A short while ago I posted a story about 3D lighthouse drawings. It was meant to show what was available in the retail world, but just recently I discovered that even you and I can draw a lighthouse. Well maybe not right away, but with Google’s FREE Sketchup program, which is now in version 8, you can draw real 3D pictures of lighthouses, outbuildings, and even station boats.

Click on the lighthouse photo above left. It is a model of Kincardine Lighthouse which one can see displayed in Google Earth in its exact location. This location is contained in a KMZ file  which works with Google Earth.

Clicking on this link will bring you to the Sketchup page where the drawing is displayed like in the photo at the left. 

You can also download the model from the above page and then load it into your FREE copy of Google Sketchup that you downloaded earlier. In the Sketchup program you can change whatever you want – colour, shape, siding, windows, etc. Get to know Sketchup and whatever it does. If you mess it up, you can always download the model again and start over.

To find more lighthouses, go to the 3D Warehouse homepage and do a search for lighthouses. There are sometimes forms there that you can use to start with, like a column, or a box. These can then be stretched or shaped in the Sketchup program

Now I would like to see yours. If you create a 3D lighthouse send me the drawings and links and I will post them here, and you can also post them in the 3D warehouse. There are videos and help files available for Google Sketchup on the website. Let’s see some Canadian lighthouses – automated or not – all are welcome.

Below in the gallery are a few more lighthouses from the 3D warehouse. 

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