Can I have a Gripes & Bitchin' for Su 2014 thread?
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OK, so as an end user, I am just seriously underwhelmed by the state of SU development. For my uses, there has not been a single thing that I haven't already figured a workaround for since SU8, or seen any game changing developments. Shadows are better you say... I don't use shadows when I am using SU. Layout... pffft! I use a real drafting program - AutoCAD. You know, lineweights, hatches, stuff that's been around since even before I first used ACAD 20 years ago...
C'mon!!
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@andybot said:
OK, so as an end user, I am just seriously underwhelmed by the state of SU development. For my uses, there has not been a single thing that I haven't already figured a workaround for since SU8, or seen any game changing developments. Shadows are better you say... I don't use shadows when I am using SU. Layout... pffft! I use a real drafting program - AutoCAD. You know, lineweights, hatches, stuff that's been around since even before I first used ACAD 20 years ago...
C'mon!!
Im in the same boat. I really wish Software company's were more transparent with the direction they were planing on travelling. Im the same as you Andy and dont upgrade for the use of Layout. I was really disheartened reading the Conversation between John Bacus and ronenbekerman http://www.ronenbekerman.com/sketchup-2014-released/
It just seems everything that I personally wish SU to be, John Bacus is militantly apposed to. -
I was left seriously embarrassed and out of pocket recently by Layout. I was stupid enough to believe the DWG export delivered useable documents. Not even close. Ended up having to fork out for AutoCAD to redraw all the details so they could be read by the rest of the team. If Trimble want to be taken seriously this is one area that needs a major overhaul because I can't see any improvement in LO 2014.
And as for the SU upgrade... 12 months development and we get an upgraded arc tool, a TAG tool and better shadows. Awesome... Not. What about basic 2D functions like fillet and chamfer that would simplify the process of creating shapes ready for extrusion? Looks to me like Trimble spent all their time upgrading to Ruby 2.0 so all the generous plugin developers can do their job for them.
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@holmes1977 said:
It just seems everything that I personally wish SU to be, John Bacus is militantly apposed to.
I have to say I really don't understand his position. It seems like he doesn't want Sketchup to evolve, to go forward. He's pleased with the way SU is today, and just want it to stay that way - Except fixing bugs, expanding the API, adding minor things etc, nothing related to its core.
It seems all he has in mind nowdays is Layout.Yet, history showed that stagnant software always end up dead. Users needs evolve, the software should too.
SU dead, now that would be a shame... Such potential. -
That escalated quickly. You've written SU as dead in 4 posts.
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tbh, bringing up jb is sure to drive any thread about the future of SU into the ground...
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so miserable...
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Maybe it wasn't Google holding back SU all these years. JB possibly lacks the vision or even a finger on the pulse of industry to realise the rest of the design software market is moving forward and becoming more competitive...
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@rv1974 said:
so miserable...
funny he should mention photoshop - the main reason I upgraded was when they added 64bit support. Made working with PS files like night and day from 32bit version. Just sayin'
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It's only 2-3 years ago I got extremely excited, with some new features in PhotoShop...
I upgraded from CS3 to CS5 and I also got the 64bit version...
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His comment is disturbing. The basic functionality of some digital work has stabilized because our use of it has not evolved. There is little development in Word because what we need from a word processor hasn't changed significantly in 30 years. We spend more time texting, posting on Facebook or Twitter than we do writing letters. This is why you can get Word (or some variant of it) in any new PC you buy because if Microsoft tried to charge you at the original price point you'd bail out to any of a number of free alternates. The same is true of 2D drafting. Autodesk is moving it's AutoCAD LT customers to the Inventor LT suite to entice them away from free or low cost alternatives like Draftsight from SolidWorks. 2D drafting is 2D drafting - it hasn't fundamentally changed in a generation. By adding a basic parametric modeler to AutoCAD LT, Autodesk makes a viable argument to it's customers to not jump ship.
But 3D work has changed and SketchUp's customers (and our customers in turn) expect more. Rhino V5 is a very different beast than Rhino V3. My first license for modo 401 was for a very capable sub d modeler - now the same program is a sophisticated UV editor, animator and renderer. The idea that there's no good reason to change or evolve - is silly.
His comments concern me because I worry that Trimble might see SketchUp as primarily a tool to be integrated into it's line of 3D scanning equipment, offering those customers a free software to export their scan data to.
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@jim said:
That escalated quickly. You've written SU as dead in 4 posts.
Don't get me wrong, I love Sketchup. I'm quite pleased with the 2014 release.
But reading John Bacus is always painful... The fact that he's at the head of the dev team realy concerns me. -
@rv1974 said:
so miserable...
Is that real?!?! someone is a little out of touch with reality
maybe he should open again Photoshop 7 or CS, and Sketchup 4 or 5, and see which one evolved more in ~10 years...when we put this in this perspective it's just a really sad comparison for Sketchup
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Hey, it could have been worse
AutoDesk kills off Softimage -
It is worse, I spoke to Trimble UK and they stated that Trimble no longer had an interest in Sketchup and a third party company would be taking over development. So if Trimble UK do not know what Trimble and Sketchup are doing, how are we expected to know????
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I was just thinking what if AutoDesk had bought SU, would it be killed off already?Not to say Trimble won't still toss it overboard
(**Edit:
Granted - they've made a significant investment in furthering SU, so that, and its large userbase means SU isn't going anywhere soon.
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Gotta agree with Andy on this. Another lack luster upgrade is quite disappointing. We could have at least got a 3 point circle for the love of Pete. I just dont get it. The arc tools are not even useful? Was this some kind of joke?
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Drape doesn't seem to be working with a model created in 2013. This is awesome.
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Guys,
Whichever way to cut it SketchUp is '3D for Everyone' just as it says on the can!
I have come to realise this more and more as I read the comments made by folks signing up for SketchUcation membership. Every day we receive comments praising SketchUp for its ease of use and of course thanking SketchUcation for the support we all provide here.I can understand the aim to keep SketchUp simple to use. If it was to cater for all the complex needs of it's advanced users I think it would quickly become very bloated and loose its core attraction for folks that are totally new to 3D modeling or even CAD in general. SketchUp has brought folks into 3D modeling that would probably have never dreamt of giving 3D it a go. This is a great thing
Rather than talking about beefing up SketchUp maybe TSU should be thinking about totally new related products? Very few car manufactures have just a single model! Most have the basic low cost models that suit the needs of the majority and other most expensive models that meet the needs of the more demanding users.
Personally I would like to have a 2D 'front end' to SketchUp, preferably for a slate or iPad, that allows me to create those all important initial freehand doodles that can be developed into something that can easily be brought into SketchUp for massing etc. Also, it might be an idea to have the ability to move the content created in such a 'front end' (2D CAD-like) app to Layout for tidy up / combination with SketchUp models and final presentation output.
Just thoughts
Mike
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Mike,
SU can be kept simple but still be able to handle enough polys to complete a scene. Everyone wants something different. I work in the arena that I believe SU was designed for, everyday buildings. I do need organic modeling but not as much as the next guy. So the boxy approach of SU is OK with me and the tools provided are generally enough. However I reached the slowdown associated with this program pretty quickly when I started to put scenes together.
Someone asked for transparency from software companies. I think John B. is being quite clear. SketchUp is not going to change much. LayOut seems to be getting new features regularly, but it's capabilities are now pretty well defined as well.
I would hate to see the TSU team branch out to other endeavors. Also I would not be interested in a 2d program that doesn't draw circles.
Peter
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