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#1
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
There was a previous posting "Free Version of SketchUp" on 4/27;
however, I'm starting a new thread because I think woodworkers who have any experience with diagramming software or CAD may not have realized the significance of the event: Google making available a free version of SketchUp and the fact that Google is behind it. (Maybe there always has been a free version and it just didn't catch my attention? Any rate, with Google associated with it, this is going to have some staying power.) I was unaware of SketchUp until three days ago and have spent several hours exploring its capabilities and the Ruby API to determine what may be possible with Google's free version. Basically, I've concluded this offering by Google could be a significant event for woodworkers who are computer literate and connected to the Internet. I believe this is one of those programs where collaboration by woodworkers could prove to be something pretty significant and give Google a "Bravo!" for making this available in conjunction with a repository for sharing work. What I'd like to do is determine how many people who read this newsgroup are actually interested in using SketchUp and collaborating on building some common components. By collaborating, I'm thinking of things such as have small components, e.g. mortise-tenon joints, dovetail joints, profiles of router cutters and other basic type components to create models from. One project that comes to mind very quickly is taking a lumber cut list in Microsoft Excel and having the final cut pieces automatically generated in SketchUp for assembly; and possibly, vice-versa -- design the components/model and then export them to Excel for a cut list. If you think you might be interested in SketchUp and designing in it, would you please email me with the subject line: "SketchUp rec.woodworking" and a brief comment on your impressions with SketchUp and if you do any programming and would be interested in discussing what stuff could be created that caters to woodworkers. I'd really like to know if there are only a handful of people whom this might interest, or if the numbers go into the tens, or even possibly hundreds. I'll reply post to this thread with a count of responses as may be appropriate. Please ignore this request after June 30, 2006. Email to: subject line: SketchUp rec.woodworking Hope I'm not alone in being excited about this significant event, I've been thinking about a software package to design with, I used several in the early 1990s and just found them to be too cumbersome, so this was a welcomed "freebie", especially since I can collaborate. John Poole |
#2
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
John L. Poole wrote:
snip I should have included links: http://www.sketchup.com/index.php?id=1439 and http://sketchup.google.com/ |
#3
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
On Mon, 01 May 2006 03:18:43 GMT, "John L. Poole"
wrote: I was unaware of SketchUp until three days ago and have spent several hours exploring its capabilities and the Ruby API to determine what may be possible with Google's free version. Basically, I've concluded this offering by Google could be a significant event for woodworkers who are computer literate and connected to the Internet. I believe this is one of those programs where collaboration by woodworkers could prove to be something pretty significant and give Google a "Bravo!" for making this available in conjunction with a repository for sharing work. I played with it a bit. I got stuck trying to figure out how to get a profile to wrap around 4 sides of an object. Ie, I wanted to put a roundover on all edges. After the first side I couldn't drag the profile all the way to the edge. There must be a way around that but I couldn't figure it out in the time I spent. Plus it doesn't seem to like working with anything less than 1/4". It'll do it, but you have to correct everything typing it in. -Leuf |
#4
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
John,
FYI. I don't know if you saw the following links from within the SketchUp website, so here they a http://www.sketchucation.com/index.htm and http://www.sketchup.com/?sid=38 Scroll down to find Woodworking info in each link. They also have their own forums there as well. Hope this helps. Peter. "John L. Poole" wrote in message om... There was a previous posting "Free Version of SketchUp" on 4/27; however, I'm starting a new thread because I think woodworkers who have any experience with diagramming software or CAD may not have realized the significance of the event: Google making available a free version of SketchUp and the fact that Google is behind it. (Maybe there always has been a free version and it just didn't catch my attention? Any rate, with Google associated with it, this is going to have some staying power.) I was unaware of SketchUp until three days ago and have spent several hours exploring its capabilities and the Ruby API to determine what may be possible with Google's free version. Basically, I've concluded this offering by Google could be a significant event for woodworkers who are computer literate and connected to the Internet. I believe this is one of those programs where collaboration by woodworkers could prove to be something pretty significant and give Google a "Bravo!" for making this available in conjunction with a repository for sharing work. What I'd like to do is determine how many people who read this newsgroup are actually interested in using SketchUp and collaborating on building some common components. By collaborating, I'm thinking of things such as have small components, e.g. mortise-tenon joints, dovetail joints, profiles of router cutters and other basic type components to create models from. One project that comes to mind very quickly is taking a lumber cut list in Microsoft Excel and having the final cut pieces automatically generated in SketchUp for assembly; and possibly, vice-versa -- design the components/model and then export them to Excel for a cut list. If you think you might be interested in SketchUp and designing in it, would you please email me with the subject line: "SketchUp rec.woodworking" and a brief comment on your impressions with SketchUp and if you do any programming and would be interested in discussing what stuff could be created that caters to woodworkers. I'd really like to know if there are only a handful of people whom this might interest, or if the numbers go into the tens, or even possibly hundreds. I'll reply post to this thread with a count of responses as may be appropriate. Please ignore this request after June 30, 2006. Email to: subject line: SketchUp rec.woodworking Hope I'm not alone in being excited about this significant event, I've been thinking about a software package to design with, I used several in the early 1990s and just found them to be too cumbersome, so this was a welcomed "freebie", especially since I can collaborate. John Poole |
#5
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
Perfect. I was unaware of sketchucation.com. The woodworking forum
therein is very much what I was contemplating. And they have a Ruby forum under the Pro Users forum. Peter, thank you. Peter Bogiatzidis wrote: John, FYI. I don't know if you saw the following links from within the SketchUp website, so here they a http://www.sketchucation.com/index.htm and http://www.sketchup.com/?sid=38 Scroll down to find Woodworking info in each link. They also have their own forums there as well. Hope this helps. Peter. "John L. Poole" wrote in message om... snip |
#6
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
On 4/30/06, John L. Poole wrote:
There was a previous posting "Free Version of SketchUp" on 4/27; however, I'm starting a new thread because I think woodworkers who have any experience with diagramming software or CAD may not have realized the significance of the event: Google making available a free version of SketchUp and the fact that Google is behind it. (Maybe there always has been a free version and it just didn't catch my attention? Any rate, with Google associated with it, this is going to have some staying power.) I was unaware of SketchUp until three days ago and have spent several hours exploring its capabilities and the Ruby API to determine what may be possible with Google's free version. Basically, I've concluded this offering by Google could be a significant event for woodworkers who are computer literate and connected to the Internet. I believe this is one of those programs where collaboration by woodworkers could prove to be something pretty significant and give Google a "Bravo!" for making this available in conjunction with a repository for sharing work. What I'd like to do is determine how many people who read this newsgroup are actually interested in using SketchUp and collaborating on building some common components. By collaborating, I'm thinking of things such as have small components, e.g. mortise-tenon joints, dovetail joints, profiles of router cutters and other basic type components to create models from. One project that comes to mind very quickly is taking a lumber cut list in Microsoft Excel and having the final cut pieces automatically generated in SketchUp for assembly; and possibly, vice-versa -- design the components/model and then export them to Excel for a cut list. If you think you might be interested in SketchUp and designing in it, would you please email me with the subject line: "SketchUp rec.woodworking" and a brief comment on your impressions with SketchUp and if you do any programming and would be interested in discussing what stuff could be created that caters to woodworkers. I'd really like to know if there are only a handful of people whom this might interest, or if the numbers go into the tens, or even possibly hundreds. I'll reply post to this thread with a count of responses as may be appropriate. Please ignore this request after June 30, 2006. Email to: subject line: SketchUp rec.woodworking Hope I'm not alone in being excited about this significant event, I've been thinking about a software package to design with, I used several in the early 1990s and just found them to be too cumbersome, so this was a welcomed "freebie", especially since I can collaborate. John Poole Just an update: As of May 6 (about 7 days since the original posting) I have had two people contact me. In the meantime, I have verified that SketchUp (through its Ruby Interpreter) can, with some tweaking, communicate with Microsoft Excel (and any other OLE compliant program such as MS Word, Photoshop, InDesign -- haven't tested the latter three, but I'm confident I can access/manipulate these programs as may be desired). So, a Cutlist Microsoft Excel spreadsheet based on “Making a Cutlist,” in the March/April 2005 issue of Fine Woodworking (#176) downloadable at: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00166.asp could be a source of model parts within SketchUp. Perhaps this is overkill? |
#7
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
....
