The most unsung of 3D programs...

frv

Actually Sketchup is in todays CAD and architecture the most sung program. I think basically all architects use it in some stage of their work. I have been doing so for the past years.

In the beginning I thought Sketchup would develop ever more. Now I feel Sketchup will be as it is for years from now on. Since all now know the power of a surface modeller I see things are changing and many more capable programs are getting it right now too. If Sketchup does not catch up it will not fulfil its promises.
With Revit you build a database by modelling, with Modo you are free in shapes and forms, with Vectorworks you have an excellent tool for making your 2D drawings as well, with Sketchup you have a slow modeller with hardly any data to exchange with others. And the Sketchy edges has fallen out of style since rendering has become mainstream and rather easy.

I use Sketchup daily as well. But I feel the pressure to move on. I wish Sketchup would be sold to a defined CAD company instead of Google abusing it for their 3D world. Sketchup got stuck in their hands. Google hardly invests in the app were the competition does just the opposite.

Well, not to ruin your enthusiam, but you need to be aware that the ease of use comes with a price, unnecesarely so regretfully. I hope somehow the ever growing userbase will turn things around to a more professional Sketchup Pro.
Francois

MartinPh

While I use (and love) Modo, and occasionally work in 3ds Max, for me nothing beats Sketchup when it comes to architecture. None of the other apps gives me the same feeling of freedom and simplicity.

I do concur though that Sketchup has not grown the way it might have if Google hadn't taken over. The overaccentuation of SU as a Google Earth tool has prompted a barrage of simplistic, quick-and-easy, uninteresting models, and tends to obscure SU's possibilities for making large, very detailed and very precise models (I also hate that Google bar at the bottom of the SU 7 interface, what a waste of screenspace!). Many things I see in the user gallery here today certainly are no match for what there used to be in the @Last gallery, in days that the program didn't even have a follow-me tool...

Obviously, some of the brilliant plugins by the people mentioned (thanks guys!) deserve to become an integral part of SU 8.

pilou

yes you right for the easy of use, the versality of the prog, Drawing, modeling, Texturing, Photo match animation etc...
SU is a true Gem
But...as soon as you want true precision or make a zoom in drawing it's not yet Nurbs!
So in a moment of inspiration try Moment of Inspiration! An another true gem
It's the Sketchup of the nurbs
You will have the same pleasure of use than SU !

dedmin

You are right about the surfaces being used more and more. For instance Bonzai3D, and the growing number of plugins for Rhino3D
http://www.virtualshape.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25&Itemid=26&lang=en
http://www.visualarq.com/
http://www.rhinoparametrics.com/index.php

dedmin

There is already a solid modeler "aka SketchUP" - SpaceClaim! And a lot of things are much easier with it!

sketch3d.de

@drfabinex said:

Sketchup Pro beat out Rhino, Viacad, Autocad, Revit and Archicad.

Apples with Peaches...

SU = mesh based modeler
Rhino/ViaCAD = NURBS modelers
AutoCAD = hardcore 2D (at least in the prof. area)
Revit/ArchiCad = AEC or BIM or CAAD

if industry resp. product design for manufacturable products and thus exact data is required, professionals won't use a mesh based modeler as e.g. SU or Form•Z etc. beyond maybe inital design studies.

@drfabinex said:

There is no other program out there that will let me make something and completely change it at any design stage so quickly, efficiently and accurately.

changing properties is much easier with a feature based modeler because not being required to recreate e.g. a blend instead of simply adjusting the parameters of the feature.

jm2cts,
Norbert

drfabinex

Don't forget that I started this thread with this:

@drfabinex said:

It really destroys all the competition for the designing I do. I will concede (grudgingly) that other programs can at times be better suited for other types of design.

Sketchup is not perfect. Hell, it might not even be good at what some professions need, but man it rocks my world everyday. And for the little nitpicky things we can always learn Ruby. (I'm trying right now).

turbodizayn

In my oppinion SU: google kills our lovely editor every day!!! It will be ordinary no professional app in short time! ... and it was a brilliant in @LAST hands

Openspaces

drfabinex
Spot on!
For my personal work flow, nothing beats Sketchup
Even if it is for the singular easy learning curve to produce amazing intentions of the mind so vividly.

Not to talk about such wonderful people as mentioned at the begining and ofcourse the site and people of Sketchucation.

i am eternally greatful.

Happy Easter Celebrations everybody

jgb

As I have said many time before; I have used ACAD for many years. But I struggled with ACAD's 2 1/2D disaster for over 2 weeks trying to get a good approximation of an airplane fuselage I've been developing on paper. I gave up.

Then I discoverd SU V6. In just the very first 2 HOURS of playing with it, I had my design exactly as I wanted it.

ACAD has never since lit up my screen.