A new home for SketchUp

[jpalm32]

As a free user, I would pay $99 for it now. W/O Layout & Solids.
What percentage of free user would do that??
I lost interest in SU until I found this site. It is the best independent product site/blog ever!
It is all about the great attitude you people have. Thank you.
On another note: If we are are worried, think of all the render companies that depend on SU for their income..

[andybot]

On another note: If we are are worried, think of all the render companies that depend on SU for their income..

How so? Most rendering apps have plugins for a raft of 3D modeling programs.

What I would fear most is the loss of the active ruby development that happens here. I agree, Sketchup would be far less useful without the contributions of the ruby gurus.

[arail1]

I think I've figured this out.

A big and growing field is 3D scanning. Architects, crime scene technicians, studios, etc. are all moving towards 3D scanning as a way to generate 'as built' information. You might have seen a program on the History Channel about scanning the inside of a Gothic cathedral in 3D to reveal structural problems (fascinating show).

Trimble is a big player in this field.

Doing a brief search of 3D scanning companies reveals a problem - in what format are you delivering the generated information to your client? What kind of software does your client have to have to receive and process this information? Most of the 3D scanning software comes with some kind of 3D modeling functions but they're all pretty lame. The assumption is that the client is going to port the information into their own software - Revit or whatever. But Revit or AutoCAD are expensive solutions and not appropriate in all fields.

I think the aim here is to have a full 3D scanning solution that includes software (SketchUp) that can assemble all the point cloud data in a usable manner for the client without the client having to have specialized software on their end.

I don't know to what extent this scenario would help us or hurt us but I think that's what's happening here.

[cuttingedge]

My thoughts on this transition.

Still a big question mark...why Google ever sell sketchup?.. I believe Sketchup’s being associated with Google made it big and popular. After all the developments in the recent years, with but a few inputs on their part which still resulted in a phenomenal growth of users, how could Google just abandon it?? Don’t they see the potential that we all did? …Are there not enough pro users to sustain it’s profitability? Later on, when they see buildings and important structures created thru this software, wouldn't they want the pride of getting associated with it. I guess not.Im not sure about Trimble.

I so love sketchup. I think its one of the best software and most indispensable tool there is in architectural field.

After criticizing sketchup a lot in the earlier release, I ended up a becoming sketchup addict. Although I must admit, sketchup (the generic) doesn’t measure up with recent developments of its counterparts. The slow performance and inability to handle high poly models is just becoming frustrating. But hey, I still stick with it…(hoping it improves)

Ive built a lot with sketchup and will continue to do so.

Hope Trimble keep it free, keep it open-source, and address the clamor for a speedier sketchup. Then they stay in the game.

Hope this forum remains. I love the culture of generosity in here (esp the script writers) Ive gain a lot by just reading thru the posts.

edd

[jgb]

YIPES!!!!!!!

Couldn't spend the time reading all 25 pages, but here is my $0.02.

I have seen too many instances where a company acquires the competition for various reasons, NONE of which were to benefit the customer or end user. Witness IBM buying over Lotus, which I will use as an example. Wordperfect is another, as are all the Canadian income tax programs.

The reason for acquisition is either to pillage the patents, corner the market, eliminate competition, grab the super skills, and to upgrade their own products, until the competitive distinction is moot.

Then KILL the acquisition. IBM wanted Lotus Notes. IBM now uses MS EXCEL internally, not Lotus 123, which was exclusive at IBM prior the takeover. Neither of which exist today. I was on contract to IBM at the time of the takeover as a Lotus 123 developer. A year after I left they wanted me back to convert all my 123 spreadsheets to EXCEL.

If Trimble is planning to incorporate the SU engine into their products, where will that leave SU in the future? Except for being free, there is no competitive advantage for Trimble to keep SU, free or Pro.

They will probably release Ver 9, as it is well down the pipeline, but what about Version 10 or 11?

Google has the great reputation of being a great place to have ideas and try them out. Does the new owner have a similar environment?

