I don’t know that I’d say SketchUp gets bad press necessarily - if I recall correctly they won a couple awards in 2024 for the Ipad version and the updated 2024 version (which was a SIGNIFICANT performance improvement, btw, that likely took up a lot of resources internally).
I DO think that sometimes fairly and sometimes unfairly, SketchUp gets very vocal critics online (I see it firsthand with a number of comments on my videos).
I think the fair comments in general tend to revolve around more “standard” 3d modeling tools that either aren’t included, or are only included as third party extensions. The lack of a tool that bevels edges would be one such example - it exists in most 3D modeling programs, as well as in paid extension form for SketchUp, but for some reason isn’t a native modeling tool. I think it’s a fair criticism to ask why a user would have to pay for an additional extension to perform a basic task that exists in most other modeling programs.
I also think a lot of the Revit users’ criticisms can be valid depending on use case. Revit is much more powerful when it comes to intelligently handling large amounts of building data. A good example would be trying to manage the doors, hardware, and details of a large commercial project with hundreds of doors - SketchUp just isn’t set up to handle that level of data, but it’s not really designed to be. As project size and complexity get bigger, transitioning to these tools makes total sense. The tradeoff there is that on smaller projects, SketchUp offers a lot more flexibility on what can be created.
Personally, I more see these as tools for different use cases
I am pretty sure that before the time of google Sketchup the concept was 3D modelling for every one. blender and 3d max UI were very intimidating to a new user. So SketchUp was meant to be the opposite of that look very friendly even to look almost childlike/Comic, with the right balance of functions vs simplicity. But now it is a more professional user it being a paid program now. Maybe more functionality and a sexier UI could be called for, maybe?
Thanks Justin,I agree with your comment about the edges. I watched your video on youtube about what you would like to see moving forward and i agree with everything you said.
I too have been a long time user of various CAD platforms and I will even admit when I had to buy my own system there was a little bit of “shame” in only being able to get SketchUp because I held my nose to it a little.
When compared to other CAD software, SketchUp takes an inverse approach. Lets take Autodesk for example: they have a suite of different product offerings that are all designed for a specific industry or even vertical within an industry. Sure, teams using different products can find ways to collaborate and share, but it usually means add-ins and workarounds, and that usually means spending.
What a lot of people who look down on SketchUp don’t understand is while what you get out of the box is a more friendly, stripped down CAD system (like a “Sketch”), it can be built (“Up”) into the tool that best suits the individuals needs! This is great because a lot of us use it for different things, some of us use it both professionally and for personal use.
If I’m going to be doing some renderings? V-Ray is a great tool, I don’t have to bring it into . If I only need lighting calculations that show the lux distribution? LightUp is for me, no need for AGi32!. If I’m modeling from a point cloud, my Studio Scan Essentials plugin is right there (no need for recap then Civil 3D). If I’m performing an energy analysis, hey, I can use either an old OpenStudio plugin OR Sefaira…you get the point and I don’t even need to convince you.
So here in lies the problem: how do we as adamant users convey the message that it really can be a “jack of all trades” AND “a master of your own”?
I don’t believe its branding really. I think renaming something seems a bit too much like admitting defeat when we don’t’ need to. Perhaps just pointing out all the tools when someone is looking for something specific is the right approach? Maybe that’s the long game that we don’t like because we’ve become so efficient with SketchUp we’re impatient.
well I too sometimes hear from clients a bit of skepticism whether sketchup is up to the task. It takes a litte bit of explaining about floating point precision and such to say that it’s actually just as precise, and often more so.
It would be better if that didn’t happen, so I can relate to the idea that the name sends off some wrong signals.
Sketchup has evolved from being a tool you used on the side, for illustrative design tasks, into a production platform with modeling, documentation, and collaboration tools. It needed to go that route because the others got better at 3D, so it made no sense anymore to keep a separate 3D model on the side, while the grownup drawings were made in grownup software.
When it comes to collaboration tools SU is not quite there yet, but in a few years they could rebrand it to “GrownUp”.
In my country, most companies use SketchUp, at least for visualization. Now even builders/contractors require SketchUp files to better visualize the building they are going to build.
I’ve encountered this. Architects that use Revit scoff about the Sketchup “toy”, then when they see the level of work I’m doing in SU, say: “We’re not doing that in Revit.”
To which I reply: “No, you’re not, are you.”
Translation between formats is the toughest part, but that exists between all modelers, I think.
Been following this thread and figured I’d put my two cents worth in. I’m one of the non architect users. Although I did study architecture when CAD was a man of questionable intent and blueprints had an ammonia smell.
Should the name be changed from SketchUp? Heck no.
I’ve had to collaborate with various architects, lighting designers, museum personnel and the contractors and never got negative feedback because I was using SU.
Personally I think the free model Warehouse hurts the image of SU. If you give your work away for free most people don’t see any value in what you do or the tools you use to perform that work.
I suspect a lot of the negative comments we hear are made by people who really don’t have good working knowledge of SU.
