Hello All. My name is Drew Povey and I’m from RubySketch (makers of PlusSpec for SketchUp and BIMBits).
We are super excited to announce the release of PlusSpec Lite for SketchUp.
Since we first launched PlusSpec Pro, we have had tens of thousands of requests for a version that suited Homeowners, Renovators & Hobbyists, Mums & Dads and Architectural Enthusiasts.
PlusSpec Lite is perfect for SketchUp users who simply want to model faster and smarter. You don’t just draw lines or shapes with PlusSpec. With PlusSpec, you draw with Virtual Building tools. Just select the building component that you want to use from the menu, and BAM! Everything will be drawn for you.
Automatically generate walls with structure, one-click roofs (pitched, skillion/shed, and flat roofs), flooring (slabs and joists), dynamic windows and doors that cut through your walls automatically - and so much more.
And it only costs $10 USD p/m.
We are also happy to Introduce our NEW PDF importer (with the ability to upload full document sets) for both PC & Mac. Our team love this tool!
By the way, PlusSpec Lite is just like Netflix: It’s billed month-to-month. You can cancel or renew at any time.
So that we could make it so affordable ($10 p/m), we limited certain functions and tools that are available in the PlusSpec Pro version. Essentially, we took out the things that most Homeowners, DIYers, 3D modelers/renderers could live without.
For SketchUp users, it’s simply about being able to model faster and smarter with the PlusSpec parametric BIM tools (Building components) and being able to produce a quick BOM. And if you can’t do something with PlusSpec Lite, you just do it in SketchUp!
Anssi yes that’s right, and that’s cheap for what it does, put simply it’s amazing, check out the GIFs on the page as that will give you a good idea of what it does without having to read about it.
Just so you know you do not need to have it every month (it’s not a 12-month contract like Sketchup) if you do not need it, simply opt out, most people only ever design their own home once and for them it makes Sketchup fast and organized.
PlusSpec Lite will help people who are new to Sketchup as it automatically layers, groups and creates components where & when they are needed. A lite user can send their model to a pro user for a detailed Bill of Quantities (BOQ) , yet “LITE” does deliver a basic BOQ right out of the box.
PlusSpec Lite generates scenes, automates styles and organizes the model in such a way that the output is ready for a pro to take it to layout or amend the none professional drawing in a way that it can actually be built or modified by a professional.
PlusSpec lite is still parametric, you can add infinate window types and sizes into multi-skin walls, there are over 200 video tutorials built-in. All for ten bucks? Do you think it is expensive?
Hi. I just signed up and I’m trying to load a large PDF (about 30 pages). How long should this take? Also, how can I improve the quality of the PDF’s? I’m using a PC.
That’s a big set! Large PDF sets can take a couple of minutes to load. If the quality of your PDFs are not appearing nice and sharp, open your SketchUp ‘Preferences’ and then select ‘OpenGL’. Make sure that you tick the ‘Use maximum texture size’. This will make a huge difference.
PlusSpec Lite costs $10 USD per month, and we highlight this in every post, on the Lite webpage, and especially on the Signup page. We also take care to highlight that it’s a no lock-in contract, and that customers can simply come and go as they please - benefiting from the tools as it suits them.
Sometimes the ‘p/m’ falls off in titles or individual responses on forums, etc. But we’re definitely not here to deceive anyone!
Hey there @Drewrubysketch. This sound pretty cool. I’d love to get a plugin for modeling some changes I want to make for my home and I’m also looking at some rendering plugins to help (but i’m a little new to get too involved in that side yet).
I checked out your plusspec youtube channel and saw loads of good information on how to do things with PlusSpec . Do you have a guide or playlist for new people who are using Plusspec lite or is this in the plugin itself?
I’m happy to hear that you have already checked out our YouTube channel! On top of this, all of our Tutorials are also included directly inside of the plugin. We have a big number of tutorials (from beginners to advanced), and we are constantly updating them.
If you do decide to get started with PlusSpec Lite, you’ll notice that there are no specific Lite tutorials. There will be just some tools/functions that you will see available in the Pro version, which you won’t have access to in the Lite version.
There is a slight learning curve, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll pick it up (especially if you work through the tutorials)!
Ozman you can create your own walls you can also create your own materials and assign a thickness. There is also a tutorial on this topic inside the tools (look for orange question mark) and on our Youtube Channel. You can then add windows and doors that cut through that material or multiple layer walls like brick veneer and double brick.
Guys from a builders perspective, having a drawing from the client that has the type of info that Lite adds is a huge benefit. Starting the BIM process early in the game will reduce the disconnect between designer/architect, estimator/builder. If you are a pro user you can take what the client draws and then get straight into alterations, suggestions or creating construction docs. Everything inside of PlusSPec lite is also IFC attributed so you can use it in other CAD programs like AC, Revit or ArchiCad, yet the true benefit will be if you use Layout especially with our Layout Template.
. Do you have a guide or playlist for new people who are using Plusspec lite or is this in the plugin itself?