Google has some reputation of listening to outside ideas, maybe not so much in the SU community via these forums, but better than most companies.
IBM would only listen to clients who were willing to pay to have their ideas implemented. What about Trimbles track record??

Be afraid, be very afraid.......

[numerobis]

exactly... ViaCAD has push/pull like modeling since v.8 and imports SKP files.
still, I spend 99% of my time on SketchUp and 1% on it... LOL

thanks for mentioning ViaCAD... i wasn't aware of it (and Shark). Looks very interesting. I will test it...

[kwistenbiebel]

My only reservation is the issue of 3rd party apps that would benefit from multi-core processing (e.g.Twighight). Would it be possible to allow 3rd party plugins to utilise multicore processing without having to re-engineer SU?

Not only is this possible today, but it is frequently done. Most rendering engines utilize multicore processing— even those that work as "plugins" for SketchUp.

john
.

As ThomTom recently replied when I and others brought up 64 bit.
People "say" they want 64 bit, but underlying they just want Sketchup to run more smoothly...
It is having a more responsive Sketchup to particular tasks and to higher polycounts.
Whatever is needed to serve that purpose is fine, even if Sketchup would be a 1-bit app

[MrMikeEsq]

I sincerely hope that there are going to be ties between SketchUp and 3D scanning. This was my first thought when I saw Trimble mentioned, but it sounds too good to be true!

[iichiversii]

YouTube "Trimble sketchup" there's a clip of a Trimble product being scanned via a kinect sensor and visualised in SU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z2bwSYD_gs

[MrMikeEsq]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STbUx76vx1A
Maybe one day, eh

[dazza]

"I think part of this worry is that users could be afraid that this move is really to compete than to innovate. Just remember those numerous plugins by your biggest fans. And because of these fans, your software has the be ability for complex modeling, BIM, rendering and animation. So, in a way it is limitless compared to the $3,000 drafting programs! Now that I think about it, what makes SketchUp so unique is that it has nothing to do with technology, it's community. People work so hard on new plugins because they believe in your software, they even offer to help and inspire newcomers. This is pride, and I recommend your team lets that become your navigation as SketchUp develops further. Good luck!" -- Christopher Vela
Mark

Thats awesome!

[bmike]

Perhaps we should start a new thread, a Trimble wish list of sorts for SketchUp moving forward.

What I fear is that the core of SketchUp - the ability to draw / 3d model pretty much anything you want will erode away towards specialized applications. And that LayOut will be abandoned.

What I'd like to see:

1. If Trimble wants to use the 'engine' - fine - improve it, adapt it, etc. - but please leave a free or paid (I'm a pro user, and happy to pay (reasonably) for my tools) version that takes those improvements to the engine as basic and simple as possible out of the box.

2. Update Ruby support, and keep the open source nature of plug in writing. Perhaps even offering a 'plugstore' environment for plugins that Trimble hosts - there could be plugins that work with different modules of your software - and of course we could have the nearly limitless creativity of the current plugins migrated over, or offered standalone (much like the Mac App Store environment - buy in or out of the store, depending on the vendor).

3. Speed it all up - you must have some pretty smart guys and gals behind the scenes there working on your geo stuff. While I hope SU doesn't get bogged down with arcane BIM libraries and tags (outside of a specific module that could be bought or leased separately) - there is likely to be some applicable crossover to the core tech. Let the Googler's stretch their wings and keep their independence - while cross fertilizing with your team. Keep and make it easy to start drawing, and then peel away layers as needed to add complexity, data, visualization, etc. - through modules, plugins, etc. etc.

4. Keep and improve LayOut. Its my primary drawing and presentation tool for jumping from 3d to 2d - for schematic plans and for construction documents. Until contractors have work site tough slates (large ones, too) - paper and prints are still in our future for job sites. LayOut needs improvements for speed and the back end needs to be adjusted to keep the same tool behavior as SketchUp (the current version sucks when jumping back and forth - pick, move, draw, etc. are all different enough to make you go mad). If I learn one, I should be able to navigate the basics in both (aside from the finer points of referencing, etc.)

