*Yawn* Alternatives to SketchUp
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I remember looking at Softcad 3D years ago and a recent forum post on here states that it's still available http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=14664&p=111107&hilit=softcad#p111107
On paper it looks good but I never found it half as easy or useful as Sketchup. I see Design Workshop was mentioned. I can't believe it's still around, I don't think it's been developed in years judging by their web site which still looks exactly the same. Again superficially similar but it doesn't compare to SketchUp in terms of ease of use and power. Sketchup was really ground breaking and 8 years later, there still isn't anything to compare to it that I know of. It got me into computer design from drawing by hand after trying Autocad, Archicad, Revit etc and getting frustrated with all of them.
I'm still interested in alternatives and I'll certainly investigate Form Z spin off in development, Bonzai 3D when it comes out, but given the time Sketchup has taken to evolve into the programme we have today I'd be surprised if anything new could rival it at least initially.
Kenny
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These are free open source apps but both have sketchup-like simplicity. Still under development, but Advocado is quite similar. (Tim Sorry if this is off topic as you probably want to only compare commercial apps).
avoCADo :: Open Source 3D CAD
avoCADo, a new open source 3D CAD project for engineers and artists alike!
(avocado-cad.sourceforge.net)
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@chris fullmer said:
I think that is the beauty of the predicament he is in. He needs to present the alternatives that the company could use. And list all the pros and cons of each software. In the end, nothing beats sketchup if you're talking about usability, speed, affordable plugins, etc. So it'll be great fun to talk about the "alternatives" when we all know there are none
Chris
I can't agree more with the statement above. I've been keeping my eyes open for about 2 years now for simple 3d modeling apps and nothing even comes close to the ease of use of sketchup. Its not perfect, and has limitations but has filled a niche market that no one else seems to have any offerings for.
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I just found this on the autodesk website. Show your colleagues this and tell them in 3 to 4 years version 1.0 may be available for a small 4 digit fee (not including subscription that will probably be mandatory by then).
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I saw a video of that, kind of like autodesk's version of hypershot.
I'm interested in it, if it doesn't become vaporware. -
Nothing will ever compare to SU's workflow, so let's forget about that, however there may be something that will be just as easy and maybe with even more features, but a Sketchup it will never be.
I have found Hexagon 2 to be a great addition to SU, able to handle millions of polygons, facillitate nurbs using a cage system, offer texture and sculpting brushes, UV mapping, simple to learn and fun to use....but even with all that, it's not SU.
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DesignWorkshop has indeed not been developed in something like 10 years. If it still runs on your computer, that's about it.
Artifice is focused their online architecture magazine Architecture Week (?), Great Buildings Online, and keeping a web presence (which I am thankful for because they host the PowerCADD forum, which is failing along with that software's slow demise). -
MicroGDS has many Sketchup like features. It is a full blown CAD app with fully integrated 3D, but some of the tools are very similar.
For example, MicroGDS had an equivalent to PushPull long before Sketchup was even just an idea. It goes by the less catchy name of Face>Move. Entities are structures much like groups and components too, called objects, instances and assemblies in MicroGDS. MicroGDS handles much more complex models and has photo-realistic rendering built-in (using the Lightworks engine.)
It is by the same people responsible for Piranesi.
Check out http://www.informatix.co.uk
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@linea said:
These are free open source apps but both have sketchup-like simplicity. Still under development, but Advocado is quite similar. (Tim Sorry if this is off topic as you probably want to only compare commercial apps).
avoCADo :: Open Source 3D CAD
avoCADo, a new open source 3D CAD project for engineers and artists alike!
(avocado-cad.sourceforge.net)
Linea -- not at all, both look interesting (although their unavailability would disqualify them
)Surprised no-one picked up on my reference to upFRONT -- nearly fifteen years ago it was doing inferencing and could do things that SketchUp still can't do --- components cutting walls with thickness, translucent shadows, really cool built-in camera-path tool...
I've still got two boxed copies that I refuse to throw out -- that's how software should be packaged.
Edit: Cheers, john -- I'll check it out.
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Wow, it is from € 1,130 to € 3,980!
But yes, this is about alternatives...
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As much as I hate the current slow development of Sketchup, it still rules.
I have a love-hate relationship with the software. There is no competition in how easy and fast it is, but it can be such a pain when doing large models.
If I was to pick an alternative I would say Cinema 4D, but it will be frustrating as the modeling part of C4D is not as intuitive as Sketchups....but it has the extra features and high poly control Sketchup misses.
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These are probably related things, Kwist. We gain on the modeling side (inferencing for instance) with SU but it puts a big workload on the CPU (i.e. keeping all possible inferencing options in mind constantly while you are modeling/orbiting).
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Has anyone managed to d/l and run AvoCADo? It just doesn't work on my Mac.
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BTW, what counts as a 'high-poly' model? How many faces?
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@unknownuser said:
Has anyone managed to d/l and run AvoCADo? It just doesn't work on my Mac
It runs ok on pc. The features are slowly being added so it isn't really a useable product yet but the similarities to Sketchup are apparent. The Gui is nice too.
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Tim,
When talking "High Poly" I would like to say anything more than Sketchup can handle (only because I am still a bit pissed Sketchup 7 can not handle anymore polys that V6) but I would say "high poly" would be something like millions of poly's. Not millions of poly's all wrapped up in a few components repeated 1000's of times but millions of unique poly's.
I think Sketchup is a niche product and that is why it is hard to find a alternative. We are just not going to find it. That is not to say Sketchup is perfect (we all can find faults...I am not going to re-harsh the V7 bashing thread...yes I was a part of that too!), but Sketchup is a great tool for roughing out a model and even adding some real detailed stuff (see SilverShadows stuff) but it will never be (for example) Modo, C4D, MAX or any of the other great modeler/renderers. The way I look at Sketchup is, it is really good at a handful of things but not everything. Personally the best all around program is Modo...hands down. When we get into larger modeling packages they cost more (some not much) and offer a wider range of capabilities. I think as time has gone on and Sketchup's development has (somewhat) stalled we have all looked to other packages to make up the difference in our workflow. Sketchup will never become MAX or any of the other big ones but that was never the intention or direction of Sketchup. For myself the closest comparisons would be Modo, Silo, and Hexagon. I tried to pick very capable programs under $1000. Granted they are not the same and work a bit different but I think it is established already nothing is Sketchup but I think that argument can be made for anything. Good luck and I look forward to reading your article.
Scott
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@tim danaher said:
Because that's what the commission calls for. This is for 3DWorld magazine.
Oooooohhh! Keep us posted! I buy it every month since introduced a few months back.
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No to hijack the thread but another good magazine I found recently is "HDRI". Not as detailed as 3D world but also not loaded down with advertisements either.
Scott
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Cheers, all --
I CANNOT get AvoCADo to run... I have the latest Java installed, but it keeps saying "invalid or corrupt .jar file". Anyone got it running on a Mac?
I've only tried it in XP under Parallels, but no joy there...it crashes after the splashscreen.
Juju -- it should be in the January issue. Did you see my Turning Torso Tutorial in issue 99? It's on their website somewhere.
Edit: Scott -- a million! Wow. My most complex only has 133 000... I feel like a novice.
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Hi Tim,
A good friend of mine uses Turbocad. I've watched him use it and tried it myself but didn't get to involved in it. If given more time, i would think it looks fairly easy to learn and the price seems fair. Have you checked it out before? The same friend also uses Google Sketchup but he hasn't lately. Old habits I guess...Good luck with the findings...
Jeff
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