Appreciate it. It’s something I see more and more and at least thought it was worth bringing up and discussing. I don’t think SketchUp needs to become Rhino, just start evolving as a program from a functionality standpoint
I’d assume architecture is the main user base for both programs, but does Rhino have as many non-architect users as SketchUp? It would be interesting to see the percentages of user professions for each one.
I don’t think the statistics have been published, if available. When you follow their forum, users other than architects seem to be the majority. Many questions concern things that bother persons involved with product or machine design and the like. So for many it seems to be a low-cost alternative to Inventor or the Solidworks family.
Yes it is.
Watching software usage outside this forum Rhino and Revit already took what a decade ago was the space of SketchUp and AutoCAD. Rhino has the best engine under the hood and has many powerful extensions like VisualARQ and of course Grasshopper. But is still somehow ‘complicated’, more a programming software than a design one.
SketchUp definitely needs some complex and native modeling tools/features , I’m pretty sure they will come (hopefully)!
Agreed - it feels like a fair amount of the comments I’m getting on that video are in the 3D Printing/CNC/Manufacturing space. I know it’s huge in Jewelery, though I think that’s just a small niche in the userbase
I do find the user interface fairly clunky. It definitely has a lot of great capabilities, but in my opinion still harder to use than SketchUp
Revit is clunky and from what I gather Rhino is also quite clunky to use. I’ve never heard of anyone trying to do anything significant with Rhino as far as architectural design work is concerned. SketchUp has nothing to fear at this point. Naysayers have been pitching SketchUp’s replacement for years now, blender is the other big one. I just don’t see it. Long live SketchUp.
I work with Architects at larger firms using Rhino all the time. It’s more than just a niche product that a few rebels at architectural firms are using.
I know this wasn’t really directed at me, but I’d hardly say I’m a SketchUp naysayer. If anything, I’ve been one of SketchUp’s supporters (and will continue to be).
As someone who is also seeing more and more architects coming out of school learning Rhino rather than SketchUp (and even coming out of school being active detractors of SketchUp), I find this concerning
Couple this with the fact that upgrading SketchUp’s native modeling toolset beyond the tools that have been in the program for 15 years does not seem to be on the development priority list, and I’m concerned about this means for the future user base of SketchUp.
Even if you don’t consider Rhino a threat (which based on the comments of that video and how popular it seems to have gotten in a short period of time would indicate it struck a chord), SketchUp should STILL be looking at a plan to grow and expand the software in the future, and this plan HAS to include additional features at some point.
If it’s not Rhino, it will be something else, and based on those comments there is a LOT of frustration about the lack of development that has a bunch of users ready to jump if a viable alternative presents itself. I really don’t want that to happen.
I can back Justin up on his observations. Almost all the entry level candidates and interns we see now only know Rhino if they are a Landscape Architect. Architects only know Revit. It used to be LA students might have had one project for one semester that they did in SketchUp a few years ago but no more. I think Trimble ignores this at their own peril.
Don’t underestimate the AEC industry’s ability to standardize on an inferior product because of superior marketing.
Just a hint… as always on YouTube, you have to change the “comment sorting” to “Newest first” if you want to see all comments. In the default setting “Top comments,” some comments are hidden. 
What do you mean?
This is what I’m observing too. Definitely not everywhere, but more and more I’m hearing younger, newer designers talking about Rhino.
Lol
I personally feel like this is overhyped. Do I think AI changes people’s jobs? Absolutely. But does it just completely remove the entire design process and 3D modeling in general? I don’t see how - too much communication and coordination is required to get a project over the finish line
I couldn’t agree more, was more using that as an example of efforts being put toward things that aren’t making as big of a difference or impact on the actual finish product and design. Instead of building another AI tool (thats probably going to fall short). One of the basic tools you’re suggesting could have been built instead.
Edit: I don’t remember ever seeing a post where someone asked for an AI tool. But ive seen alot of people asking for an expansion of the basic tools haha.
I’m suggesting that your comment was vaguely accusatory without being specific about anything at all.
Like…3D modeling? SketchUp? Rhino? The algorithm shows videos to people based on their likelihood to view a video, and for how long. Based on the number of people that have viewed or commented, this is obviously a topic that resonates, specifically with people with interest in this space.
In the sense that every video ever made communicates SOME opinion, sure.
In this case, it will lead you to a video that someone made (me), voicing their opinion on a certain topic, giving their reasoning on WHY they hold that opinion. People can then agree, disagree, watch or click off. I hardly think my age or gender is influencing this discussion one way or another.
Did the algorithm write the hundreds of comments giving their opinion on the topic as well?