5. Keep a Mac version. This would make me

Lots more, of course, and every use is different. Coming at this from residential / lite commercial and woodworking / furniture - the core of SketchUp is as good as it gets for going from idea to built project. It needs work - everything does - but as a tool its promise is pretty incredible - especially when seen up against some of the other 'CAD' packages.

I don't need a 'computer aided design' program. I need tools that get out of the way, and let me adapt their use to the task at hand.

[valerostudio]

I hate to even say it, but I would have rather seen Autodesk buy it.

[jenujacob]

I hate to even say it, but I would have rather seen Autodesk buy it.

who knows.. maybe trimble would surprise us all... a good surprise that is!

[thomthom]

I hate to even say it, but I would have rather seen Autodesk buy it.

I generally find Autodesk products as FrustrationWare...

[Edson]

one aspect of the present situation which I find worth keeping or even extending is training support in the form of tutorials, videos, competent user guide and the official blog. this fundamental to encourage new users to take up any application.

there are many applications around that look promising but lack all the support google sketchup used to offer. I hope it continues doing that.

[bigstick]

I hate to even say it, but I would have rather seen Autodesk buy it.

Go and wash your mouth out

Why?

[valerostudio]

I hate to even say it, but I would have rather seen Autodesk buy it.

Go and wash your mouth out

Why?

Autodesk or Adobe are the only two company's I think should have got their hands on this.

SketchUp is being used every day to make design decisions, visualize ideas, and document creative thoughts. I think a company that is closely aligned with this industry should be handling what happens to it after Google.

[andybot]

I think you are leaving out whole swaths of design software with the adobe/ autodesk broadbrush. If you look at the independent software that autodesk has bought up over the years and what has happened to it and it's user base, I think this is a bullet dodged.

[jgb]

I hate to even say it, but I would have rather seen Autodesk buy it.

I generally find Autodesk products as FrustrationWare...

Ya got dat rite!!!!

[Grimjier]

Wow, can't say I've really posted on this board since the @Last Forums, but this was a shocker for me today when I was perusing for new plug-ins (which I use a lot - Special thanks to all the developers over the years and the core team that allowed the software to be flexible). Looks like the "Trouble with Trimble" seems to be the main fear here (rather than a TOS Star Trek episode), but rightly feared or not it's not going to be addressed until the final paperwork is done. Personally I am more concerned about my software license being handled correctly in a corporate transfer (Google did bring more than free users into the fold)! Just glad the main managers are still onboard is all so far.

Loosing Google is not a good thing (mainly name/capital), but agree that development on the core functions stalled somewhat (or rolled out version imporvements we already had coverd by the plug-in writers and nobody get credit for making software run smoother, that's expected weirdly enough when it actually happens). I am not really woried about Trimble's websites, Google's for Sketchup really wasn't very good either, but I am concerned about new development, especially in making the product more dificult to use (something easy to an engineer is not easy to others, and I have an Architect background). One of the great thing I like about Sketchup is the vast uses for it outside of traditional architectural design development, something that I hope the new company takes a least somewhat into account. In addition to the software's intended use, I use it for art design, 3D printing (including base-modeling for Zbrush), CNC/Laser cuts, as well as a host of other simulation experiments thanks to our robust developer community. Hell, did you know that both Marvel and DC Comics artists make use of Skethup so much that it's in their artbooks as a recommended program? Really the program is well past the toy or just Architecture stage, something a lot of competaters really can't compete with. Just hope this isn't lost is all I am saying.

Oh, and for the love of God more polycounts please!!!!! Sure I'll just try to criple the new system.....

[Krisidious]

if Autodesk got this program the price would quadruple and the useability would decline by half. and they would engineer it for commercial architects and engineers only. they care nothing about building designers, residential architects or builders.

on another note... 380 comments? 8000 views? damn.