What I'd like to do is determine how many people who read this newsgroup are actually interested in using SketchUp and collaborating on building some common components. By collaborating, I'm thinking of things such as have small components, e.g. mortise-tenon joints, dovetail joints, profiles of router cutters and other basic type components to create models from. One project that comes to mind very quickly is taking a lumber cut list in Microsoft Excel and having the final cut pieces automatically generated in SketchUp for assembly; and possibly, vice-versa -- design the components/model and then export them to Excel for a cut list. If you think you might be interested in SketchUp and designing in it, would you please email me with the subject line: "SketchUp rec.woodworking" and a brief comment on your impressions with ... .... I downloaded and played with it, and I agree it's darned good as a freebie and a fully capable piece of softare w/r to doing what it says it will do. I'm actually impressed with many of its features and although it's no full blown CADD, it is indeed capable of almost all woodworking chores what would be required of it. However, I'm not inclined to e-mail the poster, nor do I think it's wise to put all my eggs into that basket for the following reasons: -- I don't e-mail strangers I don't know, nor do I give out personal info of any kind online; all for obvious reasons. I might however be tempted to do so anonymously on a web site. -- At $500 a pop for retail, that's way over the top. The freebie version is obviously a great idea IFF it's not used as a bait & switch down the road, which is where I think it's headed. -- I don't see the freebie version lasting much longer. If an installed base can be confirmed, then the freebie will go to a pay-for version. So if you really like the freebie version, archive it for the future or you may be sorry. -- It's only an opinion, but I think it's being used as a puller and if enough people can be talked into creating design works in a proprietary format, they will be forced to either abandon those designs or spend the money to upgrade to the $495 full version. I saw some hype that claims it exports to common CADD formats, but I don't see anything in the freebie version. IF it's there, I haven't found it yet. Maybe I just missed it? Don't think so, but I've done stupid things like that before. The only export I've found is to .PNG graphic format. -- Another thing that bothers me is I get a Firewall alert every time I use it where it's trying to call home - I don't know what that's about. Maybe it's just trying for update info - but I don't -know- that. -- All that said, I do have to admit that it's a pretty darned good implementation and so far bug free. The above are some of the issues I'd have to see addressed before I'd seriously doing anything but playing with it. Regards, Pop |
#8
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
"Pop" wrote in message news:zqo7g.3059$iH5.1816@trndny07... -- At $500 a pop for retail, that's way over the top. I don't know. The cad app I usually use is near double that though it is real cad. The freebie version is obviously a great idea IFF it's not used as a bait & switch down the road, which is where I think it's headed. Doubt it's a bait and switch but they are trying to get you to buy the full version. -- I don't see the freebie version lasting much longer. If an installed base can be confirmed, then the freebie will go to a pay-for version. So if you really like the freebie version, archive it for the future or you may be sorry. Good advice. There probably will be a time when it's no longer free. -- It's only an opinion, but I think it's being used as a puller and if enough people can be talked into creating design works in a proprietary format, they will be forced to either abandon those designs or spend the money to upgrade to the $495 full version. Definatly. Several years ago, one of the major cad companies put out a very good, functional freeby. I messed around with it a bit but never used it for much as I knew that they were just trying to get you on the hook. It had to be registered on a regular basis or it would not run. Registration was free but I knew that a time would come when it quite working and they would say you had to buy the full version. The price was in the several thousand dollar range. No way. I saw some hype that claims it exports to common CADD formats, but I don't see anything in the freebie version. IF it's there, I haven't found it yet. Maybe I just missed it? Don't think so, but I've done stupid things like that before. The only export I've found is to .PNG graphic format. I know it will export to dwg but not sure what other formats. Yes, that is only in the pay version. -- Another thing that bothers me is I get a Firewall alert every time I use it where it's trying to call home - I don't know what that's about. Maybe it's just trying for update info - but I don't -know- that. Yes, it has an auto update feature. -- All that said, I do have to admit that it's a pretty darned good implementation and so far bug free. The above are some of the issues I'd have to see addressed before I'd seriously doing anything but playing with it. Regards, Pop |
#9
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
Pop wrote:
I downloaded and played with it, and I agree it's darned good as a freebie and a fully capable piece of softare w/r to doing what it says it will do. I'm actually impressed with many of its features and although it's no full blown CADD, it is indeed capable of almost all woodworking chores what would be required of it. I've been using it for about a year, and I'm still finding out stuff about it. It truly is a piece of beautiful software. The interface is very clean with relatively few buttons and functions apparent, but a lot of power hides underneath it. There's an amazing group of people on the Sketchup forums that are incredibly helpful and are constantly improving its functionality by writing Ruby scripts. It's in the middle ground of open source and proprietary software. However, I'm not inclined to e-mail the poster, nor do I think it's wise to put all my eggs into that basket for the following reasons: -- I don't e-mail strangers I don't know, nor do I give out personal info of any kind online; all for obvious reasons. I might however be tempted to do so anonymously on a web site. -- At $500 a pop for retail, that's way over the top. The freebie version is obviously a great idea IFF it's not used as a bait & switch down the road, which is where I think it's headed. $500 is way over the top? I guess you aren't familiar with Autodesk products. -- I don't see the freebie version lasting much longer. If an installed base can be confirmed, then the freebie will go to a pay-for version. So if you really like the freebie version, archive it for the future or you may be sorry. That's one scenario. A more likely scenario is trying to find a way to take a chunk out of the Autocad pie. Autocad is the industry standard in many industries. Trying to work your way from the top down is tough. Starting a grassroots campaign and work your way up is a lot easier. -- It's only an opinion, but I think it's being used as a puller and if enough people can be talked into creating design works in a proprietary format, they will be forced to either abandon those designs or spend the money to upgrade to the $495 full version. I saw some hype that claims it exports to common CADD formats, but I don't see anything in the freebie version. IF it's there, I haven't found it yet. Maybe I just missed it? Don't think so, but I've done stupid things like that before. The only export I've found is to .PNG graphic format. You didn't miss it. The export functions and saving in different formats is in the pro version. -- Another thing that bothers me is I get a Firewall alert every time I use it where it's trying to call home - I don't know what that's about. Maybe it's just trying for update info - but I don't -know- that. -- All that said, I do have to admit that it's a pretty darned good implementation and so far bug free. The above are some of the issues I'd have to see addressed before I'd seriously doing anything but playing with it. People have no problem dropping a few hundred on a good tool. This is a good tool. R |
#10
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
"RicodJour" wrote in message oups.com... A more likely scenario is trying to find a way to take a chunk out of the Autocad pie. Autocad is the industry standard in many industries. Trying to work your way from the top down is tough. Starting a grassroots campaign and work your way up is a lot easier. |
