SketchUp, for FREE!

[Todd Burch]

You've all been wanting it, now go get it, for free. That's right!!!

Todd

http://www.sketchup.com/index.php?id=1439

[Todd Burch]

Here's a better link. http://sketchup.google.com/

[Matt Meiser]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was about out of time on my third and final computer!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Is this a gimmick? What did I miss? I've watched the awesome things folks are doing with sketchup......

[Matt Meiser]

Is this a gimmick? What did I miss? I've watched the awesome things folks are doing with sketchup......

Google typically does this from what I heard. It is free specifically for home use. There is a list of limitation on the site Todd listed, but I can't see that any of them will affect that average user. Mostly they affect the ability to export to CAD software.

[Dan Larson]

Holy cow!!!

Thanks for the heads up! I downloaded it right away before Google has second thoughts about giving this amazing software away. I was wondering what I would do when the time expired on my demonstration copy...

Thanks Todd, you just made my day!

Dan

[Lars Thomas]

Todd, thanks for posting this. This is a cool tool. Any good sites (I know about the sketchup site) with reference/teaching material on the tool? With all the new Sketchup users we will have on SMC, we might even need a dedicated forum!!

[Pam Niedermayer]

Hmmm, wonder when they'll be refunding my $400.

Pam

[Todd Burch]

Pam, there are now 2 products. You and I have what is now called SketchUp Pro. Google (@Last was bought by Google recently) has pared Sketchup down some and gives it away and calls it Google SketchUp. With the free version, you can't export in many of the file formats that most professionals would use for CAD. Nor can you export movies. There are some other restictions as well, like no technical support. While the target market for this freeware is not woodworkers, woodworkers can CERTAINLY still use Google SketchUp for designing cabinets, furniture, etc., with no limitations on the features they would need.

Todd

[David Fried]

Mac version coming soon ... guess I'll have to wait a llittle longer.

[Keith Starosta]

Pam, there are now 2 products. You and I have what is now called SketchUp Pro. Google (@Last was bought by Google recently) has pared Sketchup down some and gives it away and calls it Google SketchUp. With the free version, you can't export in many of the file formats that most professionals would use for CAD. Nor can you export movies. There are some other restictions as well, like no technical support. While the target market for this freeware is not woodworkers, woodworkers can CERTAINLY still use Google SketchUp for designing cabinets, furniture, etc., with no limitations on the features they would need.

Todd

Not having Google/@Last tech support for this product shouldn't be a problem for those of us on this site. We have so many very talented people using this product, I haven't seen a question posted yet that hasn't been handled by someone. And I bet that situation gets even better now that more folks are going to be using it.

By the way, Todd...it's good to see you post here again. I know I'm not the only one who misses the work that you used to post. Quit that software gig, and start making sawdust again!!

- Keith

[Keith Starosta]

Todd, or anyone else who has tried this...with the new Google SketchUp, will it allow you to open and modify .skp files that were created using versions 4 or 5?

I sure hope so.....

- Keith

[Todd Burch]

Keith, yes.

[Keith Starosta]

So I downloaded and installed the free version, and have one comment at the onset. While I understand the concept behind the 3D Warehouse, and how they want folks to use it as a library of models and components, I wish the components library within the tool itself hadn't been changed. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, or they've moved them, but when I go to Components under the Window menu, the only thing I see is a "sampler" folder with a few random items. I know the warehouse is going to fill up pretty quickly with A LOT of stuff, but I liked the old component library as well.

Just my $.02.

- Keith

[Dave Richards]

Keith, I think you can still download the components from the SU site. Look here: http://www.sketchup.com/?sid=38 In SU5 they didn't include all the components and just put in samplers.

don't forget, you can make your own components of things such as molding profiles or whaever and add them to your component library so you can retreive them later.