I've never been much of an artist, let alone had the ability to draw anything in 3D. That is, until I downloaded Google's new free Sketchup tool.
Sketchup is designed to let mere mortals create 3D designs. It has a very interesting interface (an Instructor window teaches you each tool as you go) that I found was easy to learn on the fly (though there are online tutorials as well).
Sketchup automatically connects the ends of lines and midpoints when you are drawing (something I wish I could do in PowerPoint.) Adding 3D effects is easy, and you can rotate your picture around to change the perspective, add textures and patterns, break apart walls and do all kinds of things with it.
One of the most interesting aspects of Sketchup is the interaction with the web. You can save your drawings online for others to see and use, and you can pull down drawings to use as a starting point. Imagine having a huge free library of 3D images that you can open and transform into anything you want.
And of course, the price is right: FREE

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