MisterDrow Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Given that I'm a hobby-level woodworker, I have a hard time justifying the expense of Sketchup Pro for personal use. I have toyed with the idea of eventually making some money in this hobby, however, even if it's just enough to fund the hobby itself and get me a new toy for my shop now and again. What are the advantages of Pro over Make and without my woodworking ever being a significant commercial endeavor, would it even make sense to buy a license for Pro at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Just an FYI.. I think Marc makes a little money at this and he's not using the pro version.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 For one man woodworkers (whether professional or amateur) currently using Sketchup Make there are no advantages in using Pro instead. If you are intending to use Sketchup to produce standard 2D engineering drawings to be read by contractors or 3rd party parts makers then you should use Sketchup Pro. The Pro version has extras like the layout module enabling you to make two dimensional drawings from your 3 dimensional models. Sketchup Make is intended for personal use so no need for a Pro license. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 3 hours ago, TIODS said: Just an FYI.. I think Marc makes a little money at this and he's not using the pro version.. Doesn't Marc hire out a guy to do the sketchup modeling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Just now, Chestnut said: Doesn't Marc hire out a guy to do the sketchup modeling? Yes, but Marc also plays in it as well. If you own any of his Guild builds, they usually start looking at the Sketchup drawings and he talks about it quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 3 minutes ago, TIODS said: Yes, but Marc also plays in it as well. If you own any of his Guild builds, they usually start looking at the Sketchup drawings and he talks about it quite a bit. Yes i do haev guild builds that's how i know he doens't build the models himself. Guy named aaron? I guess i don't know too much about the pro version but i thought the benefits for the pro was building not viewing. To the OP no i don't think the pro version would really ever be needed unless you were doing high end commercial production work. Think architect. My company has a couple pro licensees and i haven't noticed any differences between the free and the pro version. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles11we Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 SWIM just torrents and uses keygens/cracks for programs that he wouldnt buy anyways (like adobe creative suite, auto desk, etc) I see nothing wrong with doing that for programs that are way too expensive for your uses and you would have never bought them anyways. Stuff that you might buy, different story because in that case, they are actually losing a customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 12, 2016 Report Share Posted November 12, 2016 I believe Sketchup Pro has many extras for photo-realistic rendering of models, in addition to the plan drawing print features. Still, mostly useful to architects, more than hobby builders. @Bob Lang checks in here from time to time, and is a Sketchup guru. Perhaps he has some insight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bob Lang Posted November 12, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 12, 2016 The biggest differences between SketchUp Make and SketchUp Pro are the types of files that can be imported and exported. In Pro you can bring in and send out vector graphics, but in Make you are limited to raster images. If you don't know the difference between vectors and rasters you don't need SketchUp Pro. Even if you do know (vector graphics can be used in other programs like AutoCAD or Illustrator and are needed for the G-code to run CNC) you probably won't need to do that if you're making one piece at a time. The other differences are that Pro has "solid modeling tools" and Make doesn't. Those let you use a tenon on one part to create a mortise in another, or use tails to create pins in a dovetail. You can still do those things in SketchUp Make, but it takes a few more clicks and a bit of tidying up. Pro also has a ride-along program called LayOut that makes generating nice looking prints possible, including sheets that contain more than one view of the model. I advise people to use the free version to learn as almost all of the modeling and rendering functions are identical. If you don't have to send AutoCAD files out, or bring them in you won't miss out on not having Pro, although the print functions in Make are unwieldy and frustrating. When the time comes that you need Pro the price isn't bad at all compared to other available software. Just a brief note about the license agreement, when you accept it you are acknowledging that you will only be using SketchUp for personal, non-commercial use. If you're making money with the software you need to pony up and pay for the Pro version. Other folks may find ways to justify getting around the EULA. There isn't any "SketchUp Police" that will come knocking on your door, but I think the world is a better place when people honor their word. At the risk of sounding like a complete shill, there is a post on my website that goes into excruciating detail on the topic. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted November 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Thanks for a very good response, @Bob Lang! I will only be using Sketchup for my own use for the time being, so that means I'll stick with Make. If that changes at some point in the future, I'll gladly pay for a full Pro license as I feel the same as you with regard to honoring one's word. That and I'm a software developer by day and I expect to be compensated properly for the software I make so it would be wrong of me to cheat another developer out of their earnings. I had a hard time seeing what the differences were in functionality for Make vs Pro and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something that would benefit me in using Pro. Thanks again for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lang Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 SketchUp has an interesting business model and it's unusual that the software they give away is incredibly functional. In the end sales of SketchUp Pro pay the bills for millions of users of SketchUp Make. I've had experience with other software companies that charge a lot of money going in and force you to pay again every few years to "upgrade" software that works just fine. In comparison SketchUp Pro is a real bargain and the maintenance agreement is reasonable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 I use estimating software from Trimble that is about $4000 to buy. Yearly maintenance is about $400 & includes free version updates (every year or 2) and absolutely top notch tech support. I consider that a real bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.