Sketchup Versions Questions

[Greg R Bradley]

I've really started to like Sketchup for simple work after buying Dave Richards' Tutorial.

I was fairly happy with v8 but the lack of 3d Warehouse working with that caused me to upgrade to 2013.

Sketchup 2013 was compatible for creating Symbols in Chief Architect x6. Symbols is their word for items like furniture, cabinets, windows, doors, lighting, etc.

I'm just setting up a new Workstation for my own use and went ahead and installed Sketchup 2016. CA x6 doesn't import those and saving in 2013 format is a pain because as you save your work it saves in 2016 format and then you have to remember to save a final one to use for CA.

I haven't yet seen much difference so am considering just installing Sketchup 2013 for everything. What am I losing?

Sketchup is a pain with older versions as it tries to get me to update every time I open it. Almost as bad as Microsoft trying to get me to downgrade to Windows 10.

[Greg R Bradley]

I thought I would update this in case the information helps anyone else.

Dave Richards sent me a PM and explained some of the improvements in Sketchup 2016. This included the inability of Sketchup 2013 to use the 3d Warehouse, which was new information. I didn't realize that had changed or I never would have considered using the old one.

It also looks like the new Trays will be a help and are starting to have some Soldiworks - like features. This is particularly helpful if you are taking something from the 3d Warehouse and modifying it for your use. Most of the Sketchup files posted on 3d Warehouse are horribly amateurish and created illogically.

It looks like some of the issues that were causing me problems importing Sketchup files into Chief Architect were related to CA, not Sketchup. The problems aren't there with my new computer, a new install of CA and Sketchup 2016, and a new Sketchup file imported into a new CA file.

[Larry Browning]

....Dave Richards sent me a PM and explained some of the improvements in Sketchup 2016. .......

There is not much about Sketchup that Dave can't help with. He is an awesome resource to all of us here at SMC.

I will be retiring at the end of the year and one of the first things on my post retirement bucket list is to learn how to properly use Sketchup. My plan is to get Dave's tutorial DVD and then try to talk him into once again help me get to where I can draw a little more than a square box. (Which is about all I can do now!)

[glenn bradley]

A little off topic but, I just wanted to add something. When I watched Dave's DVD I learned just as much from watching "how" he was doing something as I did from "what" he was demonstrating. I apply this method to most SU tutorials I watch now.