The CAD Insider

Psst! SketchUp Is Not Free

How do you tell the largest CAD user base in the world that they they are going to cut off? You don't.

CHICAGO (AIA Conference 2014) - SketchUp, known and loved by millions (30 million users, they tell me), was revised late last year. There was the usual list of improvements, a name change, but most significantly, Trimble, owner of SketchUp for the last two years, makes it very clear that SketchUp is not free for commercial use.

From the FAQs issued with Trimble announcement of SketchUp Make, the new name for what was commonly referred to as "free SketchUp" is the statement:

"SketchUp Make is the new name for our basic version. It’s available today and still free to use. With this change, we’re also clarifying that SketchUp Make is not licensed for commercial work."

This would mean all architects using SketchUp may be in violation of the license agreements. 

It was easy to overlook if you only read the May 22 press release, which contained only this reference to commercial use:

"In addition to serving the commercial market with SketchUp Pro, Trimble will continue to provide a free, entry-level, 3D drawing tool—now named SketchUp Make..."

It seems free use of the current version of SketchUp is confined to students, hobbyists...makers, for which the product was named --so long as they don't actually ever sell their creation.

And the initial cost of SketchUp Pro has increased from $495 to $590, as users are required to pay the $95 annual maintenance fee for the first year in additon to the $495 license.

Biggest CAD User Base

SketchUp had grown to become, almost by accident and under all radar, the most used CAD software in the world. It is, by CAD standards, ridiculously easy to use. Being free had helped. Created initially for architectural conceptualizing in 3D, it was readily adopted by interior designers as well as product design by anyone and everyone not already mired in "professional" CAD software packages, which lo and behold, was a user base an order of magnitude larger. It was quite a feat for an upstart and showed no respect for the established order. Professionals criticized SketchUp for its imprecision and impurity (it was not "exact," not a solid model, it was not robust ("you cannot document a big project") and it wasn't a "real professional CAD application" (meaning it was not expensive, as if free was a liability) but it SketchUp filled a vital need and so grew to the be the biggest CAD user base in the world.

Trimble Needs to Make Money

Google had acquired @Last, the original creators of SketchUp, to populate Google Earth with man-made objects, like buildings and towns. Google cared little about making money from a CAD product and gave it away.  Google may have received a little money from users who paid $500 for SketchUp Pro, a drop in Google's big bucket. When they found people actually cared less about creating buildings and structures than they hoped, the company seemed to lose interest, selling it to Trimble, a company known on a lesser scale than Google (both in revenue and project size). 

But for Trimble, SketchUp is an opportunity to cash in on the now ubiquitous user base.

Let's Not Make a Big Deal of It

The removal of free commercial use from SketchUp has caused barely a ripple. Trimble itself is hardly promoting the change.  Even the "official" SketchUp forums have little protest. The few bloggers who have posted have received only a handful of comments.  See About SketchUp 2013 and the Meaning of "Free", Stefan Boeykens, CAD, BIM and 3D, June 4, 2013.

So while Trimble is not breaking down doors with BSA enforcers brandishing  EULAs, as is the way of big software, I wonder how long this will last. Trimble may be content with an honor system for now.

"They'll get quite a bit of money from firms that have to stay on the up and up," says one exhibitor at the recent AIA convention, who hopes to capitalize upon the stranded SketchUp users.

Enjoy it While You Can

Only one architect I spoke to (out of of over 20 polled for this article) say they will be upgrading to SketchUp Pro. Several others were careful to say they will use SketchUp only in early, conceptual modeling and not for customer deliverables. Is that legal? It's hard to say. One part of the license of SketchUp Make says if you are not selling, renting, leasing or lending the output of SketchUp, it's ok, but then quickly insists you have to get a SketchUp Pro license if you work for a for-profit organization of any kind.

For the other architects and mechanical users who continue to to use SketchUp for business, the future could be bleak. Trimble is letting everyone stay on a less than latest version if they have it. This appears to the path of least resistance for most SketchUp users that need to stay legal, though the worst case scenario would find themselves increasingly isolated as SketchUp moves forward with more updates. Trimble will not be fixing or enhancing anything but the most recent version. Soon sources of downloads for free-for-commercial versions will dry up -- if they haven't already. Those users may soon not be able to read files made with a current version. A future OS upgrade may render their free version totally unusable.

 

Arckit Makes Architectural Models a Snap

CHICAGO, IL (AIA 2014) - What if making architectural models was easy, fun, cheap -- and clean? What if it they came in kits with pieces you can snap together, pieces that may actually resemble architectural elements (wall, floor and roof panels, roof trusses, columns,  windows, more)?  What if models would come together without explanation, training, weeks and months of waiting... what if your kid could make them... easy as building blocks?

I know.. why hasn't some one thought of this?

Snap together your next architectural model with a kit from Arckit. Adhesive backed patterns are applied to plain building panels to get color and patterns.

