Google acquires 3D sketch tool

SketchUp offers a plug-in for Google Earth to create 3D models of buildings

Google has agreed to acquire @Last Software, maker of the SketchUp 3D drawing tool which targets professional designers such as architects and engineers. 

The software offers a plug-in for Google Earth that lets users create three-dimensional models of buildings which can be exported to the mapping tool. 

Brad Schell, founder of @Last Software, tried to dispel fears that the software would be turned into a Google Earth tool, abandoning features needed by users in other markets.

"Think about it this way: we haven't traded in the Honda for a Porsche; we've strapped a rocket to the Honda. SketchUp is still SketchUp, but now it will go places it couldn't possibly have gone before," he said in a note on the company website.

"Architects, builders, woodworkers, gamers, students and my uncle Bob all want basically the same thing: the most intuitive tools to help them create and share their 3D dreams. So we'll stay the course."

SketchUp supports Windows and Mac OS X. The software sells for $495 and a free eight-hour demo version is available for download from the company website. 

The tool is @Last Software's only product. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.