What SketchUp do I need to buy?

I don’t know what sketchup program I need. My primary, and likely singular use will be this: I’m a minor match director and need to post stages for our club weeks before our monthly match. Another club, selects and posts their stages, and sets up their stages, the week before us. It’s agreed, by both clubs sharing the range, that they should set up their more elaborate stages the week before. A week later we’ll pull a few props from each stage and shoot a more ‘defensive’ scenario, albeit defensive pistol vs run and gun. So, they can select stage designs, no sketchup skills needed. But, in order to carry out my role, I need to modify the stages they post to be suitable for our club shooting style. If I could unlock their designs, delete some props, and modify, it would be great. Please help. Randy W

How would you present the models you create a modify? What format? PDF files? Images? What information do you need to relay? Dimensioned plan and elevation views? 3D perspective views? CAD files for construction?

Very likely you would want SketchUp Pro which would give you LayOut for creating various documents and providing CAD and other import/export options. Pro would be the most flexible for the most options for in and out. It might be that you could make good use of dynamic components, too, which you can make with SketchUp Pro.

Getting way out there DaveR. The models presented by the club before us has 'em as PDF files. 2 D is ample. Jesh, no CAD, no elevation views, no 3D perspective views; whatever the model dimensioned plan was in original. I won’t care. Past stages drawn in ‘Word’ were nice, but our other club nabs their stage models off the net with a distinct ‘sketchup’ appearance. To save labor breaking down their stages and starting over, we’ll adapt. Shooters like to see what stages are being offered and Safety Officers for the 2 disciplines have separate guiding constraints. The only reason 3D sketchup is sought is that’s the format given and from which I’ll modify upon. So, if I drop my pocket $$ on pro, will I be able to take their stages, unlock 'em and modify for our discipline?

SketchUp is designed to be a 3D modeling application. From what you say, it doesn’t sound like you need any version of SketchUp, though.

I definitely need some version to modify stages in the sketchup format. Just don’t know if I can save models from the other club’s online PDF’s and then simplify and modify as needed. I’d hate to drop $300 just to see if it could be done though. Input appreciated.

Sketchup will not help you edit a pdf. You can trace over it but not pull it apart.
It really sounds like you need a pdf editor.

Could you post a screenshot or an example file so we have a better idea of what you need to do.

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OK, here’s stage 1 for tomorrow’s run and gun shoot (USPSA).1601827510Bay 1 - Tote the Punkin.pdf (432.6 KB) Hope this works. I’ll read up on PDF editors (right after dinner.)

The image in that PDF looks like it was created from a SketchUp model but it’s only an image. You could use that as a reference to create your own model in SketchUp but it isn’t a SketchUp model so it’s not something you’ll just open in SketchUp to edit. And editing it in a PDF editor probably won’t give you what you are after, either. You won’t be able to rearrange the elements show in that image or anything along those lines, certainly.

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If you have access to their SketchUp models, then, yes SketchUp Pro would be perfect.

I’m getting a sense of what’s out there and the possibilities to manipulate objects. Yep, a PDF editor didn’t allow any object manipulation. Thanks folks for the replies. Actually been helpful in the manner I look at my situation.