So whats up with Sketchup??

rv1974 · 28 Jun 2020, 14:01

@ChristopheAdb
Is there chance you'd start all this anti-Trimble campaign on their official forum?
It'd be super entertaining. I mean it

juju · 28 Jun 2020, 16:16

@rv1974 said:

@ChristopheAdb
Is there chance you'd start all this anti-Trimble campaign on their official forum?
It'd be super entertaining. I mean it

yeah, you know they will shut it down in a jiffy

rv1974 · 23 Jul 2020, 07:47

Good news (not for Trimble
https://80.lv/articles/3ds-max-indie-will-be-available-worldwide/
3ds Max Indie ($250/year subscription) step by step goes global.

sketch3d.de · 23 Jul 2020, 11:12

@rv1974 said:

@ChristopheAdb
Is there chance you'd start all this anti-Trimble campaign on their official forum?
It'd be super entertaining. I mean it

with customers like these, who needs enemies

genma saotome · 22 Aug 2020, 19:32

I still use SU Make. I have never had a need for the extras that come w/ Sketchup Pro and see no sense in paying such a high price for features I do not need. I make freeware game content and my peers think I make high quality 3d models.

I would have been happy to pay for SU Make but Trimble never asked.

And so my participation in this forum has dropped substantially.

pbacot · 22 Aug 2020, 20:06

@genma saotome said:

I still use SU Make.

I would have been happy to pay for SU Make but Trimble never asked.

And so my participation in this forum has dropped substantially.

No reason to drop from the forum. Good to see the excellent results! But everyone has dropped posting some, because of general lack of activity I guess. Sort of a feedback loop.

Gareth · 31 Aug 2020, 04:08

The guys from @Last must be disappointed to see what has become of their baby.

Moreso, I think they would be genuinely upset to know there are so many disgrunteled SketchUp users.

Most of us suspected that it would end up this way, but of course we hoped it wouldn't.

And, because I am a sentmental kind of guy, I am going to take a moment to thank everyone from as way back as @Last and to all those who (until now) have made so many valuable contributions to SketchUp which have made it such an enjoyable and affordable software to use for so many years.

SketchUp has spawned some incredibly talented people over it's time eg some brilliant modellers, extension developers, amazing render platforms etc. And, so many friendships from around the world have been formed through the various forums over that time.

Cast your mind back 20 years. Who could ever have imagined or predicted we would be producing the type of images we are today ?

I sincerely hope that common sense will eventually prevail, and SketchUp will be allowed to resume its place as an affordable 3D modelling tool as it's founders intended.

the_sloth · 21 May 2021, 13:29

I came across this older thread as I find myself at a crossroads like others and thought it might be worth continuing the discussion. As a landscape architect our digital 3D workflow has always been a hybrid as with other things in our occupation. It makes sense as we regularly interface with other disciplines. This list from a few years back shows the diversity of programs that are useful to learn for the more digitally inclined: https://land8.com/landscape-design-software-which-is-best/.

Autodesk Civil 3D has become core to our plan and CD production and in ways has helped ease the terrain/ surface creation that is a challenge in all 3d modelling software. Every project starts with at least some basic AutoCAD linework and I don't see that changing. As a landscape architect my criteria is fast creation of simple site developments (walls, steps, patios, boulders); accurate terrain and grading representation and light manipulation; and straightforward rendering with good vegetation representation. Our role in the workflow (and generally on a project) is typically to mesh existing topo, design proposed topo, integrate a Revit model from the architect and add simplistic site elements and vegetation.

Anyway, I use SketchUp pretty intensely about ten years ago and for a number of reasons moved away from 3D modelling. I now have opportunity to get back into it and want to make sure I am spending my limited time efficiently in learning the right software to integrate into my workflow. Here are the options I am exploring:

AutoCAD > SketchUp > Lumion - This is the workflow I am most familiar with and efficient in. My main issue is the energy around SketchUp seems to be waning and SU has limitations with big models, still has issues with any curved components and surfaces, has a hard time accepting big surfaces from topo DEMs, etc.
AutoCAD > Rhino > Lumion? - I've played with Rhino in the past and it seems very powerful especially for more diagrammatic modeling. People who use it seeem to love it. Is it worth spending the time learning it as an LA? I've always been put off by an inability to manipulate meshes and a lack of vegetation library. I've also regularly been underwhelmed by rendered outputs but maybe using Lumion to render will help given it's extensive library
AutoCAD > 3DS Max (Maybe with Infraworks + Lumion) - There is a benefit to this system since we already get Max included in our CAD license. It will definitely get continued support and development and presumably plays nice with other Autodesk formats such as Revit models from architects. However, Max just seems so overwhelming and honestly not very fun to learn.

What do you all think? Would love to get some input and gut check before I start spending a lot of time. I realize there is no perfect solution out there.

One thing I just thought I should add is that actual software cost is not so much of an issue. It's all expensive and when compared to other suites, SU is not that bad. I just don't want to invest my time into something that is dying.

rv1974 · 21 May 2021, 14:15

Acad+SU+MAX are common for (landscape) architecture. Not sure Rhino (NURBS) is suited for landscaping. Take a look at Chaos Vantage if you'd choose max root. Also Twinmotion-Unreal worth mentioning. IMHO Lumion is dead end.

the_sloth · 21 May 2021, 14:44

Thanks so much for the input.

@rv1974 said:

Acad+SU+MAX are common for (landscape) architecture.
Why both SU+Max? Isn't that duplicative?

@rv1974 said:

Not sure Rhino (NURBS) is suited for landscaping.
Every time I get serious about Rhino I run into this and tend to agree without knowing all the ins and outs. One good thing is that now you can do most terrain (mesh) manipulation in C3D so presumably you'd just be displaying the terrain surface in Rhino. But even the rudimentary tools for mesh editing in SU are a huge plus compared to Rhino.

@rv1974 said:

IMHO Lumion is dead end.
Can you please elaborate? In the sense that this would be the final step for renderings I agree, but maybe that's not a problem as you are a presentation level?

panixia · 16 Aug 2021, 10:51

@the_sloth said:

@rv1974 said:

Acad+SU+MAX are common for (landscape) architecture.
Why both SU+Max? Isn't that duplicative?

Not at all.
They are really different beasts with differente purposes and they have different areas of strenght and weakness.
I believe that somehow they complement each other.
I used them in combination for so many years and I feel I get the best from the two worlds.

johnpaulhrp · 7 Nov 2022, 10:17

@unknownuser said:

es, good to see this happening. But WHY do they have this stupid handle?!? Is snapping working with push/pull? And numeric inputs? How would you snap with this unprecise handle? The videos i watched sadly didn't show any precise push/pull operations.

The fabrics work is tough and we have to do it hard to sketch.