I think the web version is a separate thing.
3D Studio - that takes me back a bit! To the 1990s to be precise, when I had a project to do fly-throughs of a new bit of computer hardware (for video): we took the cad drawings from R+D and they were imported by the 3DS people. The results were jolly good for the time. The contractor used to do VR systems for the military, for training maintenance personnel. They would build entire VR aircraft (down to each rivet), and then render-out the necessary bits for each "lesson". So our little tape drive was very easy for them.
Sketchup can be very detailed and specific, and very helpful. There are some excellent tutorials around -- I think I found a set on the Fine Woodworking web site, but Brentingby, recently hat-tipped, will point you in the right direction.
There are two key things:
Everything you draw interacts with everything else. You don't usually want that if you are designing a woodworking object, but you want to make pieces that fit together that you can then break down into make-able objects. The trick is to make everything you draw into a SketchUp "component". These can be grouped into more complex components, copied, and so on, and allow you to select and modify only the thing you need to alter.
Also, it has a surprisingly good system of inference, when the system "guesses" what you mean. e.g. you draw a 5mm radius disc at one end of a long block. If you go to t'other end and select 'draw circle', there will be a "click-stop" at 5mm radius, as SU infers you're doing something symmetrical. Similarly, it will find the midpoint of lines, the centre of squares and circles, etc. The trick is to work with it and learn not to fight it. Then it's very fast to use.
It took me a while, but I'm quite comfortable with it now, and usually draw up anything I intend to make, especially DIY built-in stuff. It's a great way to find problems and workarounds before you start cutting up stock.
