A new home for SketchUp
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@jbacus said:
We built the Ruby API to open SketchUp as a platform for development by the community. That much is correct— and from my perspective, it has been an astounding success. It has been a difficult project (here's a funny picture of me talking about the challenges in my keynote to last year's "International Symposium on End-User Design") but also a profoundly rewarding one.
IMO it is the best design decision of SketchUp. Complements an easy to use 3d modelling tool when it's also a easy to script platform.
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@mike lucey said:
...it is Google that will have the major benefit at the end of the day .... somehow. Mmmmm, maybe we could speculate as to how that might be the case?
Perhaps some urban lidar scanning related... who knows if google tries to build something point cloud related for google earth, like Nokia NAVTEQ True for Nokia Maps 3d
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccndZ3aP9ws&list=UUSlL93aYt6Qz0u8Lvf5wRaA&index=7&feature=plcp -
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@eddix99 said:
I think that the problem fundamentally lies in the fact that the whole surveying/engineering industry players are used to paying thousands for their software and equipment. So why shouldn't Trimble charge what they expect to pay?
maybe they will charge high $$ for separate modules but those are going to be entirely different apps (generally speaking)
as far a sketchup itself goes though, i have to believe they'll keep the price in the same range it's in now.. (free & a souped up pro version for under a thousand dollars)
i'm by no means a business consulter/projector/analyst (or whatever that type of person is called) but i do know if trimble decides to charge even 50 bucks for the free version, half the user base disappears.. pretty much immediately.. we're talking millions of people suddenly no longer use the app.. and at this stage, i feel the ginormous user base has to be more valuable than getting a few extra bucks out of some people..
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@unknownuser said:
@eddix99 said:
I think that the problem fundamentally lies in the fact that the whole surveying/engineering industry players are used to paying thousands for their software and equipment. So why shouldn't Trimble charge what they expect to pay?
maybe they will charge high $$ for separate modules but those are going to be entirely different apps (generally speaking)
as far a sketchup itself goes though, i have to believe they'll keep the price in the same range it's in now.. (free & a souped up pro version for under a thousand dollars)
i'm by no means a business consulter/projector/analyst (or whatever that type of person is called) but i do know if trimble decides to charge even 50 bucks for the free version, half the user base disappears.. pretty much immediately.. we're talking millions of people suddenly no longer use the app.. and at this stage, i feel the ginormous user base has to be more valuable than getting a few extra bucks out of some people..
I agree with you that Trimble has to be very careful about its pricing strategy. I'm just a bit worried that as an amateur surveyor/SU user that I will be rounded up with the pro's (pricing wise) who need/are prepared to spend thousands on a product that will do the job they need it to do.
If there were some very basic native survey tools with the pro version and then a good dev. community to fill any gaps then I would have no grounds for complaint. After all Trimble is a Surveying/Engineering company and this should be a good thing for a guy like me, right?
I'm just worried that dev's who want to develop products that trimble are already marketing will be squeezed out. Leaving me facing a large bill if I want to do some basic stuff.
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@eddix99 said:
I'm just worried that dev's who want to develop products that trimble are already marketing will be squeezed out. Leaving me facing a large bill if I want to do some basic stuff.
oh.. right.. i'm worried about that too.
a scenario where trimble basically gains control over allthe plugins etc..
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an optimistic assessment of Sketchup's purchase by Trimble from our friends from School.
and, by the way, why do people generally picture the future as a catastrophic one? let's look ahead to a better Sketchup. it is much better for one's health.
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@edson said:
and, by the way, why do people generally picture the future as a catastrophic one? let's look ahead to a better Sketchup. it is much better for one's health.
Set your expectations low, and your expectations will most often be exceeded, rather than be constantly disappointed!
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As I said elsewhere...
No one [not us, not Trimble] knows how this change of ownership will pan out...
It might be better.
It might be worse.
But one thing is sure - it will be different.
Hope for the best: plan for the worst.
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@edson said:
and, by the way, why do people generally picture the future as a catastrophic one? let's look ahead to a better Sketchup. it is much better for one's health.
dunno.. my take on it is that people are generally excited about this change.. it's just that one negative comment seems to affect people greater than one positive comment..