If you’re trying to make a statement, make it, but I’m not magically influencing people to suddenly have an issue with SketchUp’s feature development path. That was already there, and it’s not news to anyone that spends any amount of time on this forum.
Always is fun to watch a sketchup essentials video, I’ve never used Rhino, I’ve been curious about it cause it’s said that Zaha Hadid firm uses it for their crazy designs, but with a couple plugins it’s possible to model anything on sketchup as well, it would be awesome to have those plugin tools as native tools but it’s not something that I see as a priority, the only tool that sketchup should’ve implemented long ago is the bevel tool.
Parametric modeling is something that I’ve been learning for a couple years now on blender, geometry nodes are insanely powerful, but it takes some time to learn it and imho it’s not a feature that sketchup needs right now. I don’t even think that sketchup needed to add the pbr materials and global illumination, I’m not complaining of having them but I’ve haven’t used it on any project so far, most of the people that do archviz use other rendering engines, if they keep developing diffusion, it could become a threat for those engines on the other hand.
Right now BIM and AI are the things that every modeling software should be developing, and I think that sketchup is on the right path, it’s so much easier to implement a BIM workflow now on SU than it was 8 years ago, the improved ifc tools are the best features that sketchup has added in the last few years.
Every software seems to have its niche. Rather than Rhino I think the bigger threat to SketchUp’s dominance in the architectural market is Chief architect. The reason being is that Chief Architect automates much of the construction document process. Currently Layout does not have a real time Ruby API like SketchUp, so developers like myself are unable to help in that automation process. That to me is where the weak link is and where other companies and software can erode SketchUp’s dominance.
As much as we complain about SketchUp itself and its lack of a few more core modeling tools I think we can all agree that it is by far the best and most intuitive 3D modeling environment. Everything else is slow and clunky in comparison.
Here is the list of 3D modeling and CAD software I used over the years, in no particular order, some much more extensively than others:
AutoCAD (and AutoLISP)
Revit
Catia
Solidworks
Blender
Chief Architect
SketchUp
My favorite 3D modeler is of course SketchUp. However I did quite enjoy working with SolidWorks and it is a very powerful and well integrated solution in many ways.
For just 2D drawing work and construction drawings I still prefer AutoCAD over Layout partly because I am a creature of habit (30 years) but I also feel AutoCAD just feels a bit more robust.
I find blender interesting and it has grown rapidly in the last few years but I don’t see it busting into the architectural space too much, yet.
Revit has a lot of features and is considered the flagship BIM product for “real architects”, but it is a serious cludge to use in my opinion. You couldn’t pay me to use that product.
Catia is similar to Solidworks but felt very clunky and dated when I used it professionally. I haven’t touched it since 2012, when I left the aerospace world for the architectural world.
Chief Architect has quite a bit going for it in the residential design space and a lot of nice automations. However it is very closed form and not really a proper 3D modeling environment like others. I feel claustrophobic when using it.
I’ve never actually used or tried Rhino other than install it once and tinker with it for about an hour. Maybe it is the SketchUp replacement, but I doubt it.
I have been using SKP for 12 years, again looking for work, I have been scanning the market for months and seldom see SKP. Lots of Revit, Fusion, Inventor, Archi, Plant3D and 3DS. Oddly more looking for MicroStation than expected. Near the bottom I see ads listing Rhino and Maya. It’s like companies have no clue what skills a worker should have based on the field. Architectural firms using Revit, but SKP for renderings. I don’t see were SKP is beating anyone.
Fighting…what exactly? If you feel something I said was incorrect, you’re welcome to make that case. Others have, and I welcome it. I may not agree, but I’m always up for civil discussion.
And in this case, “red/blue issues” would be the reasons why people and organizations implement different modeling software. It’s the entire discussion.
I’m not sure where this comes from. Chief has some interesting capabilities but it’s pretty niche, and I see a number of users switching AWAY from Chief to SketchUp due to capability. I’m not seeing Chief being taught in a significant way in higher education, at least for architecture or interior design.
The concern here isn’t features vs. features - it’s where the people using the tools are educated and what they’re educated on. That’s what drives what they use in a professional environment, which is what drives licenses sold.
Obviously this would vary depending on the market you’re looking at. I’d imagine Fusion is more prevalent in manufacturing, Revit for architecture, etc.
My mistake, took a detour off into the vague things going on over there…
And understand my opinions are not relevant here.
You’re wrong.
All the big architecture studios use Rhinoceros to achieve the cool architecture forms we see out there, geometric forms today unachievable in SketchUp. Even using extensions it’s not the same as native and parametric tools you have in Rhinoceros.
I’ll just put this here
