Totally agree with you… If smaller architectural firms realized what time and hassle saving they could achieve by adopting a “DIY BIM” workflow, focussing on what BIM is really about - better anticipation for better building, then they’d not have to buy Revit or Archicad & they’d learn SU (especially as the Dev team working on the whole IFC compliance are working hard for it all to work properly now)…
Colleagues (other architects) are always surprised when we show them what we do every day with SU & how we work with engineers and contractors (who are also surprised in the beginning too)…
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Sorry but it’s nowhere near capturing the CAD user market. Not even remotely close. Too many bugs!
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Actually I posted when Google owned Sketchup that if that had just added effective 2d capabilities in SketchUp (Not Layout) they would have destroyed Autocad! alas… they had other plans and Trimble didn’t pick the opportunity either…
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That is true now, though. I 2D draft in Sketchup almost exclusively (I also do dumbed down 2D drafts in Concepts app for the iPad, but that is another story) and the only thing I miss is true circles, arcs and splines, which honestly I don’t miss at all, but people receiving the segmented curves in DWG do suspect.
The simple fact that all edges intersect each other and generate faces immediately, that can be used as hatch or solid fills is god sent. However, when I came from CAD, that was the thing that bothered me the most.
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And too many missing features.
Could you just provide an example of what you mean? It would really help.
Have you tried outputting true 2D DWG circles and arcs from SketchUp without segments via 3D export?
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I had been bugging my contact in Google SU back in 2012 regarding the use of SU for Con Docs. I got quite a bit of resistance- I believe SU were afraid of AutoDesk buying them and then mothballing it, which was a big part of the reason that they didn’t want to try and get into the CAD market. The people in SU held out for a new buyer and Trimble stepped in. At least that’s what I suspect happened. Nowadays there’s no excuse for SU not to push for a bigger chunk of AutoCAD’s market. I’m not talking about messing up SU or LO- I’m actually just looking for a few enhancements like the ones being listed here- But just to make advances in the direction of 2D drafting. I don’t think that’s unreasonable and it’s not going to cripple the great software that we already have.
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No I haven’t. I never thought of that. Does it work?
I’ve been using Curic’s toCad, lately though. Totally worth it, with custom base point and datum. It allows us to coordinate XYZ with surveys. Amazingly useful.
Autodesk is still around and lurking in the shadows.
Sketchup is trying to take a chunk of Revit now.
Sketchup could also take AutoCAD market.
Sketchup is taking both markets actually. By being Sketchup and supporting DWG and IFC export.
They are betting more on the 3D side, though, it seems, and I understand why.
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Hahah yes i remember Grizzly…that beast!
… Trimble Drawing your best vote then ?
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Yes… its a shame Trimble don’t have the same corporate hoonas as per Affinity taking on Adobe!
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If not for the lack of dimensions, Affinity could probably have a huge take on 2D CAD market. Even on Layout’s market. :=
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‘a’ Trimble Drawings, yes.
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Yesh Affinity is great. Used it for years and a good time to buy . They have a good deal on at the mo.
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I invested in Affinity. Thanks for the tip.
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Good call … 
Which product did you get? I have just downloaded the trial version of Publisher with a view to replacing my Adobe Acrobat subscription.
I got the suite Kevin. I’m only tinkering with it right now so not a lot to report yet.
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You just have to remember to export dimensions from either Layout or Sketchup, you won’t be able to redo them there.
You can use PDF exports seamlessly, or you can try DWG exports, which I haven’t.
Apart from that, all works as it should.
What you might want to use to replace Layout is Affinity Publisher. Use designer if you want to fine tune your PDF files with a lot of visuals.
Another advice I’d give you is to use exactly the same method as with Layout: do everything possible in Sketchup, send to Layout only for stacking viewports, dimensioning, labeling and title blocks. You should be fine if you do that in Affinity too.
The only feature you’ll miss is hidding Sketchup tags from a viewport as it might be impossible to find a similar method.
A batch export of PDF files directly from Sketchup would be great to have. I think @Fredo6 has recently came up with the solution though:
[Plugin] FredoBatch - Processing tasks on files - Extensions - SketchUp Community
When inserting into Affinity Publisher, insert as linked files.
If you will need to post produce them you should probably open them first in Designer and save them as Designer files and insert them into Publisher.
This will be of use:
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Thanks for that. 