(which reminds me of something i heard a few times over the years… "it takes ten positive acts throughout a day to make up for one negative" (or something like that)) …we're (humans) weirdos
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SketchUp Free/viewer $0
SketchUp Pro $500 (raising price to some degree and help the software grow faster is acceptable. Think how luxology's Modo grow so aggressive and fast)
SketchUp Official Apps by Trimbles $xxx -$x,xxx
SketchUp partners/3rd parties Apps
SketchUp Free AppsIMHO I think this App Store structures make sense and easy to get. And if Trimble softwares are already good, they don't need to fear for competitions. They have better insight for softwares and business anyway. And they can live on royalty fee too
. Empowered users to do more things is better than keep thing for a few niches. And sales from those pro and apps would come from those free users when they fluented with the SketchUp, they would look nowhere else when need some 3D related stuffs and solve problems. And I feel cheaper prices for already potential 30 millions (and potentially more) is better than keep it expensive and limited to a lot less users. Some companies will actually do it anyway, sooner or later.At least, even a big 'Desk' who love monopoly already 'get' that and give away a lot free stuff to students and casual users.
It's likely that the world move to personal fabrication in next decades, anyone can make physical stuffs from their idea easily, anyone can be designers to some degree. Just like last decades, when everyone can buy printers and start to published things themself.Anyway, I don't know anything about Trimble strategy about this coming era.
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TIG
one of the problems when Google took over, it did not get worse, or better, but also not different..... for years and years. -
@frv said:
TIG
one of the problems when Google took over, it did not get worse, or better, but also not different..... for years and years.I'm not sure I agree with that. It definitely got better...maybe not as much as some people hoped for, but definitely better. One of the best things that happened to it was the opening up of the API and SDK to enable massive 3rd party development. It's also got faster...and gained DCs. Then there's Layout, which we only got a glimpse of at Base Camp 1, just before the acquisition.
But maybe most significant of all, in the long term...it got popular. If SU development team and Trimble play it right (and that's going to take some very careful foundation work...maybe not always in directions that some users appreciate) then it has the potential to become ubiquitous...both in the AEC world and for more general modelling by Everyman...the Flash or Doc of the 3D world. -
Just saw the latest update on this, "By continuing to store non-geolocated models in the 3D Warehouse after the Closing Date you consent to the assignment by Google of its rights and obligations to Trimble" (full text here, http://sketchup.google.com/usernotice.html )
Perhaps I'm not adept at "legalese", but does this mean that Trimble owns the rights to any models that are uploaded to the WH? Suppose they might start charging per download?
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@cjryan said:
Perhaps I'm not adept at "legalese", but does this mean that Trimble owns the rights to any models that are uploaded to the WH? Suppose they might start charging per download?
Then people stop sharing and 3DWH goes nowhere. Why would anyone want to upload for free and have to pay to download? I'd certainly stop using 3DWH if that were the case - unless I got paid when my work was downloaded.
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@alan fraser said:
One of the best things that happened to it was the opening up of the API and SDK to enable massive 3rd party development.
Wasn't the Ruby API added in version 4?
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@unknownuser said:
Just saw the latest update on this, "By continuing to store non-geolocated models in the 3D Warehouse after the Closing Date you consent to the assignment by Google of its rights and obligations to Trimble" (full text here, http://sketchup.google.com/usernotice.html )
Perhaps I'm not adept at "legalese", but does this mean that Trimble owns the rights to any models that are uploaded to the WH? Suppose they might start charging per download?
They're just doing their due diligence by informing you that even though you may believe you're giving you model to Google you'll be actually giving it to Trimble now... I suspect nothing will change.
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@cjryan said:
Just saw the latest update on this, "By continuing to store non-geolocated models in the 3D Warehouse after the Closing Date you consent to the assignment by Google of its rights and obligations to Trimble" (full text here, http://sketchup.google.com/usernotice.html )
Perhaps I'm not adept at "legalese", but does this mean that Trimble owns the rights to any models that are uploaded to the WH? Suppose they might start charging per download?
same here regarding 'legalese' etc but i think google is saying they're transferring their rights of the models (which you already agreed to upon uploading) to trimble..
as in.. you already gave rights to google when you uploaded.. now google is giving those to trimble..
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Just some dotting the i's and crossing the t's I'd say.
Getting kinda interesting now as I imagine the initial drama is done. It's fair to say that Trimble are getting a tasty bit of software and some nice users. I just hope there's some type of basecamp at some point so people get to meet up for an old session. The last one was mighty craic.
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Unlike some of you, I only have a handful of models up there. But... I'd like to think that I still own them. And am willing to share any of them. However, it looks like Trimble, now owns the rights. Perhaps I missed it, did Google own the rights prior to this buyout? I'm a photographer, and although I post many pictures on many sites, I still own the rights to those pictures. Just making a sort of connection. Maybe there should be some sort of creative commons sort of license for modelers. Just saying.
And in the same breath, to everyone that I've borrowed from, and all of the awesome ruby writers (the list is too long but tom, fredo, Tig,...)you have my undying gratitude!
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