SketchUp article in the 04/10/07 Architects' Journal
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For the second time this year there is a two page article in the Architects' Journal about how widespread, revolutionary and powerful SketchUp has become in the contruction industry. It makes specific mention of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (Richard Rogers new firm) among other megafirms and starchitects making much use of it at many stages of their projects. To put this in context, the AJ is THE serious weekly magazine for the British architectural profession and I would guess more than 95% of UK firms subscribe to it. Just 4 years ago I used to be slightly apologetic when I said one of my most valuable skills was being very proficient in a funny-sounding little known program called SketchUp (I still hate the name), but clearly EVERYONE now recognises it as the best bit of design software out there. Autodesk who?
Sorry I can't link to or scan the article- it's copyright, but if you have access to a paper copy, take a look, it's near the back.#
Jackson
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Jackson,
I'm with you on the name. I think that it is still hard to regard "Sketchup" as a name for a powerful professional tool.
Perhaps the pro version should get a new name, to distance it from the freeware version and to give it increased respect as the powerful tool (in the right hands) that it is.
I'm not sure what it is about the name... does it make it sound too easy? Too close to "ketchup" that it sounds silly?
I would have thought that the name would have grown on me by now- but it's been this long, and I don't think my feeling's gonna change.
firkins
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@firkins said:
Too close to "ketchup" that it sounds silly?
Soooooooo close to "ketchup" that it sounds moronic IMO!
I never understood their thinking about the name- if we can imagine that the word "ketchup" did not exist, then SketchUp would actually be a pretty good name, catchy and descriptive...... but clearly the whole premise behind the name was that it was a semi-pun on the word "ketchup".... a word which has nothing what-so-ever to do with 3D CAD design. A word whose main association is that it's what kids put on their french fries. It's a stupid, stupid name which makes a very clever piece of software look like a toy.
Jackson
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I agree with the name, it does not give justice to the product.
And frankly besides a few styles and textures I cannot see much 'sketch' in it.solo
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Sorry guys but does 'Rhino' refer to 3D in any way?
I mean, a rhinoceros is not exactly sexy ...(at least not to me)What about 'MOI', which just means 'me' in French...
Or 'Maya'...which is a comic figure (a bee) from the eighties.kwistenbiebel
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Great, solo; will you now (PLEASE), make us an animation on how you pull off those panties?!
Gaieus
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haha, great pic Solo!
@kwistenbiebel said:
Sorry guys but does 'Rhino' refer to 3D in any way?
I mean, a rhinoceros is not exactly sexy ...(at least not to me)What about 'MOI', which just means 'me' in French...
Or 'Maya'...which is a comic figure (a bee) from the eighties.Well, no those names don't really have much to do with 3D CAD (although MOI stands for Moment Of Inspiration which is at least aspirational), but importantly, Rhino and Maya are just cool words in English. Not only do they sound cool, but one is nature's tank (panzer), a beautiful, fast, fearsome beast and the other is an ancient civilisation renowned for incredible surveying ability, stonemasonry and workmanship. Ketchup is not a cool word, nor a cool product and SketchUp is frankly the sort of awful pun a 5-year-old would laugh at.
Wow, I'd forgotten how much I disliked the name! :eugeek:
Jackson
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