Reasons why to go on SU 2013 ...

Krisidious · 29 May 2013, 18:51

@rv1974 said:

I had some nasty restriction on one of my PCs in v8: it could not open more than 4-5 files simultaneously. v2013 somehow solved it at last.

5? I think the most I've ever needed was 3... have you tried that instance plugin?

charly2008 · 29 May 2013, 22:34

As a private hobby user I see no reason at the moment to switch to SketchUp 2013.
Sketchup 8 meets my needs until now.

I would rather pay the full price when truly revolutionary innovations are introduced. One of which would be, for example, a high processing speed with high poly models. A better customizable menu structure would also be desirable.

rv1974 · 30 May 2013, 06:27

@krisidious said:

@rv1974 said:

I had some nasty restriction on one of my PCs in v8: it could not open more than 4-5 files simultaneously. v2013 somehow solved it at last.

5? I think the most I've ever needed was 3... have you tried that instance plugin?

What instance plug-in? Anyway I copy-pasted the whole v8 plugins folder to the new 2013 one.

Alan Fraser · 30 May 2013, 10:19

Following on from that, Juan; it would seem that now...with a choice of TWO plugin stores and a revised GUI...would be a good time for everyone to do some overhauling of their plugins and the layout of their toolbars.
This might take quite some time to get right; and I wouldn't want to lose all that hard work by being presented with a new release and told I have to perform a clean install...and hence back to first base.

For this reason, I put in a Feature Request for some way of saving any custom configuration to an external file, so that it could survive any such re-install. I don't mind taking time out to Spring clean...I'd just prefer to do it the once.
John Bacus got quite excited about this idea and took it one stage further, suggesting that users would then be able to save a whole collection of UIs, depending on what they were doing. For instance, instead of having a gazillion icons crowding your screen, you could have an 'organic modeling' setup with just the toolbars like Artisan, Round Corners, TIG's Extrude Tools etc. Or you could have a Housbuilder UI with all the parametric roof and walls plugins. Then, having finished that part of the job, you could seamlessly load a landscaping UI with all the topographical stuff and Ivy Maker, Tree Maker etc.
Sounds like a plan to me.

jason_maranto · 30 May 2013, 10:41

Wow, so "darling" had the awesome inspiration to have user defined custom workspaces -- what a brilliant idea, so far ahead of it's time!

Oh, except for the fact I've already been using custom workspaces in most of my other software for the better part of a decade.

I'm always amazed at how the expectations are so low here that old commonplace ideas are treated as great innovations by the user base...

Of course we should have custom workspaces -- but we should have had them when they were a new idea. Now it's just another example of SketchUp trying to catch up to the rest of the software world.

Wake me when they get there.

Best,
Jason.

Mike Lucey · 30 May 2013, 11:05

@jason_maranto said:

Wake me when they get there.
Best,
Jason.

I will, I will, I promise Are you going for a little sleep now? .........

%(#0000BF)[Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

And if that dog named Rover won't bark
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart

And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.]

jason_maranto · 30 May 2013, 11:09

That would be a Rip Van Winkle level sleep.

The other companies aren't going to stand still while SketchUp tries to catch up -- they will be busy with the next round of innovations we can't have.

Best,
Jason.

Gareth · 30 May 2013, 11:13

Jason, I'll set the alarm for you

..do you prefer to be woken by music, or one of those annoying 'Beep Beep' sounds...??!!

Alan Fraser · 30 May 2013, 11:18

One of the first things I learnt...way back in the day, during my teacher training...was that you don't continually whine and nag. Your whining just becomes like wallpaper. People become inured to it and simply ignore you.

What would you have expected his response to that particular point to have been, Jason? That he'd shoot off at a complete tangent and start talking about Advanced UV mapping or NURBS surfaces? Late in the day or not, it's an improvement on what we have now.

jason_maranto · 30 May 2013, 11:27

First off -- it isn't an improvement because you haven't seen it... and you may very well never see it. It would not be the first time he's shown alot of interest in an idea that never materializes.

