10 years of SketchUping...
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I realized just the other day that I've been using SketchUp for around 10 years now. Time has flown by and the software and it's usability has stood the test of time. At least a few times a year I'm excited by some new development, a new plugin, a new extension, a new piece of software to compliment it.
10 years ago I was drawing almost exclusively in 2D in Autocad... I had played with some of what Autocad ADT offered for 3D, but it was far too complicated and time consuming for the simple house plans that I do. One day the phone rang and a polite young man began to tell me how much he enjoyed my designs and wondered if he might use one to test out some software he'd been playing with.... He asked if I had heard of SketchUp? I hadn't... He insisted that I go and download it immediately. It's free... Why not? I did and I've been using it ever since. That man's name was Shaun Tennant.
I'm sure I would have heard of it eventually... Maybe. But, Shaun opened the door to a whole new world of architecture for me. It's made my entire client/builder/designer process much smoother and easier. Being able to realize my designs in 3D before any builder or client gets their dirty little hands on them... That's brought me immense pleasure. It finally allowed me to stop being extorted by Autocad and to enjoy my work as I had intended to from the start.
Shortly after learning of SketchUp I of course needed to learn as much as possible about it. I soon became a regular at the @Last SketchUp Forum and then after Google bought SketchUp in 06 and destroyed our learning base in preference of that horrendous Google Groups monstrosity. The Sketchup Community Forums were born... and then as we all know it continued to grow into this... The single most important source for all things SketchUp, SketchUcation.
I think the only thing that has been better than SketchUp has been the community that it is used by... I've met so many generous and helpful people over the years in these forums. I've learned so much and it's been because of all of you... The members, mods and admins here.
So cheers to all of you, here's to 10 years and here's to 10 more.
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While we are reminiscing. . . i found SU in an ad in the back of a magazine i think back in 02. I needed a 3D program to help me with my rendering buisness. I was creating perspectives by hand or slogging with Autocad. SU and me found eachother. It was love at first site. I was smitten. . . hooked. . .this was the big LUV.
But then . .. the google took over our lives. Things just weren't progressing. SU wasnt growing and I was getting increasingly busy with other things. I started little flings with 3D Max. That didn't take. I came back She forgave me. All is good.
I don't do as much modeling as I would like. I have never gotten to the level of where you other folks have been able to achieve. Mostly cuz I don't have the time but SU will probably always be my one true love. But if Trimble would continue pushing the capabilities of this program. . .I wouldn't be opposed to that. I'm still waiting for visibility options for nested components. I asked for this at Basecamp 10. Oh well. . . .
p.s. I always chuckle that i have the moniker "top Sketchucator" next to my avatar, since I always feel like a noobie here. Thanks for all the help you have given me on this forum over the years.
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Wait... You've been seeing her too?
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It's pity that you don't heard of PushPullbar at the golden age!
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Happy Anniversary! I think I had sketch up before that, but there was long period where I didn't know how to work it and only dabbled occasionally.
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To tell the truth at that time I wasn't even excited about software for drafting because it was only Autocad to me. 3D max was out but I knew what it was, how much it cost and how difficult it was.
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@unknownuser said:
It's pity that you don't heard of PushPullbar at the golden age!
I was a member before it went the way of the Dodo... I was just not very active on it. It was a kool place for sure.
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Pretty sure PushPullBar died a few years ago. Lost funding or admins something, can't remember.
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I've wandered in and out of the PushPull bar occasionally--(i think I still have an account with them) but I was raised to stay out of bars.
Edit: He said in the "corner bar"
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Congratulations on the 10-year union! May you live long and prosper (hmmm, that kinda sounds trekkie-like).
It's been approximately 9 years (version 5) since I was first introduced to (and started working with) SketchUp, unfortunately I have not been able to work on it as much as I would like to in that time,going for long periods of time before even just starting up the program. This is probably on of a very select few programs I look am always excited about when working, even through the various difficulties and shortcomings of SU.
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nice reminisce! I've been using ACAD for much longer (since when R13 came out), but I definitely don't get the same attachment as for SU and also for the community here
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@andybot said:
nice reminisce! I've been using ACAD for much longer (since when R13 came out), but I definitely don't get the same attachment as for SU and also for the community here
Sometimes I forget how old I am getting I guess. I started with Autocad. . .Version 9.
You had to wind it up back then.
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Yeah, I think I started on R10 or R11 in high school drafting.
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You guys are making me feel old. I started with V1.x, before you could smooth the facets on a cylinder. As a renderer whose favorite rendering software had just been bought by Autodesk (Lightscape), I was desperate to get away from anything to do with Autodesk. Perfect timing for @last.
Those early days on the @last forum were really fun. Mayor Mike and Alan Fraser. Jean LeMire ("just ideas"). And remember we bought a laptop for Steven, who was in the hospital and couldn't use SketchUp. Susan delivered it to him personally. Such a small tight community.
There are so many of us now that I can't remember who taught me what, but I'm grateful for all you guys. We're all so happy to share what we've learned.
Sorry for the hijack Kris.
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You're not hijacking, that's just what this thread is for Phil...
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