Google SketchUp

By this point, everyone on the planet knows how amazing Google Earth is, but did you realize that Google also makes a powerful 3D drafting application available to you free of charge?

Google SketchUp is easy and fun-to-use software which allows you to design a piece of furniture or a house or an entire neighborhood on your screen, and view it from any angle. Want to see how that sofa would fit in your living room? Model it to an eighth of an inch in SketchUp. Want to see how the backyard might look with a patio? Plan it out in SketchUp.

As with any software, there’s a little bit of a learning curve, but Google provides a bunch of helpful video tutorials (start with these) that will have you cutting out windows and pulling up ceilings in no time. You can save your creations, build up a personal archive, and share your plans with others all for free. Then, if you get really good and addicted, you can upgrade to Google SketchUp Pro for $495. For now, I can’t get over how useful the free version is.