Sketchup in your web browser

[Tom Crawford]

Trimble just announced it.    http://www.sketchup.com/products/my-sketchup

[Dewald Swanepoel]

This is very cool, but I suspect not of much use to me. I just tried it on my PC and it works quite nicely, not better than the actual installed application though and so it's pointless for me to run it on my PC. I then tried it in my phone's browser and received a message saying that this service is not designed to work on multi touch mobile devices. The interface was unwieldy and I didn't get far before losing interest and closing it.

It's a pity as I would've loved to be able to view Sketchup models on a mobile device - even if I can't edit them.

[wtnhighlander]

You can edit on mobile, it just isn't easy. The best thing about Sketchup in the browser is that it becomes OS independant, so now the latest version will work for all of us Linux and/or Chromebook users!

[Dewald Swanepoel]

20 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said:

The best thing about Sketchup in the browser is that it becomes OS independant, so now the latest version will work for all of us Linux and/or Chromebook users!

Good point.

[Chestnut]

I tried using it as well and kinda lost interest in it quick. Maybe i just don't know how to use it? I find AutoCAD easier to build in but sketchup easier to view things.

[xxdabroxx]

7 hours ago, Chestnut said:

I tried using it as well and kinda lost interest in it quick. Maybe i just don't know how to use it? I find AutoCAD easier to build in but sketchup easier to view things.

Sketchup is a lot different from autocad in the way you work with it.  I use autocad to draft construction documents, but sketchup to build models to show clients.  It takes a bit, but once you get used to it it starts getting easier.  Making groups and components helps a lot so not everything welds itself together.  I like using sketchup for models, but dimensioning things gets ugly and is where I would go back to autocad.  I'm sure there are people out there good with the layouts in sketchup, I've just never taken the time to figure it out. 

[Llama]

I am a huge fan of using Inventor for certain things... It gives a much more realistic rendering. That isn't always needed for woodworkers. I fought Sketchup for a while, and just gave in... Clients want to see a quick cartoonish drawing, that's what Sketchup gives them. Not to mention that Inventor is a several thousand dollar program, and to use it for furniture design is rather silly.

Here are two examples from the bed I made.

[Chestnut]

That is a good point the lighting details and textures in Autodesk products are endless. Though if you wanted to get really technical i know you can map images on top of surfaces in sketchup and could as a result take a picture of a board and drape it across a shape in sketchup.

One other thin to note and maybe i just haven't found another method but rendering from Autodesk products can take for ever. When i did a model of what i want my kitchen to look like i think it rendered for 3 hours.

[JosephThomas]

I used the beta version for a couple months and for the most part I liked it.

@Eric. the beta is over so now you can join, lol!

 

[xxdabroxx]

1 hour ago, Llama said:

I am a huge fan of using Inventor for certain things... It gives a much more realistic rendering. That isn't always needed for woodworkers. I fought Sketchup for a while, and just gave in... Clients want to see a quick cartoonish drawing, that's what Sketchup gives them. Not to mention that Inventor is a several thousand dollar program, and to use it for furniture design is rather silly.

Here are two examples from the bed I made.

How do you like inventor?  I have it on my work computer but haven't used it.  I'd like to try it out as I want to build a offroad trailer for my jeep this winter and I'm thinking it would be good for that.  Does it translate well from using autocad?

1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

That is a good point the lighting details and textures in Autodesk products are endless. Though if you wanted to get really technical i know you can map images on top of surfaces in sketchup and could as a result take a picture of a board and drape it across a shape in sketchup.

One other thin to note and maybe i just haven't found another method but rendering from Autodesk products can take for ever. When i did a model of what i want my kitchen to look like i think it rendered for 3 hours.

I have used Kerkythea (sp?) when I need a better render out of sketchup, you export to kerky and then use it to render, it's tricky at first but I eventually got decent at it.  Now I'd have to learn all over again, because it has been a while since I have needed it.  If you are good at making materials look realistic in other programs you can likely do it there too, and it is free. 

[Llama]

26 minutes ago, xxdabroxx said:

How do you like inventor?

I like it better than any other CAD software out there. 

[Eric.]

2 hours ago, JosephThomas said:

I used the beta version for a couple months and for the most part I liked it.

@Eric. the beta is over so now you can join, lol!

 

You got a link by any chance, JT?  Thanks yo.

[JosephThomas]

You got a link by any chance, JT?  Thanks yo.

It's in the original post. Thank the OP.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Chestnut]

Dang i didn't think about Linux. I think it's time to switch my shop computer to linux now. I love running linux i can click on any internet link with the comfort of knowing nothing bad is ever going to happen, to my computer.

Win xp i loved that OS  it was like 98SE except better in every way.

[ClassAct]

Been running Linux for five years now, never looked back. Unfortunately the SketchUp app doesn't play well with WINE, so the browser-based version is a welcome thing indeed.

My Firefox browser is locked down pretty tightly, so Sketchup Browser Edition crashes and I'm too lazy to troubleshoot. So far it works well in Opera.

Edited October 21, 2016 by ClassAct
Poor spelling.

[Mark J]

On 10/20/2016 at 7:07 AM, Chestnut said:

Dang i didn't think about Linux. I think it's time to switch my shop computer to linux now. I love running linux i can click on any internet link with the comfort of knowing nothing bad is ever going to happen, to my computer.

Win xp i loved that OS  it was like 98SE except better in every way.

 

I love Win XP so much I won't leave it.  It runs all my work software without a hitch, something which cannot be said for it's replacements.  

When I do retire, I would like to give Linux a try, heard a lot of good things about it.  And now I know I can come to my favorite forum for advice on how to set it up.  

[creativename5]

If you're interested in Inventor, you should try Autodesk Fusion 360. It does pretty much everything inventor does but is free for recreational users.