Sketch up going subscription only

[Chris Fairbanks]

https://forums.sketchup.com/t/same-sketchup-you-love-a-new-way-to-buy/127392/50

i suspect this is going to be the end of sketch up. It’s going to kill off the community that really drives it as a tool in our hobby and many other hobbies. It would be one thing if they had a lower priced option for the hobby users and actually were developing features. I don’t think it’s seen any major engine changes since google owned them. Anyone have any other alternatives out there? Also register for a forum account and let them know your thoughts.

[Frank Pratt]

I wonder what the status of SketchUp Make 2017 will be. I got a thing about software subscriptions - I don't do them. I'm happy to buy it outright, but I'm not gonna pay a subscription for it.

[Jon Nuckles]

Here is a quote from a Sketch Up Team Member about Make 2017 found on the site linked to by Chris above:

SketchUp Make 2017 doesn’t use a license so it won’t be affected by this change. That being said, at some point we do remove old installers and that will be the case with 2017, not even relating to this licensing change. If you have a class that uses it, you may wish to keep a copy of the installer available rather than be surprised if we remove it. (Note that we really only adjust our download availability when updating with a new version… so it shouldn’t be a surprise when that page changes.)

[Andrew Seemann]

I've decided to break down and learn one of these computer based design thingies, mostly so I can easily work on furniture designs when I can't be in the shop, and without having to draft them.

I gave up on SketchUp just this morning. The free web based version is too stripped down for my patience level, the "Shop" version not enough of an improvement to justify its price, and the Pro version costs way more than I am willing to pay. I don't want to use Make, since it is no longer being updated, and at some point it will not be compatible with current operating systems.

I'm giving SketchList 3D a look at on Youtube now. Hopefully that will pan out. I really want something that will make cut lists and 2D drawings. I have reached the age where I have a habit of subtracting quarter inches when I should be adding them, and the reverse.

[John K Jordan]

...I don’t think it’s seen any major engine changes since google owned them. ...

There have actually been very few changes since the original development from At Last, before Google bought it. I have a comprehensive book from then and almost everything works the same in the latest version I have. It has the same core features many of the original limitations. As a long-time 3D modeler and animator with 3D Studio Max I'm quite familiar with the normal development process and evolution of such software. Sketchup looks to me like software that was written by some wizards and since then no one in the companies that bought it understood or dared to touch or improve the core. There are some great things about SketchUp (such as the snaps) but in general the architecture is clumsy and inflexible. My opinion, of course.

[Tom Dixon]

If they managed a Sketchup subscription like Adobe does with Adobe Creative Cloud where the App is a desktop app, is constantly updated and improved and is a reasonable monthly subscription price I'd do it. But as stated above they really haven't improved the product in years and the price for Pro is outrageous. The online versions suck and can't use any of the plugins. Whoever is managing Sketchup is an idiot. It's like they are trying to kill it.

[Matt Day]

This is a bummer! Off to download Make 2017 to keep it on a thumb drive in case my computer dies....

[Joe Jensen]

Thanks, downloaded the PC and MAC versions

[Brian Holcombe]

They're going the same route as every other software type company seems to be going. I paid (monthly) for quickbooks. It has some minor benefits over the software only version but its not all that appealing to me to pay monthly for such a minor service.

Same with sketchup, I downloaded their software and being that I'm running a 'corporation' I paid the full price of their software. I'm not doing that plus paying monthly so if the software fails to function at some point I will learn a new software and move on.

I'm ok with paying on a subscription basis for stuff that is really worth it (continuously added content, for example) but with many of these things the added service aspect of it is really a stretch.

[Thomas Crawford]

I pay monthly for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (I'm actually a beta tester) - its totally worth it. They continually make improvements and add new features and give you some cloud storage and an iphone app.

There is a 0% chance I'm going to pay for something like sketchup that has shown no inclination to improve or iterate on their product. Subscriptions are certainly the future but you have to show the users that they are getting something out of the deal. $20/month is too steep for a hobbiest like me. If you are a pro it might be worth it. In my mind its probably worth $50/year for me IF it was getting better.

[Lisa Starr]

I've never used Sketchup, so not sure of the features offered. I use full blown Autocad at work, so am comfortable with CAD systems. On my laptop at home I use LibreCad. I has plenty of features to create my shop drawings for projects and it is completely free.

[John K Jordan]

... On my laptop at home I use LibreCad. I has plenty of features to create my shop drawings for projects and it is completely free.

I'll look that up. Is it 2D only or have 3D features? Either way it could be useful since I don't have Autocad OR 3dsmax loaded anymore. (That computer quit booting a couple of years after I retired and I never got around to fixing it or transferring the license to another computer - hardly worth the effort for casual use.)

