Sketchup free vs. sketchup pro

Grant

What are the real advantages of sketchup pro over the free version?

Gaieus

Hi Grant,

This is "the list":

3D vector export in several formats
LayOut (a "joint" presentation tool)
Style Builder (latest development)
Geolocation (Win only - for some curious reasons Mac has it in the free version but also Jim Foltz developed a ruby plugin for the free Windows versions as well as you can get the geolocation by taking a GE snapshot...)
Not much, really...

juju

Gai forgot to add: bragging rights if you own a licence...

Stu

Grant,

That doesn't sound like a lot does it?

The only real restriction for professional output is the screen resolution export restriction.

This can be overcome, for example, by exporting to Kerkeythea [free as well] where it is possible to produce glossy, 3000x plus photorealistic images that will knock the socks off most clients!

Alternatively , if you are exporting to PhotoShop for a watercolour make over, the pixel count becomes less relevant in the final image.

So save yourself some dough unless you need something like Layout [still in Beta] or maybe add a couple of hundred extra dollars and get Mondo.

Stu

santiagom

the latest versions of skp free will export 2d images at the same resolution that pro can.

Stu

Well, there you go, eh!
Another nail in the SU Pro coffin!

kwistenbiebel

@stu said:

Well, there you go, eh!
Another nail in the SU Pro coffin!

Mmmm...as some people don't like the way SU is evolving (=mostly Pro users etc..) right now, I was thinking: Why not going Open Source with sketchup Pro?

Just an idea...
I am sure there is room for a modeler besides Blender that is open source right?
Or maybe Sketchup can be part of the Blender foundation?

In this way Sketchup users can benefit from the Blender qualities and also the other way around: the Blender community would have an easy arch modeler they miss right now.

It could be very beneficiary to further development in my opinion...:

SU FREE for the Google masses and SU PRO as an open source part of Blender.
That sounds good to me...

Stinkie

"Why not going Open Source with sketchup Pro?"

It's already possible to develop Ruby plugins for SU, right?

I'm not too sure if I'd just share the code if I'd own SU. Money makes the world go 'round ...

Stinkie

Is Google actually generating a lot of income with Pro version? I doubt that...

Good point. But they might be looking ahead. What if they indeed did make improvements 'to the core itself'? Thus providing us with, say, better handling of large, high poly files? Then SU would be a cash cow. (If I were them, I'd choose this strategy.)

And be honest...what did actually change to the 'modeler' part of SU pro since Google took over. Nothing right?

Can't say, really, I'm a fairly new user. But I'll take your word for it.

SU needs improvement to the core itself imho.

I agree. Less topping, more cake. SU is too limited in a number of aspects.

kwistenbiebel

@unknownuser said:

It's already possible to develop Ruby plugins for SU, right?
I'm not too sure if I'd just share the code if I'd own SU. Money makes the world go 'round

Is Google actually generating a lot of income with Pro version? I doubt that...
And be honest...what did actually change to the 'modeler' part of SU pro since Google took over. Not a lot right?
I doubt if Ruby is strong enough to really make SU evolve. SU needs improvement to the core itself imho.

Grant

Thanks everyone, that question is well and truly answered.

kmead

A significant, and to me valuable, feature Pro has is the response of the Google QA team to bug input. The latest ones I have logged have all had very fast responses from them. They have been very good about chasing things down. Not quite as good as Lemkesoft but good none the less.