Google Sketchup Pro 7 is out
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I think the key item that's been missing from this SU7 release is information. We've not known anything about what SU7 would bring. We've not known what direction Google is taking SU. We haven't heard anything about what issues the team focus on. We don't know what they are working on next. We don't know what issues didn't make it into SU7, but is slated for later release.
There's been a whole lot of nothing in regards to information, except that SU7 would be superduper, leaving a void that's built anticipation
I don't know how much under the hood is done. I don't know how much work had to the stability, I don't know how much had to be done to get parametric done.
That's why when I first heard of SU7 this weekend and I rushed to download and install it I was puzzled when I opened SU7. It was not as expected. I look back on the website to find changelog, but no detailed log exists. What I do see on the What's new page, http://sketchup.google.com/product/newin7.html is that Layouts list of new features are much longer. And when I try to look up detailed information on dynamic components I'm faced with "Under construction" messages. Fair enough, SU7 wasn't announced yet, but even now after the SU blog has announced SU7 the information is missing.
I know that the information will be up there shortly, but I'm just pointing it out to show that the flow of information has not been great across the whole line. Now, I do know that the SU team asked in the Ruby section for feedback, so I'm not oblivious to that fact. But on the whole, information is serverly missed. It feels like the information lock down Microsoft has been following in the past. But they have in fact improved greatly the last couple of years. Many Microsoft teams now have very interesting blogs that allows users insight to where the product is going and what are some of the challenges the teams are addressing. There's a very good visible dialogue there which I'm sorely missing here.
I'm changing my top wishlist from the SU team to be information. I'd just like to know what they are thinking, because I'm feeling that I'm not in tune at the moment.
That's been my 2 cents, with inflations interests. I finish of by thanking for SU7 and especially dynamic components (one of my top wishes). This thread can't be what you hoped to see as a reaction to years of hard work. It's easy to be critical and it's easy to forget the good parts. But this is an indication that we're not all on the same wavelength. None the less, the critics are also an indication that people care about the product. I for one find SU to be the best mesh modeller. Other modellers feels awkward now, and I've only used SU for a year.
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@cadfather said:
let's hope some of this feedback will do just that - this program is a heck of a program! love
Yes ¡
There is something I have noticed and it is that the name SketchUp comes first than Google in all the links to downloads and licenses.
maybe the change is coming
In any case now SketchUp is tidy and ready to grow if they want to.
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I use the free version of Sketchup and see this release as WAY disappointing. Crossing lines break automatically and being able to use, but not make dynamic components seems like the only real upgrades. Oh forgot the new blue icons, oooo! I use Sketchup for architectural modeling/rendering only, so I wasn't as high poly hopeful as most of you. I was hoping for better animations, rendering integration, some of the way cool rubies incorporated. I cant complain too much cause, hey, free!
Google just looks to be confused by what to do with Sketchup. Simple modeling for Google Earth looks to be their main priority. Their second area of focus seems to be people like me. Architects, Interior designers, furniture makers, landscape designers. A fast, easy to use modeling tool that lives up to the Sketch in Sketchup. They create products like Layout and Style builder. Which are nice for sketches but not nearly the post processing power needed for professional work. Their third user is the one that seems the most disappointed. Super modelers like silver_shadow, their models have shown us the true potential of this program. I'm afraid they will be the ones left out. Making a program that can live up to them might price the rest of us out. -
@thomthom said:
I think the key item that's been missing from this SU7 release is information. We've not known anything about what SU7 would bring. We've not known what direction Google is taking SU. We haven't heard anything about what issues the team focus on. We don't know what they are working on next. We don't know what issues didn't make it into SU7, but is slated for later release.
There's been a whole lot of nothing in regards to information, except that SU7 would be superduper, leaving a void that's built anticipation
I don't know how much under the hood is done. I don't know how much work had to the stability, I don't know how much had to be done to get parametric done.
That's why when I first heard of SU7 this weekend and I rushed to download and install it I was puzzled when I opened SU7. It was not as expected. I look back on the website to find changelog, but no detailed log exists. What I do see on the What's new page, http://sketchup.google.com/product/newin7.html is that Layouts list of new features are much longer. And when I try to look up detailed information on dynamic components I'm faced with "Under construction" messages. Fair enough, SU7 wasn't announced yet, but even now after the SU blog has announced SU7 the information is missing.
I know that the information will be up there shortly, but I'm just pointing it out to show that the flow of information has not been great across the whole line. Now, I do know that the SU team asked in the Ruby section for feedback, so I'm not oblivious to that fact. But on the whole, information is serverly missed. It feels like the information lock down Microsoft has been following in the past. But they have in fact improved greatly the last couple of years. Many Microsoft teams now have very interesting blogs that allows users insight to where the product is going and what are some of the challenges the teams are addressing. There's a very good visible dialogue there which I'm sorely missing here.
I'm changing my top wishlist from the SU team to be information. I'd just like to know what they are thinking, because I'm feeling that I'm not in tune at the moment.
That's been my 2 cents, with inflations interests. I finish of by thanking for SU7 and especially dynamic components (one of my top wishes). This thread can't be what you hoped to see as a reaction to years of hard work. It's easy to be critical and it's easy to forget the good parts. But this is an indication that we're not all on the same wavelength. None the less, the critics are also an indication that people care about the product. I for one find SU to be the best mesh modeller. Other modellers feels awkward now, and I've only used SU for a year.
Totally agree - great post
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Well, after that post on more information, I find this: http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=115424&cbid=-bksd1fzknpy&src=cb&lev=answer and three YouTube clips on how to makes DC's...