Secondly, my point was really about the low bar users have set for the software -- the level of accountability this team is being held to is shamefully low. If that appears as whining to you then you have misread my position.

My expectations are that SketchUp fairly compete for my money... yours seem to be alot lower than that. If my position is unrealistic, then yours is the position of a victim of Stockholm syndrome .

But I have realized I wandered into the wrong thread, so I'll take my leave.

Best,
Jason.

Mike Lucey · 30 May 2013, 12:00

Well, there is a constructive way to 'go' with 2013 and at the same time express any doubts one may feel about the caliber of the new release ....... simply UPGRADE ...... to show SUPPORT and WRITE AN EMAIL to one of the TSU Dev Team expressing your concerns.

I would imagine any reasonable company would return with answers directly to you, even stock answers!

Stockholm syndrome

I saw mention of the syndrome last night in a TV doc about the Ariel Castro case. Makes one wonder! But again we are not captive in any way as the door is wide open to walk through if the desire is there.

JuanV.Soler · 30 May 2013, 12:31

I am thinking that since I´ve just upgraded to version 2.013 I´ll explain my reasons to do it , mostly because I have a thread in the Corner Bar forum where I was decided to do not upgrade . http://sketchucation.com./forums/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=52461

When I downloaded the trial I was firstly impressed by the new exporting animation feature in Sketchup and by the new zoom feature in Layout .
When I started playing around and saw the new icons and the difficulty to get my beloved self_made toolbars to get them well set , the discouragement began and then the anger .
Well , I have been keeping reading these days all the buzz and the talks about that something maybe be running under the hoods . I have thought about it .
I have been digging in the upgrade and have tested , so far , that it runs better and faster both in Sketchup and Layout .

I think that icons are very important ,they must be smart and they have been . So why then have they changed ? Why this new way to manage toolbars ? I have thought that it must have been an imposition by the owner to better fit the visualization with his other softwares . And thus the running under the hoods for something new makes sense to me .
I have been struggling to get my toolbars the way I like and have finally , more or less , succeeded .
So I have thought that although the troubles of icons and toolbars it could be worth to update , not just for the better running but for the hopes of the something new to come .

Finally , I have always been close to the idea that Sketchup should get rid off companies and try to develop by itself . No way . It has an owner , we are in his hands . But the fact that the **Sketchup Team**has finally shown in here , means to me that relationships can be improved and that we may be able to walk along again together .

Cheers

JuanV.Soler · 30 May 2013, 12:37

@alan fraser said:

I put in a Feature Request for some way of saving any custom configuration to an external file, so that it could survive any such re-install.
Sounds like a plan to me.

Indeed

derei · 30 May 2013, 12:54

@mike lucey said:

But again we are not captive in any way as the door is wide open to walk through if the desire is there.

Is not just that simple... All of sketchUp users had some strong reasons to go with SketchUp in the first place. And most of us did this because SU is DIFFERENT, and by different I say easy to learn, easy to use, not cluttered ... so you can do your thing fast and easy, with no need of hundreds of toolbars, scrolling menus, buttons, extensive learning... and why not, a very nice interface... unconventional icons (why so serious?).
And all this encouraged a "think out of the box" community... original people turned to it, not that generation of AutoCAD users that were so stiff. And also... neither the "3SD users", who are so "fancy and sophisticated" (ok, now I was mean, but I'm sure you understand my point).

So, if SU will cease to be what it has been, I'm starting to think where it will go? Ok, you are saying that if I won't like it, I am free to go... And probably I will... to SU8 again . But that's not the point here. The point is that WE ARE A STRONG COMMUNITY and despite the fact that Trimble bought Sketchup, Sketchup is still ours. Without us, the users, Trimble may very well whash their hair with SU... so to speak. So, first of all, Trimble shall listen of what users want/need. Because, believe or not, the users know best (because they are using it).

All we can hope is that Trimble will eventually understand this and will go in the right direction.