I’m specifically thinking about the guys whose plugins have made SketchUp really useful for many versions now, like ThomThom, Fredo6, TIG, Eneroth and Chris Fullmer. I think SketchUp is an incomplete program and would be almost useless without their contributions.
Do they get any kind of compensation from Trimble for completing their software?
I hope this isn’t too controversial, I just find the way SketchUp works a bit weird.
It made sense to make free contributions when it was owned by Google and was a free tool ment to improve Google Earth. But now that it’s more comparable to other (complete) CAD programs, the need to also download separate functions is unusual. Is SketchUp ment to be a community-based project?
I’m sorry if this has been talked about before, I just couldn’t find any posts about it.
both work for Trimble now, although the extensions are still done for free or fee in spare time…
SU do not compensate any external extension developers to my knowledge, and have only ever once admitted publicly to ‘buying out’ an extension, and that was possibly before the Google regime…
you don’t actually need to add any extensions, people do amazing work with only native tools…
people write and share for a variety of reason, some for personal use, some as a hobby and some for fiscal reward [if their lucky]…
many other softwares charge people to be third party developers and they in turn charge for the use of their tools…
SU is community minded and supportive, but has never been ‘open sourced’ like many community based projects…
a lot of people write extensions for free while they learn how to do it, then start selling when they can create the entire thing without asking lots of questions…
I don’t know the specifics, but the money you pay for the payed extensions is destined for the developers. I don’t know if Trimble is entitled for part of it for maintaining the marketplace.
To add on to the discussion here…most developers share their work as ‘cookieware’…ie buy them a cookie or beer if you use and like their work. For example: CookieWare Donations Other developers sell their extensions. Might Sight Studios and Lindale are a couple of developer’s making really powerful extensions that are worth the cost depending on your needs. Some developers start out as free and then switch to paid over time as they gain popularity.
Other than those examples, I imagine, that like the community members on this forum that spend hours and hours of their own time to help strangers, that they do it to out of sheer kindness and the good feelings they get from positive community feedback.
I am developing and marketing my extensions full time as of April 2018 (this is my livelihood). Three years prior to that I was developing and selling my extensions part time in addition to my full time work as a structural engineer, however as the development progressed I decided that I enjoyed working on extensions so much I wanted to make it my full time job/career.
I am not compensated by Trimble or SketchUp all of my revenue comes from my customers who have been very supportive and involved with the continual development of my plugins.
All I can say is that it is little strange where life can take you sometimes.