#11
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
I doubt seriously that the developers of Sketchup had any ideas of
trying to compete with Autocad. There is no comparison. Sketchup, as it's name suggests, is meant for quick concept and presentation drawings. It has no facility to do the detail drafting needed for construction plans. "RicodJour" wrote in message oups.com... A more likely scenario is trying to find a way to take a chunk out of the Autocad pie. Autocad is the industry standard in many industries. Trying to work your way from the top down is tough. Starting a grassroots campaign and work your way up is a lot easier. |
#12
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
CW wrote:
I doubt seriously that the developers of Sketchup had any ideas of trying to compete with Autocad. There is no comparison. Sketchup, as it's name suggests, is meant for quick concept and presentation drawings. It has no facility to do the detail drafting needed for construction plans. It is capable of doing detail drafting. I'm not designing space shuttles, but I use Sketchup for residential design drawings. The dimensioning and annotation capabilities are not as refined as some other programs, but the tradeoff is often worth it. With more complex drawings I export the Sketchup design and refine it in another program. Sketchup already has a plugin that lets the SU design be ported into Architectural Desktop (ADT). ADT is a powerful tool, but it's ridiculously complex for the vast majority of users. My ADT installation, which I have refined over a number of years, has something like 100 buttons visible, and that's not including flyouts. SU uses far fewer buttons with far greater effect. Autodesk is ****ing off a lot of users by constantly updating the program, and many times to little real benefit. Hang out sometime in the alt.architecure newsgroup and see if you can find any fans of ACAD or ADT. They use it, because they've been using it, and because it's pretty much industry standard. When a competitor pops up with an easier to use interface, with nearly all of the functionality, and virutally unlimited money behind the development, it's doubtful that any designer/programmer/internet-search-behemoth-with-world-domination-intentions would stop at that point and say - okay, that's enough. R |
#13
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
There is ZERO confrontational attitude in any of my response;
only food for thought comments. We're all allowed our opines and such. That said: "CW" wrote in message ink.net... "Pop" wrote in message news:zqo7g.3059$iH5.1816@trndny07... -- At $500 a pop for retail, that's way over the top. I don't know. The cad app I usually use is near double that though it is real cad. Well, it's not really a "real" CAD(D) program, either. It's a pretty good conept, and though it can do a lot, Pro and freebie both, it is not a full blown CAD application for where those strengths would be required. Maybe someday it WILL be, but ... you can pretty much bet that the price will more than double if/when it gets to that point, and it will begin to stumble all over itself as any complex application does. From what I read that you get with the "Pro" $495 version, you aren't gaining much except the ability to actually use some real world (as in compatability with) importing/exporting and a few esoteric functions that may or may not be of value. The freebie, good as it is, is actually IMO nothing more than a good morphing engine with a couple of decent libraries tagged onto it. I AM surprised at the omission of real bugs in it though! If they continued with THAT history, user groups aside, they would definitely command a unique place in the market! But right now, it's my opinion that the $500 is way too high for what it does; they're ahead of themselves in that I see no use of the freebie version other than as a demo, which they aren't claiming it to be. Or even a Beta, for that matter. I don't know that I'd use it for ground to sky design of a house or anything larger, but it really is a pretty good woodworking tool and this will get them noticed. I admit that. Add to this my previous comments and I still feel pretty sure of my stance on it. The freebie version is obviously a great idea IFF it's not used as a bait & switch down the road, which is where I think it's headed. Doubt it's a bait and switch but they are trying to get you to buy the full version. No, I actually think it's a form of bait & switch. It likely is headed for a $1200 or higher price tag, and if they can keep it rolling for one or two years they'll be able to, as they are presently attempting, build a fair installed base of their software. In a couple of years, things are goign to look awfully different, and if you are sufficiently embroiled in their app, you'll almost have to buy their product or go through a large investment to sidestep it. To me, that's not acceptable, and that's also why I think it should be calling the freebie a demo or Beta version; it is not what they want to sell, but they are working at getting people to become vested in the software. Today's CAD packages, and CADD packages, are all sufficiently skilled at reading each other's works where I suspect a lot of proprietory control is SU's future. I also suspect that Google may well sell it off again in a few years; they are good at the spin & collect operations there. -- I don't see the freebie version lasting much longer. If an installed base can be confirmed, then the freebie will go to a pay-for version. So if you really like the freebie version, archive it for the future or you may be sorry. Good advice. There probably will be a time when it's no longer free. Yeah, like I said, it actually is a pretty good app for personal work, and not too hard a learning curve. They did do some thinking outside the box, that's for certain. -- It's only an opinion, but I think it's being used as a puller and if enough people can be talked into creating design works in a proprietary format, they will be forced to either abandon those designs or spend the money to upgrade to the $495 full version. Definatly. Several years ago, one of the major cad companies put out a very good, functional freeby. I messed around with it a bit but never used it for much as I knew that they were just trying to get you on the hook. It had to be registered on a regular basis or it would not run. Registration was free but I knew that a time would come when it quite working and they would say you had to buy the full version. The price was in the several thousand dollar range. No way. Hmm, I missed that one. My route was Generic CAD, then AutoCad and then for personal use TurboCad, which seems to interface nicely with everyone else, at least in the instances where i needed it to. I stopped at TC 7 though, finding the following versions to be more fluff than meat, and then retired. So, 7 it is, for me! I had a chance at Acad cheap, but passed on it, as I did with the dBCAD for modelling when they were trying to push it. Anyway, them's my musings fer tadoy, sich 'sitis. For a $199 full blown Pro version and three free upgrades to the freebie, a bit more internal visibility without giving away the store, I'd be able to get a lot more behind them. From a lifetime of work, I can say this one thing with confidence: Beware the entrepreneur - 99% of them are a flash in the pan and missing a grounding in reality. The real trick's to support them to the hilt, and then bail just before they do and you'll make a buck; but don't follow them too far! Of course, I missed out once, big time, and tried to get back in too late! Ouch! G But the other times worked out well enough. Regards, Pop |
#14
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
"RicodJour" writes:
Autodesk is ****ing off a lot of users by constantly updating the program, and many times to little real benefit. As often seems the case with "mature" software, creaping featuritis seems to part of the whole marketing ploy to entice people to upgrade. The features that get added don't add much benefit to most users. Once a software vendor dominates are market, their main competitor becomes the old versions of their own software - not different software packages. The revenue source depends on replacement of previous versions, not new users. At least Autodesk doesn't also control the OS. :-) |
#15
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
Pop wrote:
