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Thread: sketcchup 2018

  1. #1

    sketcchup 2018

    I got a prompt to upgrade my free sketchup make and when I went to the site it said that sketchup make was discontinued. There is something new called sketchup free that runs in a browser. My experience with browser based apps is that they are usually a poor substitute for a real app. Anyone have any experience with the 2018 version?

  2. #2
    Jim,

    I've been using SketchUp 2018 Pro (the only version of SketchUp 2018 available) since its release. There are a number of useful improvements over SU2017. At the time of the release of SketchUp 2018 Pro, they also announced that going forward, SketchUp Free, which is browser based and versionless, will be what they continue to develop as a no-cost, hobbyist version. SketchUp 2017 Make is still available for hobby use if you prefer a desktop client version and they've said it won't be going away any time soon.

    Currently SketchUp Free is not quite as full-featured as SketchUp 2017 Make but they are making updates to it on a regular basis. Sometimes there are three or four updates in a single week. It is very usable as it is and will work for most users. The cool thing is that you can access it and your models from anywhere that has an internet connection. Once the app loads into your browser it uses very little bandwidth so it doesn't require an especially fast connection. Even if you are using Make 2017, it's worth giving Sketchup Free a try.

    FWIW, here are some images of a model I did entirely in SketchUp Free. No problems at all.
    Last edited by Dave Richards; 01-15-2018 at 9:02 PM. Reason: fixed typo

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
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    I think I'm still using SketchUp 2008. One of these days I'll get around to upgrading.

    Here's an image of a simple model. http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/D0001.jpg

  4. #4
    Ted, that looks good. The majority of Sketchup non-pro users in the world are using older versions.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Thanks, Dave. I'll have to check it out. I have SketchUp Make 2017 on my Macs and am starting to use the application again now that I have more or less full time time available for the shop.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
    Jim, one thing you might find useful is to keep your Macs in the house and upload your models to the Warehouse or to Trimble Connect. Then access them through your internet browser on another computer in the shop through SketchUp Free.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Marietta, GA
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    Thanks Dave. Here's http://7.62x54r.net/LUrackInstructions.pdf some assembly instructions for a gun rack I sell that I used SketchUp for the drawings. I didn't bother to model the threads on the hardware, but I could have.

  8. #8
    Sketchup pro is $700! Is it really worth that much more than the free version for woodworkers? (Someone replied to the thread that they use pro...)

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    Dickinson, Texas
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    Price AutoCad.

    I have both Sketchup and Autocad. I used AutoCad for years.

    Sketchup is friendlier for woodworkers.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Barstow View Post
    Sketchup pro is $700! Is it really worth that much more than the free version for woodworkers? (Someone replied to the thread that they use pro...)
    Jim,

    I use Pro. I started using it long before a free version was first offered by Google. At the time I bought it, I was using it for my personal woodworking projects. I realized it was like a power tool for my shop. For me that use has grown considerably and now I use SketchUp for work I do for other people. The combination of SketchUp and LayOut result in a very nice suite for creating presentations, proposal, and plans.

    Those who are using SketchUp for woodworking and are selling their woodworking need to be using SketchUp Pro. The EULAs for SketchUp Make and SketchUp Free expressly state they are for non-commercial use.

  11. #11
    For most amateur woodworkers, SketchUp Make or the new SketchUp Free do everything you need to do. SketchUp Pro has solid tools which let you use one part (like a tenon) to cut a mating part (like a mortise) with a couple of mouse clicks. This can still be accomplished in the free versions, but it takes a bit more effort. The big reason to go Pro is if you need to import/export vector files to other programs, like AutoCAD or CNC uses. SketchUp Pro also comes with a page layout program called LayOut that makes it possible to create printed documents with multiple views. The initial license is about $700, but from there on yearly updates are about $120/year. In my mind this is a bargain compared to other software.

    -- Bob Lang

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Barstow View Post
    Sketchup pro is $700! Is it really worth that much more than the free version for woodworkers? (Someone replied to the thread that they use pro...)
    The features that get turned on in the pro version very much are useful to many folks. I actually had a paid "pro" version many years ago and moved to "free' when I wasn't using it enough to pay the upgrade costs. In hindsight, that wasn't a good thing now that I'm moving toward more paid work.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #13
    if you still want to run a local app instead of a net connected browser - https://www.sketchup.com/download/all

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    Price AutoCad.

    I have both Sketchup and Autocad. I used AutoCad for years.

    Sketchup is friendlier for woodworkers.
    Isn't Sketchup more similar to the Fusion 360 product from Autodesk? It's been a while since I've used AutoCad, but I use both Sketchup and Fusion 360 quite a bit and they are very similar products. The commercial licenses use different models, but are generally the same order of magnitude.

    Fusion 360 is free for non-commercial use or for startups that have less than a certain amount of revenue. I use it mainly for CNC CAD/CAM, but it seems capable for woodworking design tasks.

    --Dan

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
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    if you have a spouse in education or a student with an education email, it's about 60$ a year for the pro. You have to apply and provide proof, i.e. student/teacher id. My son had a copy he used all through high school.

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