SketchUp - pro or free?

[BigShot]

Hi folks.
I've decided it's about time I got SketchUp. I work with AutoCAD so most of what I design is done in there, but I'd like to be able to view and play with SketchUp files too; if I like it I may even start using it more and more.

The question is, do I go for SketchUp Pro, or the free one?
I see Pro has an 8 hour trial, once that period expires, what happens? Does it stop working entirely, lose some functionality or just give some sort of "nag" to get you to cough up the £318 for a licence?



In other news:
I can't help but get the feeling Google have missed a trick with SU Pro.
Something about 80% cheaper without the same support from Google would get FAR more purchases (and a lot more profit) than they get now.
I just can't see them selling enough copies to professionals to make up for what they aren't taking in from increased sales to non-pro users who'd like the extra functionality.

 

[Chris Knight]

Get to grips with the free version and only go for the Pro version when you absolutely need its features. Apart from minor things, the two programs are almost identical in usage for straightforward things and you won't waste time on the trial version of Pro as you become familiar with the program.

You need to revert to the free version when the trial version expires (I am not sure if it does that automatically now but it might). I know I actually reinstalled the free version when I tried the Pro version some time ago.

 

[RobertMP]

I've not used the pro version, just the free one. It does all I need.

I also came to it from Autocad and learning sketchup was a struggle as first. The autocad way of doing things does not apply to drawing in sketchup. Forget layers and instead think components. Any time you draw something make it into a component. No single lines on the drawing anywhere - except the new part you are currently drawing. Treble click one line to select all connected lines then right click to make component. You can edit components to change things so saving before it is finished is fine. You can also have mirrored and/or rotated copies of components on the drawing (eg table legs). If you need another item similar to an existing component you can right click a copy and 'make unique' so edits do not affect other instances.

Components is what made the sketchup way of doing things work for me. A bit like using blocks in autocad but they are not saved externally to the drawing.
I don't use autocad for my woodworking any more. Sketchup is the tool for the job.

 

[BigShot]

Thanks for the responses folks.

Waterhead - that's a good point about getting used to the free one first. It'd be a bit silly to have the clock ticking on a Pro trial while learning the basic mechanics common to both versions.

Having looked at some of the features on the Pro version (things like DWG exports) I'm pretty sure I'd need some features if I decided to move over to sketchup for work - though that would be a way off anyway as I know how to use AutoCAD for what I do and it'd slow me down a lot to change.


Robert - It's nice to hear from another AutoCAD user - particularly re: differences between them in terms of layers, blocks and components.

I can't tell without getting my hands (virtually) dirty whether it will do the trick for work, but it certainly sounds like just the job for woodworking.

 

[Steve Maskery]

The main difference between the free and pro, as far as I can tell, is the ability to output images to a higher resolution. Yes there is Layout and probably one or two other features too, but in terms of drawing functionality, SUFree is as useable as SUPro.

By all means get Pro when you know you need it, but until then, save your pennies.

My 2p
S

 

[BigShot]

Well, that's 8p now (I got 2p by PM too) and all of you have suggested basically the same, which is often a good sign.

Steve, if I really get on well with SU and decide to use it for work, the layout feature and exporting to *.DWG will be essential so that would lead to an upgrade. It's a big "if" though.

Definitely going to go for Free (got it downloaded and will be installing it for a play later).

Then it's just a matter of learning to use the thing (which, from the videos on the SU Website, looks very straightforwards and rather intuitive - to me) which shouldn't be a chore if it's as good as it looks.

 

[xy mosian]

Didn't Dave R, in one of his last posts, suggest that there is a plugin for Sketchup Free to allow the export of drawings in DWG format?

I'll try and find the link, but if anyone else has come across this.

xy

Edit - found it.

Dvae R wrote here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=36644

"AutoCAD can certainly give you DXF files as can pretty much any other CAD program. The pro version of SketchUp will also give you DXF files natively while the free version will with a free plugin from Google. Depending on exactly what you want to draw, SketchUp might work for you and it is certainly useful for other things. The free version's price can't be beat and the learning curve is not so steep as AutoCAD. I would think you could get free trials of most any CAD application. Probably the best thing to do is give them a try."

OK! he mentions DXF files so not DWG but I'll try to find the plugin.
xy

 

[Shultzy]

BigShot, if you want to see what's possible in sketchup have a look at the 3D warehouse and download a model that's most close to the work you do.

 

[oddsocks]

Go for the free version and follow all the tutorials on Aidan CHopras site that accompanies the Sketchup7 for dummies book (which I have and recommend)
http://www.aidanchopra.com/tableofcontents

This link goes to many YouTube videos but lets you keep in order and the follow /supplement the book. I have been using sketchup for about a year and only last week realised that double clicking a push pull automatically applied the last used value (great when resizing the front, sides and back of a drawer). I saw the same function demo'd on Aidan's site today....I must read all of the book and not dip in and out!

...and following on from Schultzy's comment, in chapter 4 a video demonstrates the power of the 3d warehouse and other component libraries

Dave

 

[xy mosian]

Ok! I have not managed to find a free dwg file exporter for Sketchup. However 'waterhead37' in a recent thread here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=37260 mentions a CAD program 'Doublecad'. I have downloaded it this morning, second go worked, and installed it, not as easy as it could have been but no real problem, and yes. Doublecad can import Sketchup files and save them in dwg format. Now to me it's worth having for that alone. How easy the program is to use, how accurate the file conversions are etc.. I cannot tell yet.
Thanks Chris

xy

 

[Chris Knight]

Glad it worked for you xy