3D Basecamp 2010!!!!!

watkins

Dear Chris,

Okay, the 'office party' remark was a bit of a throwaway comment, but the description of the organisation behind the Basecamp (message by jbacus) prompted the remark. Maybe I have missed the purpose of the Basecamp, but it does seem that someone in the office said, "hey guys, are we having a Basecamp this year, it's getting kind of late to organise it now? Who are we going to invite". Perhaps that is where this thread should be going. Google and the SU community should be asking the question:

In addition to a meeting for enthusiasts, what should the purpose of a Basecamp be?

Even if I was a competent SU artist or Ruby master, and had been invited, I still wouldn't commit time and funds to going without seeing the attendees list and the list of presentations. To be frank, I found last year's Basecamp rather disappointing as many of the presentations were pitched at the intermediate level SU user, and sometimes the newbie. The Basecamp should be a meeting of professionals and/or expert SU users and plugin developers. By all means have sessions for tricks and technqiues, and for all level users, but most of us (forgive my presumption here) want to see the boundaries being pushed, which should also include how Sketchup interfaces with other programs (CAD programs and rendering engines).

Kind regards,
Bob

Serge.N

Quite an interesting question: What is the purpose of the Basecamp?

There are so many possible answers that with only 200 people I imagine that some attendees won't find anyone to have a valuable "Unconference" session. For example, if my team and myself were invited (3 people but I'm still not posting a request here as suggested in one post here. I would have to double check for the budget and our agenda before), some topics I'd like to discuss are the usage of SketchUp as a BIM 5D system; how to really program Dynamic Component (in Java or Ruby) and turn SketchUp into an event-driven programming system; Green buildings and SketchUp; Controlling the real world through SketchUp (we have interesting results there); ...

I have two questions:

Is a Webinar or at least a live broadcast over the Internet is planned or not?
I'm quite interested in knowing the list of topics you would like to exchange on during a BaseCamp.

david_h

i wanna go. .. . if nothing more than a reason to hang out in Boulder for a few days. nice.

D

arqpadao

Hello Guys,
What wonder that this meeting of passionate Sketchup, I am sorry for not being able to participate either by distance, whether the commitments.
But I'll leave a request to the organizers of this event, please consider the possibility of a meeting for all of Latin America, taking place in Brazil.
It would be wonderful.
Kind hegards
Architect Fernando Padão - arqpadao

dylan

It seems like a pretty good system to me, although people may find it short notice.

To have a smaller event like this and by inviting long standing members of the SU community, who in turn invite who they see as deserving people, the event will be pretty full of experienced and knowledgable people. Sounds great!
To be honest, whichever way Google would have chosen to do this would have created the same amount of unrest.

One of the difficult things for some members to deal with is the problem of feeling hurt because they did not receive an invite. It's difficult to please everyone.

I think people need to think carefully about committing to go unless they really intend to. Many of us want to go, but there is a difference between wanting and being able to due to time or money.

I say goodluck to all who receive invites and manage to make it.
I look forward to the online seminars.

thomthom

Who want to got to Basecamp and are able to go to Basecamp and intend to go to Basecamp if they are invited?

boofredlay

I do.

Serge.N

I do too,

well actually we are a team of three using SketchUp and developing plugins to explain, prescribe and sale dynamic passive solutions. But we figure out that three individuals coming from the same firm would be too much (it's more than 1% of the attendees), even if each of us does have a real added value to the other. So we limit ourselves to 1 and it's not me (now if the organizers disagree, ...)

I saw my colleagues posting a message here to ask if someone can send him an invitation. But I still not see his post. So if you send me the invitation (or 3 ) then I will transmit it to him. If we receive two invitations (after all, you might reply to me and after to him, we will immediately warn the one inviting us that we are all set).

Thanks

utiler

@unknownuser said:

I do.

+1.

If I can get reasonable flights to the US....

khintanar

@thomthom said:

Who want to got to Basecamp and are able to go to Basecamp and intend to go to Basecamp if they are invited?

I want to go, I am able to go (live in California)and intend to go if nominated by someone here. I doubt a direct invitation will be forthcoming since I am not a regular contributor to the forum.

Seriously, I would love to go. I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the last one at Google Headquarters here in CA and had a great time. It sure contributed to expanding my professional use of SU.

