Not content with monopolizing the search world, Google is now busy making a splash in several other areas including, rather bizarrely, 3D design. Tradtionally, 3D modelling software commands a pretty high price and SketchUp aims to provide a basic alternative to industry mainstays like 3DSMax and Cinema4D – for free.

3D illustration can be a complex affair, but SketchUp keeps things as simple as possible, making for a far less daunting experience than you’ll get with many professional 3D apps. Technical jargon is kept to a minimum. For instance, the ‘Extrude’ tool is renamed to the more obvious ‘Push/Pull,’ and there are countless other examples.

The hand-holding doesn’t stop there, as the program features some rather helpful guide-snapping when you draw rectangles, and circles. For those unfamiliar with drawing in a 3D plane this is a god-send as the program helps you find the end and middle points of lines and squares and tells you if you’re on the right track. The program is able to predict where you want endpoints to meet and snaps them shut for you, saving lots of time.

Adobe have announced a new plug-in for Photoshop CS3 Extended which will enable users to import a huge range of 3D images from Google's 3D Warehouse. With the plug-in, users will be able to query and download free 3D content from Google's online repository for 3D models and content. The 3D Content can then be placed, manipulated and used in composites within Photoshop CS3 Extended.

Mark Limber, product manager at Google said of the deal:

The Google 3D Warehouse repository, combined with Photoshop CS3 Extended, allows creatives, architects, manufacturers and others to find exactly what they need to bring their virtual worlds and conceptual designs to life.

3D Warehouse is a free service which allows anyone to search for and download 3D models. Users can also submit their own models to share within the community by uploading them from Google SketchUp into the 3D Warehouse. Models include everything from buildings and houses to people and pets. If the model has a location on earth, such as a building in New York city, you can also download and view it in Google Earth.

This announcement does at least justify some of the extra cost between Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended. However, at a whopping $999, it doesn't come cheap and I'm sure many Adobe fans will be less than impressed at what may be seen as a token gesture. It also raises the question, is this really necessary when After Effects can manipulate 3D images anyways, albeit mainly for video?

One major application still missing on Macs is AutoCAD. At the moment, the developers Autodesk only offer a Windows version although you can sign-up to get notified when the Mac version is released later this Fall.

If you're in desperate need of AutoCAD until then, or would like to try a few alternatives, here are 5 great alternatives:

AutoCAD in Parallels This isn't an ideal solution but until the Mac version is released, it's probably the best way to get yourself familiarized with the program using the free trial. It will however put an awful lot of stress on your system so make sure you have enough RAM (I'd recommend at least 4GB). File browsing can also be painfully slow.

HighDesign Although it's only 2D, HighDesign is one of the most powerful and AutoCAD like applications on Mac. HighDesign is suitable for everything from architectural design to construction and it features an extensive set of drawing and editing tools, a context-sensitive interface, sophisticated project management features, and specialized functions.

Google Sketchup As you'd expect from a Google product, there's a refreshing lack of technical jargon in Google SketchUp but that doesn't mean it lacks power. There are plenty of helpful hints and guides throughout too helping you get to grips with 'snapping' when you draw rectangles, circles and other shapes. Although if you're going to use it for professional use, you'll probably need to upgrade to the Pro version.

Intaglio Intaglio is a drawing and illustration application exclusively designed for Macs that makes complex technical drawing or illustration an absolute breeze. It illustrates diagrams in 2D allowing you to easily add graphics, text, color, and scripting. If you've previously been drawing in a different application, then Intaglio will convert it.

VectorDesigner As the name suggests, VectorDesigner is dedicated to all things vector and offers a simple, multi-windowed interface from which you can use all sorts of tools and shapes like rectangles, stars, polygons or bezier creations. Boolean tools offered by the program are easy to work with and let you combine your different shapes in all sorts of ways. VectorDesigner is ideal for creating posters, stickers, t-shirts etc.

