Honestly… pretty disappointed with this news.
I just don’t get why they’re stopping development and support for the SketchUp Viewer for Quest.
It was such a useful tool for viewing models in VR/AR, and honestly, it feels like a step backwards.
They say it’s to “bring better products and features in the future,” but in the meantime, they’re leaving us without an option many of us used daily. Such a shame.
It is interesting that 2 days after the announcement no one else has commented on the dropping of the VR app - probably because it won’t be missed is what I’m guessing. It wasn’t the gamer changer that everyone was hoping for, the model rendering options were flat and half-baked, and they didn’t improve or develop the app despite this being initially teased. So not actually a step back - just no steps at all. There are various other, better and more expensive apps out there to display models in VR so it looks like we will have to dig into our pockets once again as Trimble reduces the value for money ratio that comes with our Sketchup license.
For me, having access to Trimble Connect models in a VR/AR in Quest environment through the SketchUp VR app was essential. Although there are other apps, they cannot be managed directly from Trimble Connect, which made this one unique. I work in the industrial sector and used it so that clients could view their equipment and facilities in AR/VR. The fact that no one has commented probably means they don’t own the headset or they limit themselves to SketchUp’s modeling functionalities. But if TRIMBLE truly wants to commit to innovation across all sectors, they cannot let go of a development that, in my opinion, was very good — unless they are planning to develop in the future a dedicated AR/VR app through Trimble Connect instead of SketchUp. And would it be too much to ask to just keep the app as it is?
It’s a huge loss for me - I have my own architectural practice and have been using the Quest headset to take clients into their future homes. It’s been a remarkable tool. I suppose there are other ways to view models in the headset, but I haven’t taken (and don’t have) the time to research them. Does the viewer present in high quality photo-real renders? Nope, but it doesn’t need to; it’s a tool to get to a final design, not a tool to create photo-real renders; images like that need to be presented on large scale monitors so clients can study and just gaze at them. This tool takes them INTO their model so they can walk around inside a space that doesn’t exist yet. It wows them far better than any photo-real rendering ever could. When I first saw the announcement (naturally, as I was setting up a client walk-through), I took the time to fill out their questionaire. I let them know that I was more than disapointed in their decision, though I was not kind.
I signed on just to +1 your comment. We are building a house and I use the Oculus to show my wife how the progress is going. I don’t want a fancy expensive option, the price point of a few hundred dollars is perfect. I just logged on to show some updates, and discovered access was removed on Dec 31. Ugh.
Edit - oh, looks like there are alternatives that will do the same. Download VR Sketch
I’m also extremely annoyed by this. There are many 3d modeling programs out there and this was one of the features that set sketchup apart. Not only did they stop supporting it, it looks like it just flat out won’t work even as an outdated piece of software. I loved this feature and they got rid of it. If there was another 3d modeling platform similiar to sketchup that offered the VR feature, I would hand them my money in a heartbeat.
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