SketchUp 2024 release is officially the latest it’s ever been; nearly 4 weeks later than average
Counting from the two of SketchUp’s version release windows over the last 10 years either (Nov-3 to Nov 17) or (Jan 25 to Feb 16), this year’s version 2024 is officially the latest it’s ever been. Contrary to SketchUp’s promise in 2020 for more frequent updates, we’ve seen releases later and later each year since that article was published.
Assuming a release date in the next 10 days and given the trend, the next likely release date for SketchUp 2024 will be either March 12th (five occurrences on Tuesdays) or March 14th (2 occurrences on Thursdays). Of course only Trimble knows when it’ll launch. . . but food for thought.
Edit: Piggy-backing off jure’s post from last year:
Since Trimble acquired sketchup, management of the software has clearly been speculative. There is not the typical method of a real software house (improving the product, satisfying the user), but the method of the typical company which is only interested in the highest profit and lowest expenses: making the most of the product without developing or improving it. Applied the most aggressive pricing policy.
I manage 2 licenses in 2 different offices. One updated in October 2023, with an increased cost compared to March 2023. The second, to be updated by March 2024, and the price has already increased from October 2023.
For a software that is always the same, without any real innovation for many years, and essential functions that are left to external plugins instead of being native. A 3d warehouse full of rubbish models, which however allow you to title a web page with “more than 4 million models”.
They exploit a product developed by others before them, as long as it is possible for them to do so without innovating it, or until a critical mass of users get tired of it and change software.
I would be happy if Google bought back sketchup.
yeah me too, that way sketchup would be definitively dead, buried and unsupported within a few years (I mean, since 2008) and I could finally move on with my life.
I remind you that the team and the creators were very very happy to have been bought by Google at the time. Maybe that’s the difference with McNeel, they were never bought out.
“Comprehensive” makes me nervous. Having migrated from Archicad I have seen what happens if you try to cover everything. Google did SU a favour holding it back while other packages became over complicated. But from what I see Trimble are now doing a fair job of evolving SU whilst retaining its simplicity and flexibility. There’s always room for improvement, but evolving to meet user needs rather than becoming a “Jack of all trades - master of none” is an effective strategy in my book.
Who wouldn’t have been happy to be bought out by a company that had stupid money… it was speculated that Google bought SketchUp for 45$ mil.
I’m sure the original owners, board and staff with shares / profit sharing did OK when they had that liquidity event - but in the end Google eats up, uses, then discards things that it doesn’t need.
I agree. This is fragile and inconsistent entrepreneurship for which customers are paying the price today. Before the takeover, SketchUp made them money. Imagine if all entrepreneurs did that!
I have missed what happened to Google Sketchup after they set up their second user forum. That just got me too confused. But their effort to make this piece of software affordable to a large audience I still appreciate.
Trimble is harvesting the fruits. I’m not saying anything more.
I do believe AI is going to change everything. We now have push button Architectural Renderings coming at a rate never thought possible? This is also going to make people obsolete to a great deal? At 75 it is a bit difficult for me to go from Rendering Service to Architectural Service? Like many of you my background is in Advertising and Design, although I am a trained fine artist, found that after college making a living by creating master pieces was a bit to lacking in meeting monthly bills? Hence got a job with a large developer in early 70’s and I found a large need for Architectural Illustration? Just pointing out it is going to affect all software updates in the near future. I guess one advantage we do not have to spend $50 to $60,000 on Computers, with AI you probably could survive with an iPad or Surface?
No, you could check my profile and my website to see that I work for myself - in 2005 I left a larger design / build firm and started design / consulting on my own.
I’ve been using SketchUp + Layout exclusively since then. Prior to that going way back to the @ Last days I used a mix of SketchUp and AutoCad.
At this point I would be most excited about SketchUp releasing a 2023.2 version that fixes the existing bugs without the need to migrate all of my settings and plugins to an unknown release…
Between this and a few other posts at the top of the forum home, I’m starting to wonder if I’m in the minority of still loving Trimble SketchUp. Is it the most advanced CAD system for every single application? Of course not. But in my opinion, SU is hands-down the best bang for your buck.
I guess I don’t see a need for frequent updates. I mean, yeah, the newest version of anything is always exciting, but in my opinion 2023 - the first version that I’ve owned Studio after many years using Pro - has been great. My license renewal is up in (2) days and even if I’m still using 2023, that’s okay by me.
Anyway, I figured having a comment that is supportive of the Trimble SU product might bring out a few more.