Damien Murtagh has. An architect himself, Damien founded Arckit so that others would be free to explore a design in it's physical form without even so much as computer -- or Lego bricks.

The Arckit may not provide the detail of a professionally crafted laser cut model, but you have to admit it is way more accessible, intuitive and cheaper. There's really nothing in this level of modeling  in terms of cost and detail.

Waiting for 3D Printing?

Besotted with technology as I am, you are no doubt imagining 3D computer models turning into 3D prints, though the reality will be a rude awakening. 3D printing can be time consuming (one 3D print vendor says it takes 35-40 hours to process a luxury home CAD model for 3D printing) messy (chemicals, clean up) and expensive materials. 

The Arckit is available in 3 "sizes."

• A60 (60 sq meters, or 650 sq ft of floor area), for $165
• A120 (120 sq meters, or 1292 sq ft of floor area), for $315
• A240(240 sq meters, or 5283 sq ft of floor area), for $499

Damien is quite excited about introducing Arckit in the US (Arckit is based in Ireland) and is giving 10% off the prices listed for  a few more days and including shipping.

Arckit Digital

And if you simply must use a computer, Arckit makes its pieces available in SketchUp's 3D Warehouse. You can see what each of the pieces look like and even make whole model onscreen for free.  https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/search.html?backendClass=entity&q=ARCKIT

 

Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye made with Arckit components in SketchUp Warehouse.

Adding Details

To avoid the bland look of Lego models and monochrome 3D print models, Arckit provides several downloadable surface textures and material patterns you can print on self- adhesive sheets they supply with each kit that you can stick on your model. Though an enterprising architect can probably make use of any of the texture maps libraries available and scale the pattern (arckit uses 1:48) and print on their own sheets.

For more information, see http://arckit.com/

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Is WhiteClouds the Magic Button for 3D Print Models?

CHICAGO, IL (AIA 2014) - Want a 3D print of the luxury house you have created in exquisite detail on your CAD program. Just buy a 3D printer, hook it up to your computer and push a button, right?

Wrong.

For one thing, your CAD model may be far too detailed. There is a minimum thickness for structures to prevent collapse. Or there may not be enough detail. For example, you probably applied a bit map to show the roof tiles. It looks good onscreen but a 3D printer doesn't get bitmaps. That roof is going to be very boring. 

Now that's a roof. WhiteClouds, a 3D print service, adds detail to CAD models to show roof tiles.

WhiteClouds, which refers to itself as a 3D print "enabler," understands such limitations. It came to AIA with 3D prints of several luxury homes. It had made one so detailed that 3D Systems keeps one in its lobby, says Jerry Ropelato, CEO.

WhiteClouds is a service that fills the gap between a completed 3D computer model and the final outcome, a part you can hold in your hand, the magic button, which despite all the hype surrounding 3D printing, still does not exist in 3D CAD software. While 3D print service bureaus may provide some assistance I suspect most would probably prefer a 3D print-ready model so they can keep their machines printing. WhiteClouds seems set up to have been created to fill in the missing information between a 3D CAD model and a 3D print-ready model. Why should an architect have to learn the peculiarities of getting a 3D model ready for printing?

WhiteClouds employs additional 3D modeling to insert details like roof tiles so they will appear in the 3D print. "We have developed special routines," says Jerry.

WhiteClouds does not even require 3D CAD models to make 3D prints: they can work even from blue prints. They also makes mechanical parts and assemblies, figures for the entertainment industry, etc., so although AEC appears to be specialty, they are not limited to just buildings. They use Stratasys and 3D Systems machines -- high end ones you can't afford. 

How Much?

They will send a quote after you send them your CAD models or drawings but for purpose of estimation, you can figure the cost of the model will be $0.25 to $0.40 per square foot of the real house using WhiteClouds modeling help and the model itself. This would make the model of the US typical house (2400 sq ft) cost anywhere from $625 to $1,000 though it probably the design of mansions where a 3D model is warranted. Imagine wowing your millionaire clients by showing not just how it looks to friends and neighbors but taking off the roof and one floor at a time. A 10,000 sq ft mansion model may set you back $4,000 but what is that compared to the commission you will earn?

www.whiteclouds.com

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Modlar BIM Library

CHICAGO, IL (AIA 2014) - Need some furniture to make your living space look more lived in? How does free, quality models sound? This is what Modlar promises. And not just furniture...they have tables, faucets, appliances...even people...and more. Over 20,000 according to their site.

Modlar has 20,000 BIM models from select manufacturers in popular CAD formats for free.

I would hope architects and interior designers would not waste their time creating these items --it's such a poor use of billable time. They may be scanning manufacturer's websites for these items. But Modlar brings several manufacturer items under one roof to make your search easier.

It can provide models for the popular AEC CAD apps, including Revit, Archicad, MicroStation and SketchUp.

Modlar already has 55,000 users. It is led by Scott Barrington, CEO, who is himself an architect.

