Sketchup Pro question to buy or not to buy???

shannakae

Your profile says you are using pro.

I had bought it but then I decided to return my Mac and go back to a windows computer. Instead of paying for the transfer fee that pro charges for changing platforms, I just returned it, as I was still within my 30 day window for returning. Now I am trying to decide of I want to re purchase it....

Any input would be much appreciated : )

Dave R

@shannakae said:

Not sure if I really need sketchup pro... I do like the ability to create and add attributes to components.. but was wondering if there is another plugin or program that I can do this with that will cost less?

That's Dynamic Components. Only in Pro. No plugin to do it that I am aware of.

@shannakae said:

Also, I might want to bring in dwg or dxf files of my floorplans from Autocad to trace over in sketchup (the snap feature is nice) but I can pretty much accomplish similar results just using a jpg of my cad floorplans and scaling...

maybe that'll work for you in your work flow. Imported DXF or DWG lines behave as edges in SU. No need to redraw everything.

@shannakae said:

I also noticed that the solid tools only work with pro... (is there another plugin that does something similar to the solid tools?)

There is a plugin that will do similar things to the Solid Tools.

@shannakae said:

I like the layout feature but I can just add the images to a another layout program like adobe In design for free...

Yes. You can export images from SU and import them into InDesign or similar. And when you have to edit your model to make changes, you will have to re-export the images and replace them in your project. How many images might you put into a document? Can you work out a method to make sure you've corrected all the images that need it? You'll also have to play around to get scaled images. With LayOut the "images" are scenes from SketchUp and directly tied to the SketchUp model. When you make changes to the SketchUp model your document project can be automatically updated to reflect those changes.

@shannakae said:

I am pretty sure the styles that are installed in sketchup and that come with my various rendering programs are more than adequate for me so I dont know how much of a benefit the style builder will be for me?

I'd count Style Builder as a 'gimme'. My guess is there's a very low percentage of Pro users who use Style Builder. I do use it and have made a lot of different hand-drawn line styles but you might not care. It seems more users are interested in creating photo-realistic drawings anyway.

solo

I have owned pro from the beginning so it's hard for me to say what benefit you will get or need, however I use a lot of import and export formats that pro has so without those I'd be stuck. I occasionally use the solid tools but as an old school user I can get by doing things the old way especially when my model is not solid. I do not use layout for what i require from SU, I also do not create styles as Dave R has all the best stuff that he shares.
However I do use dxf/dwg frequently and there is no way a jpg or png will be as easy as importing a dwg with everything on layers and simple to extract contours and weld them without hours of tracing.

solo

Forgot about one tool I use a bit lately:

http://www.youtube.com/v=8bJ3s_cUV3s

shannakae

@solo said:

Forgot about one tool I use a bit lately:

http://www.youtube.com/v=8bJ3s_cUV3s

That is a pretty cool plugin. Like the fact that there is a physical camera that you can move around rather than having to adjust the "views" and I can see some other cool applications for it as well... wonder how this integrates with my rendering programs? will check into it!

I think I agree with both of you that Sketchup pro is probably an option I will want to go ahead and have right from the start... I just wanted to make sure there was not an alternative out there that was better or less expensive before I re purchased it.

Thanks so much for you help!

d12dozr

It depends on your workflow. I like Pro because of Layout in my architectural work. I can set up scenes, add dimensions and details, and export a PDF all in one app. Like Dave says, updates are a breeze because Layout is connected to Sketchup.

pilou

If you make anything who is not personnal work at home, for any commercial use, i believe that you must legally buy the Pro!

Dave R

@unknownuser said:

If you make anything who is not personnal work at home, for any commercial use, i believe that you must legally buy the Pro!

That was true when Google first made a free version available but I believe that requirement went away a few years ago.

shannakae

I am convinced that it is probably in my best interest to go ahead and re purchase it. I do use it for professional purposes. I am an interior designer and all of the pro features will be very helpful in my workflow! I am especially interested in learning how to work with dynamic components. The layout and Autocad integration are also pretty helpful and I am sure there are a ton of other benefits that I will enjoy as a pro user!

pilou

First line :
@unknownuser said:

SketchUp Pro is 3D modeling software for professionals.

Price is so low that for a professional it will be pay off as soon as the first project!

And you can sleep as a baby without any problem of legality!

Dave R

@unknownuser said:

First line :
@unknownuser said:

SketchUp Pro is 3D modeling software for professionals.

Price is so low that for a professional it will be pay off as soon as the first project!

And you can sleep as a baby without any problem of legality!

That doesn't say that professionals can't use the free version, though. The price is low and will easily be recovered by anyone who is using SketchUp professionally.