How will the switch to subscription affect you?
-
I mourned the day Trimble took over SketchUp. To me, the writing was on the wall. Now, as this discussion illustrates, the chickens have come home to roost. The subscription model clearly the final nail in the coffin.
Oh, boy-- am I on a roll here.
And it took them only 7 years to destroy something so rare, so utterly beautiful.. (if I'm sentimental, forgive me-- SketchUp, like true art and love is transformative. Has no equal, Cannot be replaced. And we will never be the same.
Indeed, SketchUp is what it is today because of the brilliant, dedicated work of countless plug-in developers. Trimble was never interested in innovation (fair to say the record shows that) but was merely intent on capitalizing and exploiting the work of others, to set the stage to eventually exploit the 'ignorant masses' with a subscription model.
I understand that software companies need to earn money. I have no problem paying for good software. But, I will NOT be subjected to ransom! What's so sad is that in the Google days there was at least a semblance of a balance between a proprietary and 'open source' model, a delicate balance, but where 'community' still meant something, and that is now gone!
Like others, I'm going half-mad trying to find an alternative to SketchUp, but as mentioned, there's no equal in terms of intuitive interface and just plain fun. That said, I do have some ideas/solutions. Anyone interested in a collaboration, email me.
t.
@ecuadorian said:
A bit of speculation of what could happen...
IF YOU DECIDE TO KEEP YOUR CURRENT PERPETUAL LICENSE:
-You can wait until November 4th to update your M&S plan so you can have every new release until November 4th 2021... But I bet they'll release SketchUp 2022 AFTER November 2021, so you will be stuck with SketchUp 2021.
-The 3D Warehouse will keep updating the file formats of existing models for no other reason than to force people to upgrade SketchUp. Eventually you won't be able to download and open files from the 3D Warehouse. (EDIT: I see they offer a Collada file option, so I might be wrong on this one)
-Developers of plugins and integrated renderers will eventually stop supporting SketchUp 2021.
-Schools will start to think twice about teaching SketchUp, so it will start to lose market share a few years from now.
-The loss of market share means you will need to convert your SketchUp models to other formats before sending them to other professionals.
IF YOU DECIDE TO SWITCH TO A SUBSCRIPTION
-After the first year for $120, you'll find yourself paying $300 a year.
-If you don't use SketchUp every day, you might not the able to justify the expense, stop paying for the subscription, and thus you'll be locked out of decades of your own work.
HOW THIS MIGHT AFFECT ME
I design and sell house plans on my website, http://www.arqui3d.com. I sell both 2D files (PDF, DWG) and SKP files. I tell my buyers that they can open SKP files with the free viewer, but that they need to hire an architect if they want to make changes.
The change to subscription means SketchUp will be less popular in the future and I'll need to provide maybe Collada files together with SKP files. But what worries me is the possibility that renderers such as Lumion and TwinMotion might stop supporting old versions of SketchUp. If they're smart they will keep some way to import SketchUp 2021 files manually for the foreseeable future.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN
Most users will keep their perpetual licenses. When they start to receive files in incompatible versions, they might eventually add a SketchUp Shop subscription on top of this so they can open newer files. That, or it will become standard practice to always save in older SketchUp versions before sending out files.Another possibility is that the web-only SketchUp Shop might eventually become the "standard" version most professionals use. Kids these days do everything on the web, anyway, and having your models on the cloud would make it easier to collaborate. However, this would pretty much kill the business of plugin developers.
-
@petropix said:
That said, I do have some ideas/solutions. Anyone interested in a collaboration, email me.
are you suggesting to develop a new software?
-
It occurred to me.. Other than keeping up with the latest offerings for extentions... There is no need to upgrade. Heck I think there's no need to upgrade pas, what, 2016? (I think that's when we went 64bit. Happy to be corrected)
So Erm yeah. Given the last 3 or 4 "upgrades" have only offered bug fixes that should only be point releases and changes to Ruby.. With minimal (if any) feature additions.... Why wouldn't we go "no thanks" to being told to pay constantly?
Not seeing any compelling reason. I'm seeing software on life support from its users only...
-
For those who are interested, I propose to write a petition against Trimble for forced subscription :
-
@christopheadb said:
For those who are interested, I propose to write a petition against Trimble for forced subscription :
LOL Trimble doesn't care. Anybody that has used Trimble products before KNEW that this was coming. I don't blame the SU team as they HAVE to do what corporate Trimble tells them to do as Trimble OWNS it.
-
@glenn at home said:
@christopheadb said:
For those who are interested, I propose to write a petition against Trimble for forced subscription :
LOL Trimble doesn't care. Anybody that has used Trimble products before KNEW that this was coming. I don't blame the SU team as they HAVE to do what corporate Trimble tells them to do as Trimble OWNS it.
I don't care too. I just stop to pay them after a year of M&S plan.
But I have another idea : SwitchUp project
-
@jenujacob said:
@petropix said:
That said, I do have some ideas/solutions. Anyone interested in a collaboration, email me.
are you suggesting to develop a new software?
I think it is a good idea : SwitchUp project : https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=72698
Some of us have knowledge of 3d programming, and we do not have to reinvent the wheel, just some tools that make SketchUp user friendly, and easy to reproduce, for example in Blender. Some developers has started to do it.
Imagine an open source with minium toolset from SketchUp UI, that we can import in any other CAD program. Make SketchUp outside of Trimble.
For information, computer patents have a lifespan of 20 years, I think. SketchUp is based on very basic modeling technology.
-
if patents are 20 years, then this is the magic year
-
I have said before, the day someone makes a UI in Blender that can duplicate SU's then it's days are numbered. There are a few add-ons that are getting damn close!
-
As already said, the power of Sketchup is in plugins. Now, how to transfer ruby plugins to Blender?
-
@juju said:
if patents are 20 years, then this is the magic year
I have found the principal patent of SketchUp (registered in 2003), it seem to expire on may 2021 !
Someone know what is an "adjustment date"as a legal term in US ?
-
@srx said:
As already said, the power of Sketchup is in plugins. Now, how to transfer ruby plugins to Blender?
it is possible, but it is an important work. I translate my own Ruby development in Python, fortunately by functions, step by step.
Python is much better to Ruby I think, because it is most elegant, concise, and more easy to read.
-
Last time a competitor to Ketchup was suggested, They were hired for For Sketchup Team....
-
@mike amos said:
Last time a competitor to Ketchup was suggested, They were hired for For Sketchup Team....
When and who was this Mike.
-
Certain members of this very forum, folk who wrote/write a lot of the plugins we use. Not naming folk.
Advertisement