A new home for SketchUp
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@unknownuser said:
Just saw the latest update on this, "By continuing to store non-geolocated models in the 3D Warehouse after the Closing Date you consent to the assignment by Google of its rights and obligations to Trimble" (full text here, http://sketchup.google.com/usernotice.html )
Perhaps I'm not adept at "legalese", but does this mean that Trimble owns the rights to any models that are uploaded to the WH? Suppose they might start charging per download?
They're just doing their due diligence by informing you that even though you may believe you're giving you model to Google you'll be actually giving it to Trimble now... I suspect nothing will change.
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@cjryan said:
Just saw the latest update on this, "By continuing to store non-geolocated models in the 3D Warehouse after the Closing Date you consent to the assignment by Google of its rights and obligations to Trimble" (full text here, http://sketchup.google.com/usernotice.html )
Perhaps I'm not adept at "legalese", but does this mean that Trimble owns the rights to any models that are uploaded to the WH? Suppose they might start charging per download?
same here regarding 'legalese' etc but i think google is saying they're transferring their rights of the models (which you already agreed to upon uploading) to trimble..
as in.. you already gave rights to google when you uploaded.. now google is giving those to trimble..
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Just some dotting the i's and crossing the t's I'd say.
Getting kinda interesting now as I imagine the initial drama is done. It's fair to say that Trimble are getting a tasty bit of software and some nice users. I just hope there's some type of basecamp at some point so people get to meet up for an old session. The last one was mighty craic.
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Unlike some of you, I only have a handful of models up there. But... I'd like to think that I still own them. And am willing to share any of them. However, it looks like Trimble, now owns the rights. Perhaps I missed it, did Google own the rights prior to this buyout? I'm a photographer, and although I post many pictures on many sites, I still own the rights to those pictures. Just making a sort of connection. Maybe there should be some sort of creative commons sort of license for modelers. Just saying.
And in the same breath, to everyone that I've borrowed from, and all of the awesome ruby writers (the list is too long but tom, fredo, Tig,...)you have my undying gratitude!
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you do still own the models.. but google (and now trimble) can do whatever they want with them
see section 11:
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/3dwh/tos.html.
(not sure how much longer that link will work) -
@thomthom said:
@alan fraser said:
One of the best things that happened to it was the opening up of the API and SDK to enable massive 3rd party development.
Wasn't the Ruby API added in version 4?
Yes it was, it came out in 2003...and I remember Todd and a few other coders being at that first Base camp. I think FormFonts was still hosting some of the early commercial scripts at that time. I'm sure Ruby would have taken off the way it did anyway, but the fact is that it didn't really blossom fully until the Google era.
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Google is usually fairly exact with legal terms... again same with this. Before sale closing date everything goes like before. After the closing date, rights you have given to google will be given to Trible, unless you remove your models from the 3DW.
"License rights in all models submitted after the Closing Date will belong to Trimble." this part is tricky... as we don't know "Trimble" 3D Warehouse Terms of Service... logically they might remain the same as before, Jeff was suggesting before, but with a addition "Trimble will provide a license right to these models to Google for their use in Google Earth and Google Maps, where relevant." but naturally Trimble can do changes too - here we need a quick word from Trible as it's quite huge time that people have invested into creating 3DW models.
I think it would ease peoples mind if we would see Trimble's 3D Warehouse Terms of Service before closing date, so we would know if anything changes so critically that one needs to consider of removing his/her models or even stopping to use SU.
@unknownuser said:
Opting-out
If you do not agree to Google assigning its rights and obligations under your SketchUp and/or SketchUp Pro license agreement you must cease all use of SketchUp under your license as soon as possible (and in any event before the Closing Date). You may then also request that Google does not share your user data with Trimble by completing this web form before the Closing Date.
If you do not agree to Google licensing, assigning and sharing your Google 3D Warehouse data (including 3D models and user data) as set out in this notice, you must remove models from the Google 3D Warehouse prior to the Closing Date.
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@cjryan said:
all of the awesome ruby writers (the list is too long but tom, fredo, Tig,...)you have my undying gratitude!
+1
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@unknownuser said:
"Trimble will provide a license right to these models to Google for their use in Google Earth and Google Maps, where relevant."
I think therein may lie the key. Google still needs the Warehouse in order to continue stocking GE with 3D assets. However, it's seen fit to divest itself of SketchUp, which was the one method it had of producing such assets in any great detail. Maybe it was finding that many users were getting carried away with the technology and producing stuff that was way too polygon heavy for the purpose intended. Maybe it prefers the very much more lightweight models able to be created with Building Maker (which seems to owe rather more to the now defunct Canoma than it does to SU). Since the introduction of BM the number of models being submitted to GE has increased astronomically. Basically, it doesn't need SU any more.
This leads me to wonder if we might at some point see a fracturing of what is now catered for under the single roof of the Warehouse. You can roughly divide that content into 4 sections...GE assets, manufacturers' catalogues, good quality original SU user-produced content...and the amateur-hour rehashed stuff that currently forms the bulk of the 3DW.
Frankly, a reshuffle that resulted in a sub-section in which one was reasonably confident of finding decent quality content for a project, organised in a sensible way...instead of having to wade through pages of dross...would probably be welcomed by most serious SU users. -
As far as I know Google seem to have retained their 'Building Maker' - which was a simplified Sketchup tailored for 'Google Earth' ? So maybe they felt that they don't need Sketchup at all now ?
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwh/buildingmaker.html -
That would be my understanding TIG. The app I mentioned...Canoma...was a very early; and incredibly easy to use photogrammetry program. It comprised a set of solid, deformable shapes (think Platonic but with a few twists) that could be cobbled together over a superimposed photo, which would then be automatically mapped. Almost exactly what BM does.