Well, it's not really a "real" CAD(D) program, either. It's a pretty good conept, and though it can do a lot, Pro and freebie both, it is not a full blown CAD application for where those strengths would be required. Such as...? Maybe someday it WILL be, but ... you can pretty much bet that the price will more than double if/when it gets to that point, and it will begin to stumble all over itself as any complex application does. It is a complex application - it just has a simple interface. I believe it started life as a Mac program. It has a similarly simple interface and is surprisingly stable. From what I read that you get with the "Pro" $495 version, you aren't gaining much except the ability to actually use some real world (as in compatability with) importing/exporting and a few esoteric functions that may or may not be of value. The freebie, good as it is, is actually IMO nothing more than a good morphing engine with a couple of decent libraries tagged onto it. Morphing engine? I don't follow - what does that mean? As far as the Pro version having only a limited number of additional features, I'd think that would you make you more impressed with the free version. As far as the Pro version being worth the five bills, visit the Sketchup forums and see what people have to say. The only people that seem to have issues with it are people who are used to kludgy, grown-from-DOS CAD programs - and that because they don't understand some areas where Sketchup varies from most CAD program interfaces. Those few additional esoteric functions provide export/import features, landscape tools, and the ability to create video. The first video I did for a client paid for the program and shut up the neighbor (who was talking to her lawyer about how the planned project would decrease her property value). I emailed the video to the client, she burned a CD, handed it to the neighbor who then promptly decided that the improvement was an improvement and stopped talking to the lawyer. What's that worth? I AM surprised at the omission of real bugs in it though! If they continued with THAT history, user groups aside, they would definitely command a unique place in the market! But right now, it's my opinion that the $500 is way too high for what it does; they're ahead of themselves in that I see no use of the freebie version other than as a demo, which they aren't claiming it to be. Or even a Beta, for that matter. It is an amazingly bug free program. I think it's crashed on me once in a year of use, and that was because I'd seriously overextended my system resources. I don't know that I'd use it for ground to sky design of a house or anything larger, but it really is a pretty good woodworking tool and this will get them noticed. I admit that. Add to this my previous comments and I still feel pretty sure of my stance on it. {snip} No, I actually think it's a form of bait & switch. It likely is headed for a $1200 or higher price tag, and if they can keep it rolling for one or two years they'll be able to, as they are presently attempting, build a fair installed base of their software. In a couple of years, things are goign to look awfully different, and if you are sufficiently embroiled in their app, you'll almost have to buy their product or go through a large investment to sidestep it. To me, that's not acceptable, and that's also why I think it should be calling the freebie a demo or Beta version; it is not what they want to sell, but they are working at getting people to become vested in the software. Today's CAD packages, and CADD packages, are all sufficiently skilled at reading each other's works where I suspect a lot of proprietory control is SU's future. I also suspect that Google may well sell it off again in a few years; they are good at the spin & collect operations there. -- I don't see the freebie version lasting much longer. If an installed base can be confirmed, then the freebie will go to a pay-for version. So if you really like the freebie version, archive it for the future or you may be sorry. Good advice. There probably will be a time when it's no longer free. Yeah, like I said, it actually is a pretty good app for personal work, and not too hard a learning curve. They did do some thinking outside the box, that's for certain. -- It's only an opinion, but I think it's being used as a puller and if enough people can be talked into creating design works in a proprietary format, they will be forced to either abandon those designs or spend the money to upgrade to the $495 full version. Definatly. Several years ago, one of the major cad companies put out a very good, functional freeby. I messed around with it a bit but never used it for much as I knew that they were just trying to get you on the hook. It had to be registered on a regular basis or it would not run. Registration was free but I knew that a time would come when it quite working and they would say you had to buy the full version. The price was in the several thousand dollar range. No way. Hmm, I missed that one. My route was Generic CAD, then AutoCad and then for personal use TurboCad, which seems to interface nicely with everyone else, at least in the instances where i needed it to. I stopped at TC 7 though, finding the following versions to be more fluff than meat, and then retired. So, 7 it is, for me! I had a chance at Acad cheap, but passed on it, as I did with the dBCAD for modelling when they were trying to push it. I agree with the sentiment on the present state of current CAD programs' "improvements". Autodesk takes the cake. More expensive, and more frequent, "upgrades". If you've ever searched the internet for a CAD detail drawing, you can obviously see the benefit of having a free, searchable online database. It seems to me that is the real value of the whole Sketchup/Google collaboration. Anyway, them's my musings fer tadoy, sich 'sitis. For a $199 full blown Pro version and three free upgrades to the freebie, a bit more internal visibility without giving away the store, I'd be able to get a lot more behind them. From a lifetime of work, I can say this one thing with confidence: Beware the entrepreneur - 99% of them are a flash in the pan and missing a grounding in reality. The real trick's to support them to the hilt, and then bail just before they do and you'll make a buck; but don't follow them too far! Of course, I missed out once, big time, and tried to get back in too late! Ouch! G But the other times worked out well enough. I suppose you could classify Google as a flash in the pan - but it's an awfully big flash in a stunningly large pan. Sketchup has also been around for a number of years and is on its fifth version. In that time they've attracted a loyal following and garnered enough attention of one of the 900 pound gorillas of the computer world to be bought out. Google isn't Microsoft who buys competitors to reduce competition (can anyone say Stanley Tools?). I don't know that Google is so short-sighted as to feel that they'd need to resort to what you call bait and switch. More likely they'd have a business model like Google Earth. A free version and a more powerful version available for sale or, more likely, subscription. But be that as it may, I for one am not against someone making a profit as long as they provide value or a service. Sketchup is a valuable tool and tied into Google Earth is an incredible service. You are free, or course, to be skeptical of Google's motives and the value of the software. In the same way that I will let people know if I like or dislike a tool or technique, I'm just pointing out that there's a lot of value and power behind the tool in question - whether it's free or purchased. R |
#16
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
You seem to have missed my point. Lets try again. "I don't know, the cad app
that I use is near double that though it (the app that I use) is real cad. "Pop" wrote in message news:bUu7g.1545$Zf3.973@trndny01... I don't know. The cad app I usually use is near double that though it is real cad. Well, it's not really a "real" CAD(D) program, either. I definatly agree. |
#17
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
D Smith wrote:
"RicodJour" writes: Autodesk is ****ing off a lot of users by constantly updating the program, and many times to little real benefit. As often seems the case with "mature" software, creaping featuritis seems to part of the whole marketing ploy to entice people to upgrade. The features that get added don't add much benefit to most users. Once a software vendor dominates are market, their main competitor becomes the old versions of their own software - not different software packages. The revenue source depends on replacement of previous versions, not new users. At least Autodesk doesn't also control the OS. :-) You just sent shivers down my spine. I hope no one was listening! R |
#18
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?
