know this. It’s on the tip of my tongue…) and after hours nobody can quite remember, and life takes on that single purpose to (apart from ale consumption) force the name out of the dusty depths of your memory.
Anyway, I digress…
Opera Mini version 2 has just been released, and represents, in my mind, a breakthough in mobile web browsing. It’s a tiny (94Kb) file that you download to your phone (or send it via Bluetooth), with a really simple interface, and dead easy instructions (which only cover two screens worth of text on my Sony Ericsson K750i). It works by sending the requested URL back to Opera, who act as a proxy (so bear that in mind for privacy’s sake), who reformat the relevant page, server side, to fit on your device. That includes recompressing images to fit on your display, and thus saving your precious bandwidth, time, and processing power.
The result is a nippy little browser, that has Google and Wikipedia searches built in to its homepage. When you go back a page, a nifty slide transition is used, and it’s very, very quick (from my limited 10 minute use today). I’ve used quite a few browsers on various phones, all crammed with features that seem cool, but then go unused. Opera Mini’s minimalist approach is just what I’ve been after, and I think it’s well worth a go if you’ve had tiresome mobile web browsing experiences in the past.
Karelia have just released their first public beta of the long-awaited Sandvox website creation software, ahead of recent rumours that Apple releasing similar software entitled “iWeb” tomorrow, which could (well, will) threaten their new venture. For their sake, I hope the rumours are untrue. Karelia have been shot down once before when Apple, who developed a clone of their popular “Watson” internet search software, by developing their own, entitled “Sherlock“, and gave it away for free. The full story is available on their blog.
To return to the release of Sandvox, I have had a brief play with it, and if you’re a Mac user and run a small website you must give it a go. This is the closest piece of web design software to WYSIWYG nirvana that I have seen. It uses Apple’s editable WebKit, and CoreImage, to great effect - no ‘blind’ preview pages with cumbersome preview stages, but pure in-place editing. The supplied templates contain some elegant designs as well as some awful ones - but that’s just down to personal taste.
Bear in mind that this is a beta, and there are no instructions bar a basic introduction, but do go ahead and download it. Give them your support!
I recently bought a copy of RapidWeaver by Realmac Software to use for a number of mini websites which will be delivered on CD.
I first looked at it some time ago (I think it was at version 2.x) and was deeply unimpressed - it lacked style, usability, and was too limiting for websites beyond a basic “Hello World” personal website. Version 3.1 arrived, and, well, what a change. RapidWeaver, once you get used to the semi-WYSIWYG editor (you can’t see any of your site navigation or design in the editor, only basic text styling), and discover the page inspector, you’ve actually got a lovely website creation tool.
RapidWeaver really isn’t software you would use to design a site from scratch, with your own design, but if you would like to make an elegant site based on well designed templates, then RapidWeaver is a good choice. It’s worth noting that you are able to customise the supplied themes if you have the know-how (which is fortunate for me, as I do - if you don’t you’ll have to use the templates as-is).
Continue reading ‘Rapidweaver 3.2 beta’
Ecto is a fully-featured desktop blogging application, that helps you get the most out of your blog. It allows you to manage your blog using a fully OSX integrated interface, compose posts offline, integration with iPhoto, manage your pings and trackbacks, and support for multiple blogs using multiple blogging engines. Its burgeoning list of features make this an essential tool for bloggers.
In this mini-review I am using ecto 2.3.7 for OSX.
Continue reading ‘Ecto: The Review’
I first posted about Ecto back in May, and, after much playing with the demo for OSX, I have bitten the bullet and purchased a copy. The more I use Ecto, the more powerful I realise it is. I will post a full review here in the days to come, but I really couldn’t recommend it enough. Even the support forums for Ecto are checked regularly by the author.
Check back soon for my review.
Technorati Tags: ecto, blogging, wysiwyg
