Replies

1. 
   CAGIV | Jul 21, 2003 06:26am | #1

   free stuff or pay program?

   Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professionals built the Titanic.

1. 
   Piffin | Jul 21, 2003 01:08pm | #2

   I hear there's a free trial download but that it is about a 4-500 dollar program.

   It's for solid modeling and you can do conceptual drawings quickly, easy to learn, and can save items as DXFor dwgs for symbols in regular CAD progams.

   I was lookiig for comments from useers before investing time in the trial..

   Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   GoldenWreckedAngle | Jul 22, 2003 12:31am | #3

   I've used the trial version to its expiration and really liked it. Amazingly powerful tool for the money. I would have considered it at the time but the company I worked for ended up popping for a lot more hollywood so I ended up not needing it.

   If you decide to buy it after you try it out I would recommend getting a graphics pen tablet to go with it. It's the kind of program that just feels funny running it with a mouse. Sort of like freehand drawing with a brick...

   Kevin Halliburton

   "I believe that architecture is a pragmatic art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity."  - I.M. Pei -

1. 
   Piffin | Jul 22, 2003 02:25am | #4

   It looks usefull, but I'll have a hard time convincing my company to spring for it too..

   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   FastEddie1 | Jul 22, 2003 03:27am | #5

   Goofy...you ARE your company...Do it right, or do it twice.

3. 
   JerraldHayes | Jul 22, 2003 03:40am | #6

   I've played around with the demo and I think its awesome. Now if I can just get a project lined up in the pipeline where I can actually use it I buy it in a heart beat. I'm just not doing any design work recently and don't have anything coming up that will call for it so I'm holding off right now.

   It the kind of thing if I had it I be playing around with it and learning how to use it better but there are other things right now that are immediately more important for me to be working on that are also generating bucks so that's the only reason I haven't sprung for it yet.

   If something doesn't come up soon though I be springing for it for sure come September when things ease up a little and I have more personal free time. I think it one of the best most inovative products to appear on the scene in quite some time. Its almost in the "Killer App" class of programs.

   ---

   View Image

   ParadigmProjects.com | Paradigm-360.com | Mac4Construction.com

4. 
   TommyB12 | Jul 22, 2003 03:51am | #7

   Piffin,

   I bought it, and am really pleased with it.

   I have done decks to additions with it.  The first project I did was an addition, that had three or for potential solutions design wise.  I probably had ten hours into this project considering the learning curve.  Now I am a little more proficient and could have done it in  a few hours.  I out source my cad work which can be expensive, particularly in the modeling stage.

   I am confident that I can recoup the cost and make money by pitching it as I will do conceptual modeling and save money by spending less on the cad.  I really don't have an interest in spending the money on cad and the time to learn it.

   I think its nothing short of the holy grail for basic design modeling.  I really haven't gotten to use it much yet either.

   Tom

1. 
   JerraldHayes | Jul 22, 2003 04:13am | #8

   Tom-"I am confident that I can recoup the cost and make money by pitching it as I will do conceptual modeling and save money by spending less on the cad. " Real good point, Tom. Real good point! I was thinking of outsourcing or hiring someone to do working drawing (the real CAD )when we need them rather than doing them myslef both because I tired of doing them and I'm better off spending my time with other things. With Sketchup I can get back to what I really enjoy and think I good with which is conceptual design and problem solving rather than the nuts and bolts of CAD.

   Maybe I will spring for it sooner rather than later.

   Do you have any samples of stuff you can post to show us what you've done with it?

   View Image

   ParadigmProjects.com | Paradigm-360.com | Mac4Construction.com

1. 
   TommyB12 | Jul 22, 2003 05:06pm | #10

   Jerrald,

   I'm not sure the files convert to a web format, or maybe I tried and wasn't able to.  I'll try maybe tonight if I have time.

   The first project I did was for a customer who had bought a house but wasn't taking possession for a month or so.  They asked me to drive by on friday and see what I thought.  I snapped some digitals, and started sketching. Monday, I took them my conceptual drawings, I'm pretty sure they were blown away.  The funny thing is based on their telephone description of what they wanted, I drew something completely different.  Back to the drawing board as they say.  No less than three contractors had looked at the job and given the budget, and had convinced them that adding on to an existing porch would be the solution.  So I drew that for them in about half an hour and showed them the flaws and how my design would be more functional, less intrusive, more cost effective and more attractive.  I don't have a contract yet, but if anyones getting one it will be me.Tom

2. 
   Piffin | Jul 22, 2003 04:14am | #9

   I've read some comments at Splash about how great it would be if Softplan could integrate a module like this.

   Since I do a lot of remo work on older houses there are always nontypical features that I have to create or work around. I like a challenge - but i like to get something done too. Solids can be modeled with sketchup prety easily, Eh?.

   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   TommyB12 | Jul 22, 2003 05:09pm | #11

   I'm not familiar with splash.  But you can draw anything with sketchup that you can draw with a pencil and paper.

   They had a drawing on their website that a user did of a circumcision tool that he designed.

   I hope some other guys start using it here so we can trade tips and techniques.  As with any software, the workarounds are the key.

   I have posted some questions on their site, and real people from the company provided solutions!Tom

1. 
   YesMaam27577 | Jul 22, 2003 10:00pm | #12

   Anybody have a link?

   I haven't taken the CAD plunge yet, because of the learning curve. But I need to, and I've been waiting till I heard reviews like the ones I've seen in this thread.Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.

1. 
   Piffin | Jul 23, 2003 01:42am | #13

   Yes Ma'am, I do,

   http://www.sketch3d.com/sketchup.php.

   Excellence is its own reward!