Put Letchworth on the 3D Map!

Last night an event brought businesspeople, college students and staff together in support of young entrepreneurs. is a fast developing network of colleges intent of bringing entrepreneurship into further education. What you may ask has this to do with our competition? In a word: everything. It is about sharing and support, technologies of the future, creating opportunities and having a supportive confidence in young people. On our local, experimental scale, we are making opportunities for people to learn new skills and bringing together local companies, institutions, community groups, students and astute members of the public. Enjoy our Finale when all these will come together for the first time in this way!

Comet reporter Nick Gill accepted our invitation to last saturday’s SketchUp Practice session, where 12 year old modeller JC showed him his techniques for sculpting and texturing a building for Google Earth.

This resulted in a 9 column-inch article:

[Copyright The Comet, not for re-publication. For copies of the photographs, Contact The Comet]

This project promotes local enterprise and amenities. So why do we depend on global sources (Google/Trimble) for the software tools for modelling buildings for the competition? Well, that’s because the software tools are free and they open up the competition to people who do not live in this area.

Besides, there’s no purely local business involver: the local companies that specialise in 3D methods mainly work across the Internet and rely on corporations for orders.

The Finale events in 16-18 November will consist of:

• 3D Technologies event on 16 November from 11 am to 1 pm in The Hub for local/sponsor companies specialising in technologies that include 3D digital modelling and visualisation.
• SketchUp Masterclass workshop on 16 November from 2 pm to 4 pm in The Hub, for local organisations including sponsors. Places will be limited.
• Public Stand on 17-18 November in a marquee in Broadway Gardens – let us know is you’ll join the rota for this.
• Screening & Awards event on 18 November from 4 pm to 6 pm in the Broadway Cinema: a ticked event, numbers are limited. Sponsors, advisers and entrants are invited to take part.

Please let us know which of these you wish to attend, to give us some idea of the number of attendees before the booking opens.

Please read the criteria that Google apply for accepting a 3D model from the 3D Warehouse into Google Earth: here.

P.S. on 1 October: At least one entrant has been unable to upload a model to the 3D Warehouse since it exceeds the 10MB lmit. Please let us know if you find that too, since we can help…

This project’s grand Finale is part of the Letchworth Arts Centre’s 2012 Festival, which has a 1970s/1980s theme. Is there a way of modelling that? perhaps with an interior or a street or park scene as it looked then… Festival – house

From Disney Research, Pittsburgh, USA: a video about  3D pinting of light-condicting tunes in plastic materials. here

Critical commentary via BBC News – Technology here

Thanks to North Herts. College and The Hub, we have been able to run training and practice sessions respectively. However the Herts. County Council’s Library service was unable to provide access to Google SketchUp on its PCs so as to let members of the public work up 3D models between times. Now it turns out that Mrs Howard Memorial Hall – c/o the capable and always helpful manager Bobby Singh – has a fully equipped IT suite! The software is being updated tomorrow. here

Bobby can arrange for community groups to have access by arrangement for a modest fee. Let us or Bobby know if you want to make such an arrangement. Even when the Competition has closed, you can learn to use SketchUp and put model buildings into the 3D Showcase for Google Earth!

A civic building is any building that has to do with the citizenry at large. It need not be the premises of a local authority, yet council offices is a good place to start. Note that you can choose to model any civic building, such as current and previous town halls in Letchworth and the surrounding places. Before you start on a building, please check whether anyone has modelled it since this blog entry was posted!

• Though they are not eligible for the competition, it’s notable that the two former Town Halls in Hitchin (on Brand Street) and one in Baldock have not been modelled. Note that the later one is about to be refurbished.
• Likewise the current offices of Royston Town Council (bungalow-shaped), Stotfold Town Council (modern) and Arlesey Town Council (community centre) have not been modelled.

The current offices of North Hertfordshire District Council in Gernon Road and the former town hall of the Letchworth Urban District Council have each been modelled to a high standard.

What do we mean by “iconic” buildings? These are the ones that are recognised as, and hence represent, Letchworth Garden City. They tend to have complex shapes that are difficult to model, but that can be taken into account during the judging for awards.

Some of the most iconic buildings have already been modelled but the following may not yet have been. Please check this other blog entry and in the 3D Warehouse before you pick one:

• The Wynd: rows of small shops, SG6 3EN postcard
• Early Garden City cottages, houses and communal dwellings e.g 4 Nevells Road postcard
• Early shops and factories e.g. Leys Avenue, Esquires Coffee House, SG6 3ED image
• Early places of business e.g. St Edmundsbury Weaving Works, 124 Ridge Road, SG6 1PT, web page
• The People’s House, Station Road, 2 Station Road, SG6 3AZ image
• The Colonnade, Station Road, SG6 3AU opposite the railway station image
• Schools: St Christopher, Barrington Road, SG6 3LZ;  St Francis, Broadway, SG6 3PJ; Hillshott, Ridge Avenue, SG6 1QE; …
• Churches: the former Elim church, 269 lcknield Way, SG6 4UE; … (MH has modelled several church buildings so far)
• The Letchworth Hall Hotel, Letchworth Lane, SG6 3NP image
• Broadway Hotel, The Broadway, SG6 3NZ, web site, image
• Street scenes and parks: the avenues, public gardens, quadrants, …
• Letchworth Garden City Railway Station, SG6 3AN (JH may have started this)
• UK’s first traffic roundabout, Broadway web page
• Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living, Rosehill, SG6 3NA image*
• Howard Cottage Housing Association’s new offices, Pioneer House, Norton Way South, SG6 1NY web page*
• Norton Post Office, 93 Norton Road, SG6 1AD photo
• (where else? – suggestions are welcome…)

*See our Learning to use SketchUp page for all-round sets of photographs that you may use for modelling.

NOTE: The images linked above are included as samples without permission to reproduce them.