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I agree that dynamic components is a good addition but what else is new in SketchUp?
(I'm not talking Layout since I have absolutly no use of it.)
I havent seen any new features list yet so what else is new exept from minor UI changes?I'm not that shocked by the lack of bugfixes and core changes to SketchUp since I kind of expected it to be like this, but I am really sad that they havent listened to what we wanted.
Hi poly support.
Multi core.
Shadow bug fixed.
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great,.. we got the new hyper-announcement promoting Sketchup 7 blatantly, and guess what,.. we can't post to disagree with things like
@mike lucey said:
I think Layout has now grown up and will be adopted by many
professionals with a need to communicate their design ideas
to clients.
Snap out of it ,... only a fraction of people use Layout, (and will ever use it) people need editing freedom that Layout can't provide!
I still have not seen a proper layout presentation, in the years since the first release of Layout, but I've seen many more that a couple using the CAD->Sketchup->Photoshop workflow, that include character, wow-factor, and individuality. I never managed to see Layout in this picture or produce these outcomes as much as I tried.PS: I'd be very positive about this release if it weren't to cost me anything to upgrade.
I suppose being beta testers you have the new version for free. Then you try to convince the rest of the people that the new release is ok. That sucks where I am from. -
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Complete list of new features is now up
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=115424
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@unknownuser said:
great,.. we got the new hyper-announcement promoting Sketchup 7 blatantly, and guess what,.. we can't post to disagree with things like...
Might i enquire as to what you were posting about there, if not to disagree.
@unknownuser said:
Snap out of it ,... only a fraction of people use Layout, (and will ever use it) people need editing freedom that Layout can't provide!
I still have not seen a proper layout presentation, in the years since the first release of Layout, but I've seen many more that a couple using the CAD->Sketchup->Photoshop workflow, that include character, wow-factor, and individuality. I never managed to see Layout in this picture or produce these outcomes as much as I tried.I wouldnt be so quick to dismiss layout, especially for a more technical level of presentation.
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@pixero said:
@unknownuser said:
New Ruby APIs have been added.
Anyone found out what they are?
The only thing I found is this which leads to nowhere...
http://code.google.com/more/#products-apis-sketchupI'd suggest going to the What's New in this Release page and answer 'No' in the 'Was this information helpful?' bit at the end with the excuse that 'It's unclear'!
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Remus, even with the advancements Layout is a toy. My architecture students have nearly universally preferred Google Docs' simple "Presentation" application to Layout for any number of perfectly valid reasons besides simple stability, and no firm I have worked with uses anything less than Illustrator or InDesign for formal document preparation or Powerpoint or Flash for presentation.
The manpower/hours should have been spent on the core application.
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I think that with those dynamic blocks will be possible easily to create parametric blocks, that with certainty would be possible to imitate Revit.
Then don't disrespect that progress in the sketchup. I also think if those interface of dynamic blocks will be available by script ruby, then his power will be unimaginable.
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Try it.
I've always considered spreadsheet algebra (which is what constrains the DCs) to be one of those tasks associated with a part of architecture that I simply do not want to be a part of...the bookkeeping, schedule-writing, soul-sucking part.
Well, I'm off to learn something else.
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After reading all posts here, and the updated "What's new" page, even if some good work is done in this release...i just feel disapointed...for all the reasons that the community already spoke about (hi-poly, shadows...)
I'm afraid that Google is considering sketchup more than an add-on for google earth than a real independant and powerfull software. For me, all the updates are just to get the modelling a little easier, but are not real new features...this is just my feeling.
Hope this will evolve in the future.
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@lewiswadsworth said:
Remus, even with the advancements Layout is a toy. My architecture students have nearly universally preferred Google Docs' simple "Presentation" application to Layout for any number of perfectly valid reasons besides simple stability, and no firm I have worked with uses anything less than Illustrator or InDesign for formal document preparation or Powerpoint or Flash for presentation.
Its worth looking at Layout again. I don't believe their time was wasted in developing advancements to Layout. FYI - with the vector or hybrid export you can open PDF's in Illustrator to change,hide or alter the appearances. Which gives you amazing control of line styles and weights. Complex patter brushes, artistic brushes, dashed lines, etc.
FYI - even with Layout ver1 I created 40 pages SD documents. Sure it was pushing Layout ver1 pretty far and I had to be patient. But this workflow saved me tons of time by avoiding going to Photoshop and InDesign.
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Lewis, you dont have to bother entering any data if you dont want to, you can just just download other things people have made.
I think its also worth considering the fact that if you do start making dynamic components you only have to do it once, its not like your typing in spreadsheet values to define your models.
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Firstly I was wrong about Layout, vector output works, I've been experimenting with it at work today. It has come a long way and is much closer to where it should be. But for me cad paperspace will still be necessary for substantial projects.
Secondly, 7 isn't what alot of us expected but I'm sure (nearly) all of us agree that SU is still great, and our reasons that we use it probably go way beyond the software:
1 This Community. Without wanting to sound like an idiot, I feel that this community is the real owner of Sketchup.
2 Autodesk don't own SU. If @Last had sold out to them, SU would probably have been shelved straight away and I'd be still staring at a black Autocad screen 10 hours a day.
3 What the future has to hold for SU and it's users. Although it would have been nice to feel we had got a bit further with 7!
But I couldn't turn away from SU. Well done Google, sorry for the ranting.
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I think it is great!, but one question, can i re - install plugins? Or are these (suchs as Whaat's subsmooth)plugins only for SU 6 ?
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I think there was a few problems with a few plugins, but for the most part old plugins should work fine with 7. Just copy and paste them across from your SU 6 folder.
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