Until now, anyone who wanted to previsualize the practical aspects of a production had the choice of: A) Hiring a company that does pre-vis consulting, B) Mastering serious 3D tools, or C) Writing a clever app himself. With the 10th release of its 3D design program, SketchUp, Boulder, Colorado-based @Last Software adds a new extension called 4 Film & Stage, making its 4.0 version a capable tool for creating storyboards and animatics, set diagrams and/or technical documentation of sets, props and rigs. Its point-and-click interface makes it accessible to creative people with no 3D experience to simulate sets, camera moves, even plan out focal lengths.
SketchUp is really a tool designed for a producer, director, key grip, DP or other creative for the front-end of a live shoot. Beta user Andy Moorer, a freelance VFX consultant, says that it’s saved him hours in expensive shooting time, where he would have had to halt production to figure out crane shots or placement of blue screens and lighting.
"It’s really a tool for a filmmaker," says Mac product manager John Bacus, "as opposed to for a VFX artist, who nevertheless may want to be able to pass off to XSI, Maya, Motion Builder, 3ds max [or export to Final Cut Pro]." In the current Mac OS X and Windows versions, drawing is always done in an easily orbited 3D space. Bacus sees gaffers using it to communicate their lighting plans. Production designers might use it to design a set, producers might share it with equipment rental houses to determine what lens, lighting and camera support is necessary. A DP might use the Shadow tool to simulate shadows falling on the set at various times of the day or to plan lens packages.
@Last Software developed the program four years ago for the architectural design market and delivers free point releases during the year and upgrades annually for $95.
A library of popular lighting, cameras, lenses and support equipment is available for users to simulate their own set-ups. These can be easily customized. SketchUp 4.0 is available for $495 at http://www.sketchup and can be tested in a limited version for eight hours at no charge.