Rich O Brien

I'm in need of a nomination if there's one to spare?

watkins

Here is the blurb on the Basecamp (from here http://sites.google.com/site/3dbasecamp2010/)

3D Basecamp Home
2010 Google 3D Basecamp
September 1 – 3, 2010
Boulder, Colorado USA

Join us at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for three days of SketchUp learning with the most experienced SketchUp designers in the world! Google 3D Basecamp 2010 features:

* Pre-defined and Unconference sessions covering advanced SketchUp topics
* Demonstrations by extreme modelers!
* “Shop talks” with fellow SketchUp designers!
* Plenty of free food and goodies!
* The 3D Basecamp lab!
* A 10th anniversary of SketchUp party!
* SketchUp-themed contests: Compete against the best for prizes and glory!
* Tours of Google’s Boulder office!
* Outdoor-themed activities, such as a walking tour of Boulder or an early morning hike in the Rockies!

Hope to see you in Boulder,
The SketchUp Team

Still looks like an office party to me. What the heck does 'Pre-defined and Unconference sessions', and '"Shop talks" with fellow SketchUp designers' purport? Probably, 'we'll make it up as we go along'. What's wrong with a little structure? Only in Boulder!!

Hopefully, the boys in the 'office' will soon publish:

a list of attendees
a proper agenda listing the presentations with summaries of what each presentation will cover

I would also like to see:

web-based webinar sessions with invitations (passwords) emailed out to the deserving many that cannot attend, and for whatever reason (here I'm thinking of Didier, TIG, Fredo6, ThomThom, Chris and many more high quality modellers and ruby masters)
streaming for those who want to watch live, but not participate, and
posted video sessions with presentation materials for those who cannot watch (wrong time zone). All the PowerPoint presentations could be posted very quickly, and concomitant with the live presentations.

Is this too much to ask for?

Regards,
Bob

Gaieus

Yes Bob, partly you may be right. The GSU Team (although previously had been planning greater events) now decided to "only" celebrate the 10th anniversary of SU back hope - in the companion of 200-250 other, enthusiastic users.

The "unconference" phrase to me shows that many of the topics is still open and they are even open for users' input and suggestions. This is not necessarily bad IMO. Last time also only the "frames" had been pre-decided and the presenters could decide what exactly they're going to talk about.

As for live webinars (webcasts) and other things Google, with their advanced technology, should be able to do nowadays; yes, I agree. It would be nice to see live (or at least very soon after) what is happening. This was the same last time, too.

Also, if someone handed in his/her presentation in time to Google, they made it publicly available (not before but soon after the presentations). This could be followed now, too, maybe with even some better technology.

dylan

It sounds like a fun 3 days to me.

Learning Sketchup, mixing with fellow users and masters, meeting people, competitions, food, walking, beer* etc, etc. Happy days!

*I added the beer - it must be stated in no way do Google condone the consumption of alcohol

Gaieus

@unknownuser said:

...I added the beer - it must be stated in no way do Google condone the consumption of alcohol

Hm. Last time there was wine and beer.

True that neither was enough so eventually we had to find another place I would not like to talk about now here in public...

solo

Shhhhhhh...

Alan Fraser

Boulder is quite a compact kind of place and is pedestrianized along the Pearl St Mall, where SU Central used to be. Plenty of bars/bistros/cafes to walk to or stagger back from. It's a University town, remember.

dylan

Well if it would have been October instead of Sept, I would definitely have gone, or at least tried to go depending on getting an invite. I really don't have the funds free in September which is a shame, but I look forward to hearing all about it.

ckent

I really want to go!!!!! Come on give this unemployed recent M.Arch Graduate and CU ENDV alumni something to look forward too!!!!!! Come on one invite!

Jean Lemire

Hi folks.

I got an invite but, since I am going to France at the end the week following BaseCamp, it would put a toll on my vacation time and on my bank account too. The company I am working for is not able to assume these costs even if I use SU in my work.

Unless Google finds the funds to pay for travel and lodging, then I could probably assume the 3 days of vacation time, I have to decline the invite.

Too bad since I had a great time at the 2008 BaseCamp.

I hope that some of our regulars will be able to attend and will give us a good report.

Best regards.