"RicodJour" wrote in message ups.com... Pop wrote: Well, it's not really a "real" CAD(D) program, either. It's a pretty good conept, and though it can do a lot, Pro and freebie both, it is not a full blown CAD application for where those strengths would be required. Such as...? I's a little lengthy and since you indicated, I think, you're familiar with the workings of AutoCad et al, I'm sure you're probably aware. That said, if you're really curious and I've misread your expertise, let me know the area/s you're intrested in and we can discuss capabilities, or lack thereof, that way. However if all you're interested in is a challenge to see if you can figure out how to do everything another program can do, I don't consider that productive. So I'll leave the choice up to you at this point. What I will say, and I think they pulled off quite a coupe with it, is they managed to take many of the steps of most CAD programs, and combine things so it's very easy to initiate a 3-D model and manipulate it. I've mentioned it to a few friends and they think the freebie is just great, and I'd have to agree with them. In my case, I like the way they've handled the Z axis and how easy it is to manipulate it fairly accurately; it's a short learning curve and almost intuitive where it isn't on the other CADs until you get used to them. So, don't say I'm wrong; I'm not saying it's no good; it definitely is a good program. The point I want to make though, is simply reality; and those are the points I've made. .... Morphing engine? I don't follow - what does that mean? Sorry; Morphing is simply the ability to distort something either randomly or accurately, usually with the mouse. Technically "morph" means various distinct forms of an organism or species, but in sofware it has come to mean the ability to morph shapes into different shapes. .... It is an amazingly bug free program. I think it's crashed on me once in a year of use, and that was because I'd seriously overextended my system resources. Yeah, I have to agree on that one; very unusual in this day and age. If they can keep that up, they'd sell product almost based on just that one piece of information! .... I agree with the sentiment on the present state of current CAD programs' "improvements". Autodesk takes the cake. More expensive, and more frequent, "upgrades". If you've ever searched the internet for a CAD detail drawing, you can obviously see the benefit of having a free, searchable online database. It seems to me that is the real value of the whole Sketchup/Google collaboration. I'm not sure I understand that comment. There is a huge amount of CAD detail drawings spread all over the net and there has been for a long time, at least a decade in my experience. Same for converters, which work to varying degrees as I found out on one particular project g. Collaboration is good sometimes, and valuable occasionally, I agree. But, there is a plethora of "stuff" already out there. I didn't look beyond the first page of results, but using cad +symbols +download +free at Google got many many pages of hits for free symbols and libraries, which I assume are what you mean by detail drawings. A symbol is nothing but a CAD drawing for re-use. Often they are very, very detailed drawings. .... I suppose you could classify Google as a flash in the pan - but it's an awfully big flash in a stunningly large pan. Lol, no, I wouldn't consider Google a flash in the pan but that's an interesting description! They've been around quite awhile and I don't mind them making money - for the most part they've done it right. Sketchup has also been around for a number of years and is on its fifth version. That I didn't know. It looks like it came from Paintlib, or something like that, back in the late 90's, but I never heard of that either. I DID just notice the Title line says "Beta" which I also didn't notice before; wish I had. THAT makes a lot of sense and puts a lot of things into perspective. I did notice the rev was 5.x.x.x. something though. In that time they've attracted a loyal following and garnered enough attention of one of the 900 pound gorillas of the computer world to be bought out. Google isn't Microsoft who buys competitors to reduce competition (can anyone say Stanley Tools?). I don't know that Google is so short-sighted as to feel that they'd need to resort to what you call bait and switch. More likely they'd have a business model like Earth. A free version and a more powerful version available for sale or, more likely, subscription. I've never heard of them, so I'd say they haven't attracted the attention publicly very much but rather a (probably) lucrative nitch. Your keen loyalty did however cause me to do a bit of research. going to http://www.sketchup.com/index.php?id=1439 is a worthwhile trip and seems to give a little better, more accurate, and better spin on things than Google has done with its rename. There, I also found an easily visible, clear and concise description of what the free/pro versions do. If you haven't already, check it out; it's worth reading. There are all the answers to all the questions I had about the program. If they're on Google (and I don't doubt they are), they're hard to find compared to the single-click it took me to go to it at the link above. This freebie version appears to be the first "full blown" freebie, and it came about as a result of the Google purchase. Now, being Google, who "doesn't do cad", I had to wonder at their intentions, vs the stated intentions of the original programmers. Good money was paid for it by Google, and an even larger return is expected. I would even go so far as to label the freebie version a Very Good. But, it's a bait & switch in that it's not going to remain free, Betas in the future revs won't go out in very large numbers, the Beta's aren't going to be updateable, may ot even be worth a discounted upgrade price, and the idea is to create an installed base which will in turn switch to the retail version. I also suspect their target audience is not aware of that, and thus my view of the bait & switch arena. This isn' the first time that's been done and it won't be the last, either. My only real objection is that whatever the future plans are, their audience (installing base) is not being advised of that. Reading Google gives me no comfort in the future for the application. All that said, if I'm wrong, the people WILL speak, and the owners of the Pro versions, having spent their money, will make the noises that decides a lot of purchases and a lot of the future reputation of hte product. But be that as it may, I for one am not against someone making a profit as long as they provide value or a service. Agreed, definitely. Deserved profits can never be a problem in most cases. Sketchup is a valuable tool and tied into Google Earth is an incredible service. You are Well, "valuable tool" by itself, is a little wide of a paint brush there IMO. I DO believe they've indentified an excellent niche market for those wishing to get into semi-serious space-modeling (3-D modelling) without knowing what it is or even what it's called; especiallly those not realizing the difference between CAD and CADD, or even in recognizing when they are misused. CADD is defined, in our use he Computer-Aided Design & Drafting While CAD is defined as EITHER Computer Aided Drafting (usual use) OR, Computer Aided Design. Which is applicable and which context to use is dependent on the context, so most people get pretty well lost in it and consider them the same thing. free, or course, to be skeptical of Google's motives and the value of the software. No problem; everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I can see you're loyal to the product, which also is not a problem. In the same way that I will let people know if I like or dislike a tool or technique, I'm just pointing out that there's a lot of value and power behind the tool in question - whether it's free or purchased. And I'm simply taking it one step further since value and power are so often time dependent and rely on tomorrow still needing the particular power/value w/r to the cost; "cost" meaning the overall, not just the dollars and cents. I'm not trying to change your mind at all, you know. Actually, I've found this little "debate" or exchange of ideas, whatever you wish to call it, a pleasant and mind-invoking pleasure. It's great mental exercise for me too, as I'm still recovering from a serious brain concussion about 5 years ago and have a pretty serious learning ability so discussions such as this go a long ways toward helping me recover. It's been about 5 years now and I'm finally beginning to get almost back to normal, at least with the written word, and as I see itG: ymmv of course! .... Regards, Pop |
#19
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
In a prior posting, John L. Poole wrote with the subject "Google's New
Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?": There was a previous posting "Free Version of SketchUp" on 4/27; however, I'm starting a new thread because I think woodworkers who have any experience with diagramming software or CAD may not have realized the significance of the event: Google making available a free version of SketchUp and the fact that Google is behind it. (Maybe there always has been a free version and it just didn't catch my attention? Any rate, with Google associated with it, this is going to have some staying power.) I was unaware of SketchUp until three days ago and have spent several hours exploring its capabilities and the Ruby API to determine what may be possible with Google's free version. Basically, I've concluded this offering by Google could be a significant event for woodworkers who are computer literate and connected to the Internet. I believe this is one of those programs where collaboration by woodworkers could prove to be something pretty significant and give Google a "Bravo!" for making this available in conjunction with a repository for sharing work. What I'd like to do is determine how many people who read this newsgroup are actually interested in using SketchUp and collaborating on building some common components. By collaborating, I'm thinking of things such as have small components, e.g. mortise-tenon joints, dovetail joints, profiles of router cutters and other basic type components to create models from. One project that comes to mind very quickly is taking a lumber cut list in Microsoft Excel and having the final