It was bought by Apple and killed off. I think I still have a copy somewhere. Here's a page showing some animations of the result. -
I pointed out that Google likely didn't want/need SketchUp anymore because of Building Maker a while ago in this thread: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=43693 -- At the time it seemed like most other people thought that was a foolish POV... not so much anymore.
In the long-term Building Maker is a doomed product too -- as it is only a useful item for the near-term goals... but sooner or later manual model creation for GE will be redundant.
I'm very glad SketchUp was sold -- because Google never really knew what it potentially had.
As far as the warehouse is concerned: I've always seen the strength of 3D as being infinitely re-usable assets... I think the warehouse quality would self-sort if it could be monetized (selling the assets, instead of giving them away), although I'm sure that idea is abhorrent to most users.
Best,
Jason. -
@jason_maranto said:
In the long-term Building Maker is a doomed product too -- as it is only a useful item for the near-term goals... but sooner or later manual model creation for GE will be redundant.
Isn't SU a doomed product as well then?
@unknownuser said:
I'm very glad SketchUp was sold -- because Google never really knew what it potentially had.
What is SU's potential? The users of SU rightly love it, but most of the 3D industry gets by pretty well without it.
@unknownuser said:
As far as the warehouse is concerned: I've always seen the strength of 3D as being infinitely re-usable assets... I think the warehouse quality would self-sort if it could be monetized (selling the assets, instead of giving them away), although I'm sure that idea is abhorrent to most users.
The 3DW helps Google populate Google Earth for very little cost.
If the 3DW was monetized, then surely the question would be quickly asked why anyone would model for GE for free when they could sell their models so quickly and easily on the 3DW?
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Hello mates, I've been reading this article http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/usernotice.html
and I started being worried about my geolocated 3D models from Google Earth 3D-Buildings Layer.
The fragment of text which really bothers me is:
Google will provide Trimble with a license right to use these models in Trimble’s products (including continued use in SketchUp and in any future 3D model repository which Trimble may create).
Does that mean that Trimble will be able to incorporate my models into their comercial products and sell them as a part of the software or as an addition, download access for paying users? Does that mean that Trimble will get profit from my models just because Google will license them to use these models? Can I opt out for this to happen? I want my models to be part of only Google Earth 3D-buildings Layer. Can the models be deleted from Google Earth and erased completly from 3D W H or will it remain a copy that Google will keep?Thank you for your attention.
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Trimble are taking over Google's agreement with you as a poster on that site.
Trimble can do no more with your content than Google could have.
Once posted it is in the public domain, but its use is limited by the mutual agreement, as it is by anyone who might download your stuff otherwise... -
@luckyfox said:
@tig said:
Trimble are taking over Google's agreement with you as a poster on that site.
Trimble can do no more with your content than Google could have.
Once posted it is in the public domain, but its use is limited by the mutual agreement, as it is by anyone who might download your stuff otherwise...my stuff has locked download access on 3DWH, so nobody can download it now. I am worried about the future of my models, as I invested time and creativity into doing real quality stuff for GE. I am affraid of the models becoming downloadable under Trimble. I had problems in the past as of others using my models for comercial purpose, before google introduced the access function in 3DWH where you are able to lock the download. That's why I consider deleting my content from 3DWH.
What is your agreement with Google?
You will have the same agreement with Trimble when it's transferred.
If, under the agreement, Google were able to change the accessibility of your files without your consent, or use them for their own purposes; then Trimble could do the same.
If not then Trimble are similarly limited. -
@tig said:
Trimble are taking over Google's agreement with you as a poster on that site.
Trimble can do no more with your content than Google could have.
Once posted it is in the public domain, but its use is limited by the mutual agreement, as it is by anyone who might download your stuff otherwise...my stuff has locked download access on 3DWH, so nobody can download it now. I am worried about the future of my models, as I invested time and creativity into doing real quality stuff for GE. I am affraid of the models becoming downloadable under Trimble. I had problems in the past as of others using my models for comercial purpose, before google introduced the access function in 3DWH where you are able to lock the download. That's why I consider deleting my content from 3DWH.
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@johnsenior1973 said:
@jason_maranto said:
In the long-term Building Maker is a doomed product too -- as it is only a useful item for the near-term goals... but sooner or later manual model creation for GE will be redundant.
Isn't SU a doomed product as well then?
What do you mean? To me SU (plus rubies) is a powerful 3D design tool. It's a powerful competitor in the field of 3D modeling. Building Maker is a different animal altogether - not a design tool at all but a documentation tool. (which may soon be supplanted by better automation methods, as Jason indicates.)
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Will this whole transfer halt all developments of paid plugins like Vray, Podium? I've been anticipating Vray for so long, now looks like its gonna freeze...
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@andybot said:
@johnsenior1973 said:
@jason_maranto said:
In the long-term Building Maker is a doomed product too -- as it is only a useful item for the near-term goals... but sooner or later manual model creation for GE will be redundant.
Isn't SU a doomed product as well then?
What do you mean? To me SU (plus rubies) is a powerful 3D design tool. It's a powerful competitor in the field of 3D modeling. Building Maker is a different animal altogether - not a design tool at all but a documentation tool. (which may soon be supplanted by better automation methods, as Jason indicates.)
So automated model generation is going to kill Building Maker, but it isn't going to affect SketchUp at all?
SketchUp is an awesome program. It's my favourite program and I love it, but its strength isn't in its power, it is in its speed and simplicity. But in the future if models are going to be easily created automatically, one must question whether some other 3D program won't include these automated methods, and mean that SketchUp is as redundant as Jason thinks BM will be.
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