Enter the Competition

Build Your Campus in 3D: FAQs


General Competition Questions:

Is this really only open to higher education students?

Yes. No K-12 student entries will be accepted for this contest.

Will Google ever have a campus contest for K-12 students or higher education students in other countries?

We sure hope so.

Will I have to provide proof of my student status?

Yes. If you are chosen as a finalist, you will be required to send proof of your student status. A current student ID, a current class schedule, or a letter from your department dean will be required. Full or part time is fine, as long as the courses you are taking are for credit.

What if I live in a country other than the ones specified, can I still participate?

All entrants for this campus modeling competition must be currently enrolled in a higher education institution from the countries specified (Australia or New Zealand). Citizens of Iran, Sudan, Cuba, Syria, North Korea and Burma are not eligible to participate, even if enrolled in an Australia or New Zealand higher education institution.

How will you choose the winners?

Judging will be based on the overall functionality in Google Earth, as well as the criteria suggested in the use of Google SketchUp with photo-texturing and low-polygon count. All models must be executed using Google SketchUp. See our best practices document for more details. We also suggest uploading models to the contest site one building at a time. This way you can provide a detailed description of the buildings history and other important facts.

My team is from a small school with not many campus buildings. Does this affect our chances of being chosen as winners?

Absolutely not, we are looking for good quality models, not necessarily quantity. You should not hesitate to enter just because your campus is small.

Can people outside of a higher education school act as advisors to a team of students?

Not officially. Students may seek advice from whomever they choose, but for this competition only individuals directly employed by the educational institution may be included on entries as advisors.

Can we add or delete team members throughout the competition?

Yes, after registering you may add or delete team members as you wish. You may also upload or delete models as you wish. Just remember that once you have hit the submit button, your entry is finalized.

Will the team advisor be eligible for the trip to Google if their team is chosen as a winner?

Yes. Wouldn't that be a bummer if they weren't?

Can our advisor help us model?

No, all models must be executed by students. Advisors may only advise.

Technical/Modelling Questions:

What types of files are required for submission?

Google SketchUp (.skp) and Google Earth (.kmz) files will be required for submission.

How do I create a .kmz file?

To create a .kmz file, you will choose the Export to Google Earth option from the File menu in Google SketchUp. To find out more information on how to create a .kmz file go here.

How do I publish models to the Google 3D Warehouse?

  1. Create a collection (similar to an online photo album) in the 3D Warehouse
  2. Publish your models to the 3D Warehouse
  3. Make sure to include a description of the building, [search] tags, and a link to where more information can be found
  4. Once you've uploaded your campus models, notify us using the "contact the owner" link in the "Build Your Campus in 3D Competition (Australia and New Zealand)" collection here

You can find more detailed instructions here.

What resolution should the photographs be set at before they are applied to the SketchUp model?

There is not an exact number for this because every camera is different, but please keep these concepts in mind:
  • Models will be judged on their actual resemblance to the buildings on your campus even from close distances. Therefore, the quality should be decent enough to make out the distinguishing features.
  • Pictures of building facades on the same structure could have varying degrees of quality. For example, front facades should be much clearer than alleys or less prominent sides.
  • Do reduce the quality of your original photos by following the Optimizing your Textures section in the best practices document. Otherwise your model may exceed the upload limit and reduce its functionality in Google Earth, thus scoring poorly with the judges.

How do I geo-reference my SketchUp model?

Follow the steps here so your SketchUp model is geo-referenced and scaled correctly for Google Earth.

Double check before you submit your kmz files that they are geo-located on your campus and not in Boulder, Colorado, USA – the default location.

How do I position the model so it rests correctly in Google Earth?

Vertically so they are not floating in mid-air in Google Earth. Do this by using the “Toggle Terrain” in SketchUp then lowering the lowest point of the model so it rests on the surface of the terrain.

Horizontally position the structure’s outside walls so they align with the building’s foundation not the roof.

My campus is very hilly; can I modify the existing terrain or import new terrain so it is more accurate?

Yes and no. You can add additional terrain on top of the existing Google Earth Terrain, but it is not possible to manipulate or cut away the terrain found in Google Earth. Also, please keep in mind any terrain modeling will increase the model’s file size, so unless it is totally necessary we recommend working with what is found in Google Earth.

What can I do if the terrain for my campus is inaccurate?

The terrain in Google earth is often times very generalized. Sometimes this will mean portions of your building will be submerged, but that is OK unless major portions of the structure are underground. When this happens, build up the terrain in SketchUp using as few faces possible (not via the Sandbox tools) to compensate for the inaccuracies.

How can I get the photo-textures to export to Google Earth?

If you have used photo-textures, but you do not see them when you open the kmz file, you likely exported the model to Google Earth 3 rather than 4. Luckily, there is a quick and easy fix. All you have to do is re-export your models using the “Google Earth 4” option in SketchUp and double check to be sure all the model’s textures appear and are positioned correctly in Google Earth 4 before you submit to the site.

Can I submit detailed or non-photo-textured SketchUp models?

No, only campus models that are modeled efficiently and textured entirely using photo-textures will be eligible for the prize.

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=41100&ctx=sibling

My campus has many trees around the buildings and it is difficult to take photos without them obscuring much of the façade. Can we leave the trees in the photographs?

Generally, the final result is much more aesthetically pleasing (hint, hint) when any obstructing objects such as trees, cars and people are edited out of the photograph before it is imported into SketchUp.

What is the suggested SketchUp model file size and overall campus file size?

Individual model (single building or interconnected structures) size should not exceed 5MBs unless it is a very complex structure, then the absolute maximum is 10MB. Also, keep in mind that most of the file’s size should come from photo textures and not from complex geometry.

There is not a set limit on the file size for the entire campus because the number of buildings per campus and building complexity vary dramatically between campuses. The best way to judge if the overall campus model is too large is if a standard computer has troubles orbiting it in Google Earth.