[Joe Jensen]

Looks like the Hobbyist version will still be free and it's just the paid versions going subscription but I may have read it wrong

[Chris Fairbanks]

Looks like the Hobbyist version will still be free and it's just the paid versions going subscription but I may have read it wrong

it’s the web only version and is extremely limited, slow/clunky and support no plug-ins. For me it’s either the 2017 maker or learn something new. No way am I going to give them that much money for no new features. Like others have said if they were like adobe I would easily do a $10 a month package if they kept the thing updated but they have shown they cannot do that.

[John K Jordan]

I've never used Sketchup, so not sure of the features offered. I use full blown Autocad at work, so am comfortable with CAD systems. On my laptop at home I use LibreCad. I has plenty of features to create my shop drawings for projects and it is completely free.


I'll look that up. Is it 2D only or have 3D features? Either way it could be useful since I don't have Autocad OR 3dsmax loaded anymore. (That computer quit booting a couple of years after I retired and I never got around to fixing it or transferring the license to another computer - hardly worth the effort for casual use.)


it’s the web only version and is extremely limited, slow/clunky and support no plug-ins. For me it’s either the 2017 maker or learn something new. No way am I going to give them that much money for no new features. Like others have said if they were like adobe I would easily do a $10 a month package if they kept the thing updated but they have shown they cannot do that.

Chris, is this an answer to my question about the LibreCad program Lisa mentioned? From a quick search it appears be 2D only. I haven't heard of it but I'm interested in user experiences.

JKJ

[Paul F Franklin]

If you go back and review the release notes for older versions (and the current version), you will see that trimble has been quite active at supporting and improving sketchup and related programs.
Perhaps it doesn't seem like it because many of the new features and function have been in things like Layout and Style editor, things that many casual users don't use a lot. They have also made major improvements in the Ruby and C APIs that are used by the folks developing extensions.

I actually like that the basic interface and functionality has remained fairly stable. With very few exceptions, it does everything I need and I much prefer that they not clutter it up with a zillion little things that very few people ever would use, just so they can say they are improving it. There are many, many, useful extensions available for special tasks (like generating dovetails and rounding and chamfering edges, etc.) and I can load them and use them as needed, and get them out of the way when not needed.

I'm not a huge fan of the subscription model, but having been in the software development business for most of my career, I understand why most vendors are moving to it. I'm happy to pay a few hundred a year for sketchup pro; I easily get that much value from it.

[Chris Fairbanks]

Chris, is this an answer to my question about the LibreCad program Lisa mentioned? From a quick search it appears be 2D only. I haven't heard of it but I'm interested in user experiences.

JKJ


John, I meant the reply to Joe's note but somehow clicked on yours. I just edited the post :) Thanks

[John K Jordan]

John, I meant the reply to Joe's note but somehow clicked on yours. I just edited the post :) Thanks

Ah, and rats, I was hoping for voices of experience.. Maybe you have time to download and learn LibreCad and post an in-depth evaluation? :D

[Bryan Hunt]

For those of you no happy with the direction of SketchUp, Fusion 360 is free for the hobbyist. If you go to YouTube and search for Fusion 360 and Lars Christensen, he does an awesome job at explaining the tool.

[Lisa Starr]

John, I don't use it, but I do believe LibreCad offers 3D (Isometric) features

[Joe Jensen]

I use the free version for sketches as I find it quicker. Fusion360 is superior and free if you do under $100K of revenue a year. I have designed several parts for 3D printing and it's robust.


it’s the web only version and is extremely limited, slow/clunky and support no plug-ins. For me it’s either the 2017 maker or learn something new. No way am I going to give them that much money for no new features. Like others have said if they were like adobe I would easily do a $10 a month package if they kept the thing updated but they have shown they cannot do that.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Same business model as the drug dealers, give you some free samples, get you hooked, and then start charging.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

OnShape is a nice option. I've used a number of professional solid modeling and 2D packages. OnShape was started from some guys at SolidWorks and it is pretty easy to get started.
I also like that I can pull up my models on my phone or any computer at anytime. The only downside is the free version requires public access to the files but I'm not doing any proprietary work on it. I have other options for that if needed.

[Pete Staehling]

Ah, and rats, I was hoping for voices of experience.. Maybe you have time to download and learn LibreCad and post an in-depth evaluation? :D
I did a quick look and LibreCad looks interesting for a guy like me who made his living for a lot of years using and programming for 2D AutoCad. Folks designed 3D stuff using 3 view drawings on paper for a very long time and later electronically long before real 3D modeling was available. I'd actually go so far as to argue that for a lot of what I would want to do it is an easier way to go. That may just be because I spent a lot of years doing things that way so my brain is now kind of wired that way.

It has been quite a while now since I actually worked in CAD I moved on to other IT jobs and then some web programming before retiring so my cad skills are rusty to non existent. That said LibreCad looks familiar and I was able to jump in and draw some simple stuff pretty easily so it must be pretty AutoCad like.