cut pieces automatically generated in SketchUp for assembly; and possibly, vice-versa -- design the components/model and then export them to Excel for a cut list. If you think you might be interested in SketchUp and designing in it, would you please email me with the subject line: "SketchUp rec.woodworking" and a brief comment on your impressions with SketchUp and if you do any programming and would be interested in discussing what stuff could be created that caters to woodworkers. I'd really like to know if there are only a handful of people whom this might interest, or if the numbers go into the tens, or even possibly hundreds. I'll reply post to this thread with a count of responses as may be appropriate. Please ignore this request after June 30, 2006. Email to: subject line: SketchUp rec.woodworking Hope I'm not alone in being excited about this significant event, I've been thinking about a software package to design with, I used several in the early 1990s and just found them to be too cumbersome, so this was a welcomed "freebie", especially since I can collaborate. John Poole Ouch! When I went to start up Sketchup yesterday, I received a dialog box titled "Google Sketchup Update Service" that contained the following text: "Your version of Google SketchUp has expired. Please upgrade now." with a single button "Download Now". There was no "Cancel" button. If I clicked the "Download Now" button, Sketchup would close and my default browser would be taken to SketchUp's download site. I launched SketchUp again hoping I could bypass the dialog box and just run SketchUp... even if my software was not current, I wanted to run it rather than go through the process of downloading a new version. I clicked the upper right "X" corner of the window. The dialog box closed... and so did SketchUp. My conclusion based on these two scenarios is that SketchUp was automatically crippled based on my computer time/date. I saw one posting referring to this as a "forced upgrade." When I downloaded Sketchup back in April, there was no indication that this software would expire on a date certain. Their current download does not disclose such now. This kind of date-activate auto-crippling leaves the possibility that your inventory of designs is usable at the pleasure of the licensor who may determine that it is time for you to pay some sort of license fee. They could also decide that they no longer want to offer what they label as a "Free" version, leaving only their commercial version for those who wish to use SketchUp or access work product saved in the SketchUp proprietary format. The industry practice for offering software that has a limited time running ability is to disclose that it operates for a limited time, e.g. "Expires after 30 days". No such disclosure was, or is being made, here. Why is that? Since I wanted to continue work on my current drawing, I downloaded the newer beta version. When I did, I recalled seeing something on the download page to the effect of "If you enjoyed the Free version of Sketchup, then consider buying the professional version". I just visited the download page now (hours later) and do not find that cheeky suggestion. As I prepared this posting, I uninstalled the new version and reinstalled the older version. When I launched the reinstalled older version, I was immediately met with the same scenario: I could not get SketchUp to run other than to inform me the software was out of date. I did this reinstall to see if maybe an election I may have had made to keep the software current might be at play. I then uninstalled the older version to see what configuration files, if any, might be left in the directory ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp: there were no files that suggested there were settings or configurations. I did this in case there was a software design "oversight" which cached a possible election to automatically upgrade. I also checked my ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp directory for any configuration files I might edit and found none. A better design approach would be for their software to advise that the current version may be out of date, but let the user continue working. Let the users decide if they want to upgrade, don't render their work product inaccessible by some undisclosed time limitation. I've learned now that "Free" from Google should prompt the immediate response of "For how long?" at the minimum. I feel misled by Google and that they have played fast and loose with the term "Free." I still believe SketchUp to be a great product. John Poole |
#20
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 14:00:14 GMT, "John L. Poole"
wrote: Serve02 3. Sketchup 3D 1.2.41 :: [ Serial : BA-001-10158-AWE ] Serve02 4. Sketchup 3D 1.1 :: [ Serial : BA-001-10158-AWE ] Serve02 5. Sketchup 3D 1.2.41 :: [ Serial : BA-001-10158-AWE ] |
#21
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
SketchUp 5.0.149 S/N: User Name: Joseph King Serial Number:
ja-001-00026789-alm Key: lpih-px47-el3p-rj6u |
#22
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
"John L. Poole" wrote in news:OTOrg.116838
: snip Maybe I'm missing something here. The Google Sketchup download page says new version, but it appears still free. Of course they would like you to buy the US$496.00 pro version, but it does not appear to be required. Have you tried using the new version on old files? -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#23
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
"John L. Poole" wrote:
Ouch! When I went to start up Sketchup yesterday, I received a dialog box titled "Google Sketchup Update Service" that contained the following text: "Your version of Google SketchUp has expired. Please upgrade now." with a single button "Download Now". There was no "Cancel" button. If I clicked the "Download Now" button, Sketchup would close and my default browser would be taken to SketchUp's download site. I launched SketchUp again hoping I could bypass the dialog box and just run SketchUp... even if my software was not current, I wanted to run it rather than go through the process of downloading a new version. I clicked the upper right "X" corner of the window. The dialog box closed... and so did SketchUp. Similar experience here when I tried to use my old install file on a new PC. My conclusion based on these two scenarios is that SketchUp was automatically crippled based on my computer time/date. I don't think so. I think it was just based on version. When I downloaded Sketchup back in April, there was no indication that this software would expire on a date certain. Their current download does not disclose such now. And I don't think it does. This is a new paradigm of "connected software," which has its advantages and disadvantages (from the user's standpoint). Remember that licensing agreement that you said you read and agreed to before installing?g You probably forgot about reading this paragraph: :4. AUTOMATIC UPDATES :The Software may communicate with Google servers from time to time to :check for available updates to the Software, such as bug fixes, patches, :enhanced functions, missing plug-ins and new versions (collectively, :"Updates"). By installing the Software, you agree to automatically :"request and receive Updates. This kind of date-activate auto-crippling leaves the possibility that your inventory of designs is usable at the pleasure of the licensor who may determine that it is time for you to pay some sort of license fee. I think that is a legitimate concern. Of course, that would be massively stupid on google's part--the ill will they would earn would be very damaging, IMHO. They could also decide that they no longer want to offer what they label as a "Free" version, leaving only their commercial version for those who wish to use SketchUp or access work product saved in the SketchUp proprietary format. The industry practice for offering software that has a limited time running ability is to disclose that it operates for a limited time, e.g. "Expires after 30 days". No such disclosure was, or is being made, here. Why is that? Because it doesn't expire? A better design approach would be for their software to advise that the current version may be out of date, but let the user continue working. No question that there are advantages to that approach. There are also advantages to the approach they have chosen. E.g., if they want to add a feature that requires a change to the data structure, they can do so, and provide any samples and libraries only with the new data structure, since everyone is using the same version. Let the users decide if they want to upgrade, don't render their work product inaccessible by some undisclosed time limitation. I agree; would be nice to allow a totally disconnected version, even with a warning that new versions would not be backward compatible to your old files, or that you may have to pay for a file conversion utility to update to new free versions in the future. I've learned now that "Free" from Google should prompt the immediate response of "For how long?" at the minimum. A wise and heathy skepticism. I feel misled by Google and that they have played fast and loose with the term "Free." You're jumping the gun there--nothing to indicate that they are playing fast and loose with "free" I still believe SketchUp to be a great product. Agreed, and I am excited to have this free version for hobbyists like me, who cannot justify the cost of the commercial version. -- Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently. |
#24
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
John L. Poole wrote:
I then uninstalled the older version to see what configuration files, if any, might be left in the directory ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp: there were no files that suggested there were settings or configurations. I did this in case there was a software design "oversight" which cached a possible election to automatically upgrade. I also checked my ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp directory for any configuration files I might edit and found none. The application is not entirely contained in folder(s). The Registry is where most of the stuff you're seeking would be located and it's not a place you want to mess around unless you know exactly what you're doing. R |
#25
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
John L. Poole wrote:
