SimuTerra & SketchUp/Sandbox

As you may have already heard, we are working on a plugin which will allow access to some SimuTerra functionality from within SketchUp. This will be in the next update of SimuTerra, version 1.2. If you buy SimuTerra now, you'll get the update for free; that will include the access from the plugin. It is now available as a public beta; just click on "Download Installer" to the left. You can read more about it here. You will need to get keys from us in order for it to function.

You can already use the plugin. The "final" SimuTerra version 1.2 should be available in early December.

SimuTerra - SketchUp/Sandbox Comparison

SimuTerra, a dedicated real-time digital terrain modeling (DTM) program, is a perfect match for users of SketchUp and other visualization and CAD programs. See SimuTerra for yourself by watching the movies on our web site ( www.compuneering.com ); you can also download a free trial copy of SimuTerra!

@Last Software ( www.sketchup.com ) recently released SketchUp version 5, which includes Sandbox. Sandbox is a great group of tools for simpler, artistic, conceptual, and hand-created terrains. But what if you have to depict a more complex, actual terrain? What if you want to do a lot of "what if" work? Then SimuTerra would make a great complement to SketchUp.

Time is important to all of us. As a dedicated terrain modeling program, SimuTerra is very efficient at calculating terrains. You can really feel the difference in more complex terrains, where SimuTerra can calculate in seconds what other programs can take minutes or even hours to do.

SimuTerra adds features such as the following:

Feature	SimuTerra
Automatic plateau smoothing	Yes
Respects contours, breaklines ( giving better triangulation)	Yes
Real-time results ( as you edit data and modifiers ; roads, building pads, etc.)	Yes
Separate data, modifiers, models ( the objects remain independent)	Yes
Generates contours (any interval)	Yes
"Random" points ( not restricted to rectangular grids)	Yes
Filtering (typically r educes complexity of imported contours and the resulting model by 80-90 %)	Yes
Earthwork volumes (c ut & fill)	Yes
Multiple simultaneous views	Yes

And if that's not enough to get you to consider buying SimuTerra, here are other unique features which you'll find in SimuTerra:

* Separate Existing, Proposed, and Cut & Fill DTMs

* Roads defined by centerlines (alignment)

* Cut & fill volumes displayed dynamically (helpful for balancing a site)

* Mouse tracking (including Z value when over a DTM in 2D view)

* Object numbers, descriptions (each object can have these assigned)

* Object labels (e.g. point number, X, Y, Z, description, vertex coordinates)

* Non-editable layers (each layer can be visible but safe from editing)

* Finer control of units of measure and display format (mix and match possibilities)

* Animation of objects (people, cars, dogs, trees, custom)

* Add or remove data from models (DTM is automatically recalculated)

* Quick joining of polys (e.g. piece back together contour lines imported from SketchUp)

* Edit elevations by clicking (e.g. raise multiple imported contours)

* Automatically deselect inappropriate data (e.g. vertical lines and duplicates)

* Scaling coordinates (scale X, Y, and/or Z values, including by negative factors)

* Export point data (e.g. for stakeouts or placement in other programs)

* Multiple simultaneous views (2D or 3D, independent zooming etc.)

* Multiple document interface (work on multiple docs side by side, on both platforms)

* Contour labels (elevations displayed on index contours)

More details can be found on our web site, www.compuneering.com .

Some of the above features require the Pro level of SimuTerra, which costs US$200 through August 2005.