Developer needed to maintain Visualizer for Sketchup !!
-
@derei said:
@juju said:
I suppose the question is: how do you get paid from something that has already been made free?
Paid for what? For making the program compatible with SU2017? Look around how many plugins are made for sketchup, all offered for free... and those plugins had to be made from scratch (come with the idea, figure out how to implement the idea, code the plugin, then maintain it over SU versions).
In this case, the original developers pulled a brake on their project, but they accept if anyone wants to maintain it, to offer that chance.So, again I am asking: paid for what, actually?
Just because so many extensions / plugins are offered for free, by their very generous authors, doesn't mean somebody shouldn't be paid for their efforts.
Ask yourself why the authors have not updated / fixed Visualizer if it was such a simple / quick job? Afterall, who would know the code best, them or someone else who first has to spend time to analyze what they have done and how to manipulate it.
Derei, I see your profile reads that you use SU2015 Make, surely it still works on it? I also noticed that you use SU for product design, surely this is a commercial application thus requiring the Pro version? Live and let live my friend...
-
The only reason why I made this topic was because I've seen how much people (here on sketchucation) tried to make this work and eventually when SU2017 came they had to let it go.
So, I thought to write to the original developers to see if they will make it compatible forward. And yes, seeing that people wanted it to work and now that they have the chance they aren't interested, makes me a bit disappointed. But I also believe that exactly by what I did I live and let others live too... don't you think? -
It's a great app. Ultimately I have to use a different renderer so I don't use all that much. Also there are a few bugs (for me anyway). Just as they don't want to put money into it for what they get, it's hard to put a lot of time into fussing with it for the output. Good for on the fly visualizing if that is what you need. But why do you really need that?
-
@pbacot said:
Good for on the fly visualizing if that is what you need. But why do you really need that?
Indeed, for architects, interior designers and some others, this software would be of little use... but for students, product designers or other fields where they are more focused on concept, this could be a great tool. It adds basic material properties, good enough to show a concept and much better than a native SU export.
-
SketchUp should bundle it in Stylebuilder for SketchUp Pro users.
Import textured models and crack out some money shots.
-
Trimble may already be working on some kind of render for Sketchup.
-
derei: did you ask them if they'd be interesting in open sourcing it?
For SU2017 the only change required should be to recompile the binary for Ruby 2.2. -
This is a good idea. If we would write all to the developer, this could be a solution.
-
@alpro where you can find any about render for Sketchup?
I can only find information about technology to optimize 3d data.
About Visualizer:
Oh yes i missing Visualizer in 2017 , too. This was so simple and easy to work with.
i would wish, sketchup would have an own render engine and a sketchup explorer, like the 3d warehouse page. -
@thomthom said:
derei: did you ask them if they'd be interesting in open sourcing it?
For SU2017 the only change required should be to recompile the binary for Ruby 2.2.They said they have proprietary code, so for that reason they wouldn't open source it. But from what I could understand, as long as their rights are preserved, they have no problem in letting someone to maintain the program (i guess an NDA or something will have to be signed)... so the one that would volunteer to make Visualizer work again should only release the compiled version, not the source.
-
@derei said:
@thomthom said:
derei: did you ask them if they'd be interesting in open sourcing it?
For SU2017 the only change required should be to recompile the binary for Ruby 2.2.They said they have proprietary code, so for that reason they wouldn't open source it. But from what I could understand, as long as their rights are preserved, they have no problem in letting someone to maintain the program (i guess an NDA or something will have to be signed)... so the one that would volunteer to make Visualizer work again should only release the compiled version, not the source.
Can you pass on the contact details?
-
@rich o brien said:
Can you pass on the contact details?
I will send the email address as private message to you.
Cheers!
-
Since I'm part of the SketchUp team I'm not sure if that complicates things legal-wise. Otherwise I'd offer to see how much it'd be to recompile.
-
I wonder if the proprietary part is confined to compiled code. Maybe that could be built as a static library and the Ruby code and Ruby C Extension layer could be open sourced?
-
@thomthom said:
I wonder if the proprietary part is confined to compiled code.
there's an app/exe that uses an installer to inject both an extension and a compiled swig plugin...
the extension is encrypted but seems to supply the GUI and access to the .bundle
the swig .bundle uses objc on a mac and I guess it a bridge to the app...
that's the property bit I believe they wish to protect...
john
-
Any luck on this? I'd love to see this working again!
-
Why not download an old version of su ?
-
I do all of my work in 2017 Pro, I have 2015 installed still, but this is for quick renderings, having to save down and open in an older version is not only a pain, but there's stuff in 2017 SketchUp that I'll lose by going to 2015
-
You can use one version for the speed rendering (2015 with Visualizer)
and another one 2017 in the same time for the modeling!
-
For me I cannot open some of my models in 2015 anymore. Plus, 2015 will be starting to get deprecated soon anyway so it's not sustainable...
Advertisement