SketchUp in 2019: where great ideas get to work

This is to me a great example of what should be a native feature. PushPull already exists as a native tool, so extending it to support Surfaces, but otherwise staying the same, would increase the power of SketchUp without adding any extra clutter, new concepts or cognitive load.

Regarding Advanced Camera Tools I never use them and think they are very non-intuitive. Luckily it is an extension so I can disable it.

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I agree!

Modelling all is a good idea, but to what LOD? Because SU handles every edge the same, regardless distance or position, it is what it is. If it could manage the level of detail by simply zooming in and out, you could for instance use the SubD technique: zooming in would increase the number of quads and thus edgecount, zooming out decrease.

One could also imaging an extensension that would draw certain aspects of the building ‘when needed’ (if zoomed in)
The parameters being the most important part of the model and how it looks, less important.
If you built several houses before, you don’t need a drawing of a wall with all the studs etc. You grab a detail of its principle or parameters (2’’4’’ , distance, covering etc) and your imagination and experience will fill the gaps.

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Where to post this :thinking: ?

Apologies if this has been touched upon already.

So I renewed my M&S in February 2018 and have been able to upgrade to 2019 without having to pay more. For me there has been no improved change in how I work (I’m just one person providing architectural services for domestic clients) - I could just as well be using 2018, and I have no idea if any of the bug fixes affect me.

To say that I was disappointed with 2019 is an understatement, and here’s the thing…

Many have said that a lot of this is about trust. Very soon I will need to decide if I want to renew my M&S and I’m not sure if I want too.

SketchUp say that they need to earn my business every single day. Given what’s happened how can I trust SketchUp. If I renew my M&S and there are no updates in the next year (like their wasn’t for PC this last year) and November (and December and January) comes and goes with no 2020.

I’m not happy with subscription. I am very happy to have my perpetual license and pay an M&S for bug fixes and yearly upgrades - if it’s affordable for me.

It seems that SketchUp have indicated that at some point in the future Classic will be discontinued and then what for me and others. We will either feel that we need to take out a subscription or continue business with an ageing SU version.

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@PaulMcAlenan My plan is to keep 2018 and not pay the M&S.

If in the future the updates I have been waiting for come then I will subscribe again from scratch, at least the price point is low all things considered. My workflow is stable and solid in 2018, I could keep using it for many years and it wont impact anything I do. As with many others, Blender is filling in the cracks for the things I am missing in SketchUp.

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Native tools come in blocks and can be used/on screen or not depending on a user’s needs.

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Not if you use custom toolbars. If those features were native I could actually create a customized toolbar that was worth something. You can’t drag buttons from extensions in new toolbars and that makes the feature almost useless for me. Custom workspaces like you have in Adobe and Autodesk’s vertical applications would also be a big help.

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Plugins…I use 2…runs and hides!

That’s what I love about SketchUp, you can make it as big or small as you like!

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ahhh Word… gave up on it long ago… correspondence is now only email or…chat apps, pamphlets on PowerPoint and lengthy reports on google docs… so only use MS for powerpoint… now if Layout could do drop shadows, gradient fills I could even abandon PPT.

Personally I use Open Office to create the documentation for my plugins and then I export as pdf

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If sketchup were a tool belt around your waist.
Hammer = Push/Pull
Screw Driver = Move/Rotate
Speed Square = ~Protractor/Guide
Tape Measure = Tape Measure
Pencil = Line Tool
Chalk Line = Guideline
Nails/Screws = Group/Component/SU Stickiness

W/this tool belt on, and a circular saw in hand, a skilled craftsman can accomplish a great many things all the while mobile & efficient.

Also running and hiding…

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And
Anvil = LayOut

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Dang, Nick and Charlie we need to talk, there are so many amazing plugins out there, I can only imagine what y’all could achieve if you embraced them more.

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As long as the dirty marketing trick on the official webpage is still there (changing Pro to subs, renaming and moving Perpetual Pro in small print down the page - instead of an equal column like the rest), there’s no trust from me. The track record in bug fixes nor noticeable improvements to the workflow (UI, speed & stability) to me isn’t helping much.

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haha! totally!

My case … LibreOffice

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As I said above, SK2019 … should be a free update for existing licences !

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Rhino is the professional 3D app. There is/was great promise with Layout but it is too slow and there seems to be no fix coming.

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Solo,
While I cant speak for Nick…though I do have his book…pretty impressive to know he only maintains 2 (Two) plug in’s/extensions.

I also have a few plug-in’s (thanks Ruby Gods) that for me are great assets and compliment SU very well, and may not be useful for others that use SU for purposes unlike mine…again…beauty of SU.

I have seen lots of your impressive work over the years and can see where extensions would be indispensable for what you do.

To further “color in” I am not a fan of Software subscriptions…my past CAD software went that way several years ago, while I still use the desktop version of it, it is now aged and not worth “renewing”.

Also, I see some Extensions using a subscription model and I do wonder if there is equal resistance to that as well. I have not yet purchased a subscription based Extension, though I have been very tempted to do so.

It’s all good…I just poked my head out to say I think SU is solid for me, and that not all is lost.

All the best,
Charlie

Ha ha…yeah…LO has some shortcomings still, but last couple of releases have seen good progress forward in LO.

Charlie

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