In a prior posting, John L. Poole wrote with the subject "Google's New Free CAD softwa Want to Collaborate?": There was a previous posting "Free Version of SketchUp" on 4/27; however, I'm starting a new thread because I think woodworkers who have any experience with diagramming software or CAD may not have realized the significance of the event: Google making available a free version of SketchUp and the fact that Google is behind it. (Maybe there always has been a free version and it just didn't catch my attention? Any rate, with Google associated with it, this is going to have some staying power.) I was unaware of SketchUp until three days ago and have spent several hours exploring its capabilities and the Ruby API to determine what may be possible with Google's free version. Basically, I've concluded this offering by Google could be a significant event for woodworkers who are computer literate and connected to the Internet. I believe this is one of those programs where collaboration by woodworkers could prove to be something pretty significant and give Google a "Bravo!" for making this available in conjunction with a repository for sharing work. What I'd like to do is determine how many people who read this newsgroup are actually interested in using SketchUp and collaborating on building some common components. By collaborating, I'm thinking of things such as have small components, e.g. mortise-tenon joints, dovetail joints, profiles of router cutters and other basic type components to create models from. One project that comes to mind very quickly is taking a lumber cut list in Microsoft Excel and having the final cut pieces automatically generated in SketchUp for assembly; and possibly, vice-versa -- design the components/model and then export them to Excel for a cut list. If you think you might be interested in SketchUp and designing in it, would you please email me with the subject line: "SketchUp rec.woodworking" and a brief comment on your impressions with SketchUp and if you do any programming and would be interested in discussing what stuff could be created that caters to woodworkers. I'd really like to know if there are only a handful of people whom this might interest, or if the numbers go into the tens, or even possibly hundreds. I'll reply post to this thread with a count of responses as may be appropriate. Please ignore this request after June 30, 2006. Email to: subject line: SketchUp rec.woodworking Hope I'm not alone in being excited about this significant event, I've been thinking about a software package to design with, I used several in the early 1990s and just found them to be too cumbersome, so this was a welcomed "freebie", especially since I can collaborate. John Poole Ouch! When I went to start up Sketchup yesterday, I received a dialog box titled "Google Sketchup Update Service" that contained the following text: "Your version of Google SketchUp has expired. Please upgrade now." with a single button "Download Now". There was no "Cancel" button. If I clicked the "Download Now" button, Sketchup would close and my default browser would be taken to SketchUp's download site. I launched SketchUp again hoping I could bypass the dialog box and just run SketchUp... even if my software was not current, I wanted to run it rather than go through the process of downloading a new version. I clicked the upper right "X" corner of the window. The dialog box closed... and so did SketchUp. My conclusion based on these two scenarios is that SketchUp was automatically crippled based on my computer time/date. I saw one posting referring to this as a "forced upgrade." When I downloaded Sketchup back in April, there was no indication that this software would expire on a date certain. Their current download does not disclose such now. This kind of date-activate auto-crippling leaves the possibility that your inventory of designs is usable at the pleasure of the licensor who may determine that it is time for you to pay some sort of license fee. They could also decide that they no longer want to offer what they label as a "Free" version, leaving only their commercial version for those who wish to use SketchUp or access work product saved in the SketchUp proprietary format. The industry practice for offering software that has a limited time running ability is to disclose that it operates for a limited time, e.g. "Expires after 30 days". No such disclosure was, or is being made, here. Why is that? Since I wanted to continue work on my current drawing, I downloaded the newer beta version. When I did, I recalled seeing something on the download page to the effect of "If you enjoyed the Free version of Sketchup, then consider buying the professional version". I just visited the download page now (hours later) and do not find that cheeky suggestion. As I prepared this posting, I uninstalled the new version and reinstalled the older version. When I launched the reinstalled older version, I was immediately met with the same scenario: I could not get SketchUp to run other than to inform me the software was out of date. I did this reinstall to see if maybe an election I may have had made to keep the software current might be at play. I then uninstalled the older version to see what configuration files, if any, might be left in the directory ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp: there were no files that suggested there were settings or configurations. I did this in case there was a software design "oversight" which cached a possible election to automatically upgrade. I also checked my ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp directory for any configuration files I might edit and found none. A better design approach would be for their software to advise that the current version may be out of date, but let the user continue working. Let the users decide if they want to upgrade, don't render their work product inaccessible by some undisclosed time limitation. I've learned now that "Free" from Google should prompt the immediate response of "For how long?" at the minimum. I feel misled by Google and that they have played fast and loose with the term "Free." It's common for betas to be time bombed. I don't see where there's a problem with that as long as the product continues to be free. I still believe SketchUp to be a great product. John Poole -- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) |
#26
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
Han wrote:
"John L. Poole" wrote in news:OTOrg.116838 : snip Maybe I'm missing something here. The Google Sketchup download page says new version, but it appears still free. Of course they would like you to buy the US$496.00 pro version, but it does not appear to be required. Have you tried using the new version on old files? Yes, and the new version worked with my file. |
#27
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
Maybe so but we no betas were being discussed.
"J. Clarke" wrote in message ... It's common for betas to be time bombed. I don't see where there's a problem with that as long as the product continues to be free. |
#28
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
"John L. Poole" wrote in news:COQrg.676$2v.663
@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net: Have you tried using the new version on old files? Yes, and the new version worked with my file. That's a good thing, then!! grin -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#29
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
"CW" wrote:
Maybe so but we no betas were being discussed. "J. Clarke" wrote in message ... It's common for betas to be time bombed. I don't see where there's a problem with that as long as the product continues to be free. If the "we" was a typo, you are wrong. The window title for google sketchup very clearly says "beta", at least on mine. If the "no" was supposed to be "know", I don't get your point. And it is not time limited--it just requires updating to latest version to keep working. -- Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently. |
#30
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
alexy wrote:
"CW" wrote: Maybe so but we no betas were being discussed. "J. Clarke" wrote in message ... It's common for betas to be time bombed. I don't see where there's a problem with that as long as the product continues to be free. If the "we" was a typo, you are wrong. The window title for google sketchup very clearly says "beta", at least on mine. If the "no" was supposed to be "know", I don't get your point. And it is not time limited--it just requires updating to latest version to keep working. I don't think I'd depend on that policy being permanent - I said in June it was going to be a baiting effort; I still think it is. They just want a well entrenched user base before they end the freebie. So, if you're playing with it, great; but do NOT depend on it if you don't plan to eventually pay for it. You'll likely end up with orphaned dwgs or looking for crackers. Also, look for a big drop in the Pro pricetag when the freebie ends, purportedly to make it easier on those who are "hooked" on it. Maybe in the form of a "special deal" for Beta testing. AVOID EVER DEPENDING ON A BETA FOR ANY REASON!! Pop |
#31
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 14:23:50 GMT, Han wrote:
"John L. Poole" wrote in news:OTOrg.116838 : snip Maybe I'm missing something here. The Google Sketchup download page says new version, but it appears still free. Of course they would like you to buy the US$496.00 pro version, but it does not appear to be required. Have you tried using the new version on old files? As the OP indicated in a subsequent reply, the new free version does work. However, this should be a real red flag to those taking advantage of the "free" version. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the new version is also dated to expire at some future date. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that in the future, after people have invested considerable time and effort in the creation of various files and projects, that the "free" version could go away, leaving the only [legal according to the DMCA] options available to either pay for the professional version in order to liberate one's files or to abandon those files and the accompanying work. Sure doesn't seem to fall under the "do no evil" code by which Google supposedly lives. At a minimum, the fact that the software will expire at a future date should be disclosed. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
