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.
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