Saw the demo @ Basecamp... for me the use case on this could be linked to a Trimble account IF models could be locked / prevent modification or download. I do ALOT of communication with owners / clients / architects / engineers. I rarely send my SKP model, and usually use PDF and use Sketchfab... if I were to have the option of inviting someone to a model (ALA DropBox) but having that model locked, but with the same scenes, colors, materials, etc... then I can see it replacing or augmenting my current flow. Having a platform so someone doesn't need to load software is a good thing...
And, the Devs at Basecamp said this was a huge push into furthering the '3d for Everyone' - Chromebooks were the use case mentioned - but it runs in any modern browser that can handle WebGL... so schools, maker spaces, etc. etc...
From that perspective I think its a good place to spend some resources - I remember back in the day trying to find ways to use and learn AutoCAD and Photoshop / Adobe suite of tools and not having the $$ to even get my toes wet. This seems to me to be a way to work towards the goal of getting people using the tools at all levels - from K-12 on the web, Make for the DIYr, and Pro for the professional.
Yes, I want more resources spent on layers, better Pro tools, LayOut, etc. etc.
But as discussed with some of the SKP team at Basecamp - they are really starting to feel like they are rebounding from the neglect they felt during the Google years, and from the keynote it seems that Trimble is in full support (I believe their CEO was even in the audience) of integrating SKP into their portfolio of tools, as well as letting the team grow out the product.
Yes, there are lots of gripes we can have with the software and any choice the dev team makes... (I want more building design, architectural design tools and more focus on LayOut - someone else might want more surface / NURBS, etc. tools., etc. etc... it can go on and on...) - but I think and hope that after talking to many of the SKP folks from devs to product managers they have a good roadmap in place, and we'll see some good stuff coming down the pipe... maybe not everything we always wanted, but certainly steady progression of tools that build on the '3d for Everyone' roadmap.
For me, I'm just thrilled that the SKP team fought off death by Google, and escaped being acquired by AutoDeath, and that from what I've seen and heard it looks like Trimble has been and will continue to be a good partner for the team.
Yes, the basecamp kool aid is starting to wear off, but in reality - what other simple software package is open enough to be able to handle so so many different kids of work and workflows? And be approachable by kids and adults, from schools to professional firms?
To me, SKP is a smart(er) pencil, and one that keeps getting better due to the community around it, and the really over dedicated staff and devs that keep it alive and growing. But its just a pencil. How you sharpen it, what you draw on, and what you draw with are just as important as the base toolset...