#32
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
Pop wrote:
snip I don't think I'd depend on that policy being permanent - I said in June it was going to be a baiting effort; I still think it is. They just want a well entrenched user base before they end the freebie. So, if you're playing with it, great; but do NOT depend on it if you don't plan to eventually pay for it. You'll likely end up with orphaned dwgs or looking for crackers. Also, look for a big drop in the Pro pricetag when the freebie ends, purportedly to make it easier on those who are "hooked" on it. Maybe in the form of a "special deal" for Beta testing. AVOID EVER DEPENDING ON A BETA FOR ANY REASON!! Pop Your prophetic June posting echoed in the back of my mind as I wrote today's posting. I remember reading it and thinking, well maybe in this case, Google might be different. Wishful thinking -- they're a publicly traded company who are going to have to answer to Wall Street's demand of continually maximizing profits, and your outline/predictions do summarize a very savvy, if not predatory, strategy to gain market share. When the small competitors are driven out, then the resulting oligopoly can then pluck the consumers. (Pop: I'd have sent this privately, but it looks like the only way to reach you is to post publicly; I acknowledge this is getting far from the topic of woodworking.) |
#33
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
Mark & Juanita wrote:
On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 14:23:50 GMT, Han wrote: "John L. Poole" wrote in news:OTOrg.116838 : snip Maybe I'm missing something here. The Google Sketchup download page says new version, but it appears still free. Of course they would like you to buy the US$496.00 pro version, but it does not appear to be required. Have you tried using the new version on old files? As the OP indicated in a subsequent reply, the new free version does work. However, this should be a real red flag to those taking advantage of the "free" version. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the new version is also dated to expire at some future date. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that in the future, after people have invested considerable time and effort in the creation of various files and projects, that the "free" version could go away, leaving the only [legal according to the DMCA] options available to either pay for the professional version in order to liberate one's files or to abandon those files and the accompanying work. Sure doesn't seem to fall under the "do no evil" code by which Google supposedly lives. At a minimum, the fact that the software will expire at a future date should be disclosed. That hypothetical situation, certainly would violate a "do no evil" code. But I've seen nothing that they have done that violates it. And where are folks getting the idea that the software will expire at some future date? I haven't seen anything to that effect. -- Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently. |
#34
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
"Pop" wrote:
alexy wrote: "CW" wrote: Maybe so but we no betas were being discussed. "J. Clarke" wrote in message ... It's common for betas to be time bombed. I don't see where there's a problem with that as long as the product continues to be free. If the "we" was a typo, you are wrong. The window title for google sketchup very clearly says "beta", at least on mine. If the "no" was supposed to be "know", I don't get your point. And it is not time limited--it just requires updating to latest version to keep working. I don't think I'd depend on that policy being permanent - I said in June it was going to be a baiting effort; I still think it is. They just want a well entrenched user base before they end the freebie. I think, hope, but don't know, that you are wrong. So, if you're playing with it, great; but do NOT depend on it if you don't plan to eventually pay for it. You'll likely end up with orphaned dwgs or looking for crackers. No, I have a planned "out". The full versions demo is fully file compatible with the free version, and exports to a bunch of standard file formats. And it runs for 8 hours of machine time, plenty of time to export lots of files if your direst predictions come true. -- Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently. |
#35
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
Mark & Juanita wrote:
As the OP indicated in a subsequent reply, the new free version does work. However, this should be a real red flag to those taking advantage of the "free" version. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the new version is also dated to expire at some future date. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that in the future, after people have invested considerable time and effort in the creation of various files and projects, that the "free" version could go away, leaving the only [legal according to the DMCA] options available to either pay for the professional version in order to liberate one's files or to abandon those files and the accompanying work. IIRC SketchUp is offered by Google as an adjunct to "Google Earth" in hopes that users will populate the "Google Earth" database with 3D drawings of the buildings in the users' respective area. -- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove -SPAM- to send email) |
#36
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 14:24:32 -0400, alexy wrote:
Mark & Juanita wrote: On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 14:23:50 GMT, Han wrote: "John L. Poole" wrote in news:OTOrg.116838 : snip Maybe I'm missing something here. The Google Sketchup download page says new version, but it appears still free. Of course they would like you to buy the US$496.00 pro version, but it does not appear to be required. Have you tried using the new version on old files? As the OP indicated in a subsequent reply, the new free version does work. However, this should be a real red flag to those taking advantage of the "free" version. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the new version is also dated to expire at some future date. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that in the future, after people have invested considerable time and effort in the creation of various files and projects, that the "free" version could go away, leaving the only [legal according to the DMCA] options available to either pay for the professional version in order to liberate one's files or to abandon those files and the accompanying work. Sure doesn't seem to fall under the "do no evil" code by which Google supposedly lives. At a minimum, the fact that the software will expire at a future date should be disclosed. That hypothetical situation, certainly would violate a "do no evil" code. But I've seen nothing that they have done that violates it. And where are folks getting the idea that the software will expire at some future date? I haven't seen anything to that effect. I would argue that since it was not prominently disclosed that the software being downloaded had a timebomb (it may have been buried somewhere several pages down in 6 point type in the click-through EULA) is a questionable practice in itself and seems to violate the spirit of what Google purports to be compared to other software houses. It's not a stretch to assume that the versions being downloaded are also set to expire since the current version others have used were so set. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
#37
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
In article , Mark & Juanita
wrote: Sure doesn't seem to fall under the "do no evil" code by which Google supposedly lives. It's not "do no evil", it's "don't be evil". |
#38
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
Mark & Juanita wrote:
set to expire since the current version others have used were so set. I don't think anyone has seen a version that was set to expire at a certain time. It requires accepting updates to keep it current. Just tried it, and it works when not connected. I don't know how long, though--might have a requirement to check update status every so often. Would agree that is not clearly disclosed, but it seems quite a bit different from saying that it is "set to expire" at a certain point. -- Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently. |
#39
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
version is also dated to expire at some future date. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that in the future, after people have invested considerable time and effort in the creation of various files and projects, that the "free" version could go away It's also within the realm of possibility that in the near future they might be planning to release some serious enhancements or an upgrade that makes the free version trifling in comparison. It might also be expected that many of the users of the free version would pay for this "upgrade". |
#40
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Google CAD "SketchUp"- Free for 90 days
John L. Poole wrote:
As I prepared this posting, I uninstalled the new version and reinstalled the older version. When I launched the reinstalled older version, I was immediately met with the same scenario: I could not get SketchUp to run other than to inform me the software was out of date. I did this reinstall to see if maybe an election I may have had made to keep the software current might be at play. I then uninstalled the older version to see what configuration files, if any, might be left in the directory ...\Program Files\Google\SketchUp: there were no files that suggested there were settings or configurations. Check C:\Windows\system for... allfsaf4a.ocx machnm1.exe mfc42u.dll mpiwin32.dll All are added by the install. If left, the time thing may be in one (didn't see any in registry but there are a ton & I didn't peruse them carefully). There are also a number of files in Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\{9421EB49-B1C8-496F-A307-FF0E4F43E6F5} In particular, there is apparently license info in the cab file...at least, such is referenced by layout.bin. The cab file isn't readable with normal zip compression programs - Winrar & PowerArchiver at least. -- dadiOH ____________________________ dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico |
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