Cadalog, Inc., developer of the popular SketchUp plugins like SU Podium V2 and Podium Browser, has released Viso3D Mac, a version to export SketchUp models for your iPad for the mobile viewing experience.
Viso3D Mac will export SketchUp faces and textures, add a light map and then provide the ability to view and navigate the 3D model on the iOS device (iPad in this case). The light map will simulate the SketchUp sun, shadows and indirect lighting.
Viso3D Mac also supports walk thru mode, orbiting, panning, lines for edges and SketchUp scene positions. Viso3D Mac is comprised of two separate programs. One is the SketchUp plugin which will export a SketchUp model out along with textures, scenes, sun light, and shadows to an iOS supported format called .XCS.
This SketchUp plugin has a lightmap option which will bake sun light and shadows to SketchUp textures and add indirect lighting to the model.
01 – Viso3D for Mac is now available allowing SketchUp users on the Mac platform to push models to their iPad for mobile viewing and navigation.
The other program is the iPad app itself. This app will allow you to view and navigate your Viso3D models in a mobile context on your iPad. The app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It includes tools such as orbiting, rotating, panning and walk thru motions. The plugin retails for 19.95.USD. The iOS app is free. To learn more visit here: http://www.viso3d.com
Architosh Analysis
This is an excellent choice for those who want to bring SketchUp models on their iPads out into the field. There are few tools in the market that allow SketchUp model viewing on a mobile device but the list is growing. TurboViewer Pro supports the viewing of SketchUp data but not with baked in sunlight and shadows.