Yesterday we brought you a list of the top drawing applications for PC, and a while back Nick wrote about some good programs to use your photos in a 3D digital environment. Now we're going to look at the best 3D modeling applications that exist. Whether you're working in an animation studio, as an architect or on a video game, you have to create detailed 3D models. The following applications are fairly complex and more suited for somebody who has a fair amount of knowledge in design and 3D environments. Let's take a look at them:

• Cinema 4D - Turns your PC into a real animation studio. Has a real streamlined interface thanks to OpenGL support and non-modal managers. Cinema 4D is excellent when it comes to lighting, materials and interaction between scenes. Its content browser really helps managing multiple projects.
• Google Sketchup - A free and friendlier alternative to 3D modeling apps, Google Sketchup uses simple words instead of technical jargon, making it accessible to anyone. A good collection of tools, more than a 100 material settings and shadows make it a good choice. You can customize your workspace and integrate your models in Google Earth.
• 3DS Max - A classic choice for 3D design and animation professionals, 3DS Max offers loads of advanced modeling tools and pixel perfect control over your models. Also quickly renders your templates.
• Autodesk Maya - An interface divided in tabs and fitted with a useful timeline, many animations and objects make for a great solution for designers. Maya offers in depth tutorials (including video tips) to get you up and running.
• Blender - With a database replete with objects, scenes and instances, a streamlined interface and many animations and effects Blender is one of the best applications you'll find. Supports OpenGL lighting modes and features Python scripting.
• Art of Illusion - A simple, open source solution for those wanting to get a feel for 3D design.
• AC3D - Quick and with a structured, multi windowed interface, this application allows you to carry out a number of actions such as object annotation, wrap and birdge or polygon reduction.
• Modo - This program is a good combination of realistic paint tools, an advanced 3D polygonal environment and integrated rendering.
• Strate 3D CX - Another top choice this 3D modeling program features polyspline modeling and HDRI textures and lightdome. Can work in conjunction with both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. A good choice for web designers.
• BodyPaint 3D - Create 3D characters, color them in and add movement and effects with this 3D animation program. Great for video games and cartoons, as it gives you a lot of freedom in the production process.

Drawing applications are a dime a dozen and can go from the professional 3D drawing tool to just fun brush and pencil sketching programs. More serious users will go for advanced solutions with animations, layers and advanced drawing tools while normal users will look to a simple solution to scribble around. Let's take a look at the some of the top drawing software and what you can do with them:

• Toon Boom Studio - Aimed at people in the animation industry, this program lets you create cartoons in the cut-out way by using motion paths.
• OpenCanvas - This is more of a sketching app, with lots of highly realistic brushes. The program is very similar to Photoshop, uses layers and offers a friendly interface easy for newcomers to handle.
• Manga Studio - Ever wanted to recreate Ranma 1/2, Dragonball Z or Astro Boy? Create your own anime with Manga Studio, which has more than 3,000 screen tones and 80 different templates.
• Google Sketchup Pro - Easy to use yet very powerful, it lets you create realistic 3d models. Good for architects and field planners.
• Facial Studio - You can use this tool to quickly draw up anybody's face. Just scan a portrait, let Facial Studio analyze it and you'll then be able to change anything from the skin texture to chin, nose or hair.
• Artweaver - A free drawing tool that offers a wide range of brushes and layers and can load up plugins. Accessible to beginners.
• Paint.NET - One of the best free apps you'll ever find, Paint.NET offers you loads of powerful tools and special effects in an intuitive interface.
• Sketch Master - One of my personal favorites. Create sketches out of any photo. Use one of the many brushes provided or just let the random settings generator come up with a sketch for you.

If you're seriously thinking about getting into design you probably think you'll have to dish in a good amount of money into the right applications. But while software like Adobe's Photoshop and Flash, ZBrush or 3Ds are excellent, their price tag is not accessible to anyone.

So can you still be penny-less and work with good design programs? We recently came upon this list of 45 freeware design apps on snap2objects, which proves that you don't need to spend a dollar to cover your designing needs. We could easily single out The Gimp, Paint.net, Inkscape, or Google Sketchup as top notch applications, but you should really scan the list as it contains many more lesser known but noteworthy alternatives for image editing, illustration, 3D modeling & CAD, fonts, Flash, animation, and authoring.

In March, James also covered what he believed were the top 10 image editors, although unfortunately, most of them are not for free.

Good news for 3D design fans. The huge success of Google's 3D modelling software SketchUp has prompted the company to launch a blog dedicated to the latest developments surrounding it. The blog features tutorials, tips and tricks, trivia, user stories and even jobs with the SketchUp team.

SketchUp has revolutionised 3D design by bringing complex 3D modelling to users with no prior knowledge of how to do so. Thousands of designs that have been uploaded by users can be seen at the online warehouse. Most recently, SketchUp has been integrated into Google Earth via the 3D warehouse layer so that users can explore cities with realistic 3D buildings.

The application has become so big that the company have recently released the first edition of "SketchUp for Dummies" to help users get the most out of the program.