[kwistenbiebel]

if Autodesk got this program the price would quadruple and the useability would decline by half. and they would engineer it for commercial architects and engineers only. they care nothing about building designers, residential architects or builders.

Very much so...
A colleaugue I work with decides to work on his own.
He shared me the biggest investment for him is a Revit license... a 18000 dollar to cough up is a lot when starting up small. And then the yearly updates etc...
I find it such a strange thing that making software overcomplicated and frustrating, and at the same time charging unreasonable money for it seems to keep Autodesk in a comfortable seat...

Anyway, it's a different discussion

[Mike Lucey]

I doubt very much there was ever a chance that this could have happened. To 'buy' something, it has to be made available to one in the first place at a consideration!

[bigstick]

Autodesk or Adobe are the only two company's I think should have got their hands on this.

SketchUp is being used every day to make design decisions, visualize ideas, and document creative thoughts. I think a company that is closely aligned with this industry should be handling what happens to it after Google.

Are you smoking something?

Autodesk - those people who introduced the cut down version of their main app, and then simultaneously increased the prices of both their high end and low end applications, introduced annual updates with file formats which are incompatible with older versions, then introduced annual licence fees for upgrades and support. Now their entry level app is more expensive than some of their fully-featured competitors.
In addition they have swept up a load of competing and complementary companies and absorbed them into one large, corporate anonymous whole, with crap customer service, and zero understanding of what most of their customers really want.
They have improved since Carol Bartz left, but not nearly enough...

AutoDesk would have been the absolute worst nightmare for SketchUp users!

[utiler]

So I've been reading bits and pieces of this monster thread and as shocked as you all are, I'm getting over it.

I've been ware of Trimble for some time given that they are in the GIS game and so I think this could be cool. I did see this the other day which made me think what could also be possible:

Redstick CAD

redstick.png

http://www.redstickcad.com/

It's a 'site to office' process of measuring and modelling buildings....
Way cool.

[Roland Joseph]

Google paid the anti to get into the phone business....The phone business has brought the biggest giants to their knees.
I can't imagine giving away Sketchup. I think that Google is floundering internally..there would be no reason to sell other than to shore up a cash-flow blip on the near horizen. I'm not on topic here but it will be interesting to see what happens to the cash...if we hear nothing, it was necessasy to keep their metrics looking strong and keep the stock floating....with emphasis on float!

[jgb]

I just Googled "Trimble" and read this following post. Interesting to say the least, and maybe, just maybe a ray of hope for the future of SU.

http://www.spatialsource.com.au/2012/05/01/article/Trimble-acquires-Googles-SketchUp-3D-Modelling-Platform/KBMXMDJKEL.html

[johnsenior1973]

Google paid the anti to get into the phone business....The phone business has brought the biggest giants to their knees.
I can't imagine giving away Sketchup. I think that Google is floundering internally..there would be no reason to sell other than to shore up a cash-flow blip on the near horizen. I'm not on topic here but it will be interesting to see what happens to the cash...if we hear nothing, it was necessasy to keep their metrics looking strong and keep the stock floating....with emphasis on float!

Google's market capitalization, it's value in other words, is $196 BILLION. Hang on, the share price has just gone up a bit and it's $197 billion now.

Selling Sketchup would be completely insignificant if Google needed cash. It would be like spending an hour to get the nickle in the back of the sofa, and having to damage the sofa to get it.

[MrMikeEsq]

I don't see why anyone is dubious of Trimble. Okay if people would have preferred a more design-oriented company, fair enough. But forget all of the marketing stuff around SketchUp. What's there, which is SketchUp's style of interface and modeling tools etc. will stay there (or they would have just made their own software from scratch). Isn't that what makes SketchUp so great? It's not like Google were the perfect people for the job! It's the great software that held everything together.

Both Trimble users I know (both spent an absolute fortune on Trimble stuff!) seem to love the company and it's products, which is a good sign too.

And yes, I'm glad it's not Autodesk.