Link via Official SketchUp Blog
Reading and writing STL files from SketchUp is something that users have been able to do for a while with the help of two separate ruby plugins. But as 3D printing has continued to boom, we’ve been thinking of ways to make this file exchange easier. So we emailed the original plugin developers, Jim Foltz, Nathan Bromham, and Konrad Shroeder, and asked if they would be interested in letting us combine their tools into a single open source plugin. All three responded with a resounding “yes!”
But, what’s the big deal with STL, anyway? There are many who believe, and so do I, that we’re on the verge of a new age in fabrication and prototyping. You can now take designs and make them a reality in the comfort of your own creative space. We’re just scratching the surface with this technology that brings digital back to analog, and for the moment, the STL file format is a lynchpin between 3D models and print-ready objects.
Trimble SketchUp Pro 8 is available at a student discount price of $49.
Trimble SketchUp Pro 8 is free for instructors.
Trimble SketchUp Pro 8 Lab licenses are available at a school discount price of $15.
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