Modlar get its  money from the manufacturer. You don't pay a thing.  So enjoy!

www.modlar.com

TurboSite Draws a Crowd

DENVER, CO (AIA 2013), June 22, 2013 - IMSI/Design, the company best known for TurboCAD, was a surprise exhibitor at AIA. Always careful with its expenses,  I would have expected them to pony up for a booth, much less have 4 people manning it, including their CEO Royal Farros and COO Bob Mayer.

It was Doug Cochran, formerly of Autodesk and now CTO of IMSI, who showed me the latest enhancements to the TurboSite, IMSI's iPad-based application which lets you view building plans --and do a whole lot more.

TurboSite, as its name would imply, is meant to be used on a construction site. With it loaded on your iPad, you can compare what is being built to what was in the plans. You can mark up drawing, add notes. Notes can appear in balloons, or other shapes and it is kind enough to make a nice looking shape even if you can't draw one. You can take photos with the iPad and have them associated with the proper part of the plan. As the iPad can be aware of its locations, you can place yourself in the plan. TurboSite will take advantage of GPS and cell towers when available but claims to be able to tell exactly where it is even the absence of any signal. Magic?

Compare an iPad loaded with TurboSite to how you normally document a construction project. A folded set of E-size drawings for reference, scrawling notes on a clipboard, using a measuring tape.. If all does indeed work as advertised, the iPad should win hands down. Maybe my stingy construction company would not spring for an iPad so I'd just the one from home. I'd just have to be careful to not walk into a ditch because I couldn't take your eyes off  the screen. 

For more information, go to the TurboSite page on IMSI/Design.

ArchiCAD 17 Goes Deep With Intelligent Building Materials

DENVER, CO (AIA 2013), June 22, 2013 - ArchiCAD has been in the forefront of architecture software for some time. It is reputed to have practically coined BIM. It was doing 3D before Revit, the current market leader, was born.¹ So I expected to see some gee-whiz, eye-popping glamorous new features in ArchiCAD 17, which had been released just days before biggest event for architects in the world, the AIA convention.

ArchiCAD 17's intelligent building materials ensure correct graphical representation in sections (cut fills), element surfaces in 3D views and thermal properties throughout the building energy evaluations

Let's see what's new, I tell Ransom Ratcliff, who is BIM consultant for Graphisoft, the Hungarian company that makes ArchiCAD. Ransom, who works in the Newton, MA office, all in black, looks very much like he belongs at the AIA. I'm learning to spot architects. I have only half an hour and ArchiCAD is a major release so I need Ransom to tell me "what's the biggest news about ArchiCAD 17?"

Intelligent building materials," says Ransom, without blinking. What, not 3D. No visuals of high rises in holograms? No cloud technology? But I forge ahead, in case there is still something cool.

"Architects still work a lot in 2D," says Ransom. "Details and elevations are very important." Intelligent Building Materials make smart connections. For example, if you pick concrete,  ArchiCAD will update the section views showing proper connections. "Before this, materials were like contact paper," says Ransom. "Now, they go deeper."

It is a return to productivity, enhancements to wow the proletariat, the working architects, not so much the partners in the firms, the visionaries. It's the sort of return to normalcy serious architects will applaud.

Yet, as beneficial as intelligent building materials seem to be, and so useful, Graphisoft is not about to ram it down user throats. Those who upgrade to ArchiCAD 17 will, by default, be working in a "legacy mode," as if it was ArchiCAD 16, only faster. ArchiCAD 17 adds multithreading and background processing. Users can turn on ArchiCAD 17 enhancements on one at a time, as needed. Why take a chance on 'breaking" an already working BIM? The user can walk through the model, and if there is a change that is needed, one that would benefit from intelligent building materials, the user can apply it. Smart.

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1. A Brief History of BIM, by Michael S. Bergin, Arch Daily, Dec 7, 2012

Good Enough - Podium Renders SketchUp Models

DENVER, CO (AIA 2013), June 22, 2013 - SketchUp makes it quite easy to generate models of buildings but, lets face it, its images look rather prosaic. If you need a pretty picture, there are a quite a few products that will take your SketchUp model and generate a photorealistic rendering.

(image from SU Podium site)

On hand at the AIA convention was product manager James Allen to show me one of these SketchUp renderers. James concedes the overall highest quality of rendering to V-Ray, which is right down the isle. "But its very hard to use," he says. Podium is accessed from a little menu inside SketchUp. It seems to have very few commands -- so there is less to learn.

Who wants to spend time learning? We can't we push a button and generate a picture?

Well, usually because rendering programs are borne from photography, art, maybe physics. They employ jargon foreign to architects. For example, if I want to simply make a black and white picture from a color one, I have to "turn down the color saturation." Huh? Why can't I have a black and white button?

Podium uses an 80% rule as in "most users only need 80% of what high end rendering packages do," adds James. "We give them that." The picture Podium produces may be good enough for most work. The SU Podium output does. look way better than SketchUp's. I can still tell they are CG, whereas with some of the high end renderers results are so good they surpass reality -- cars without dirt and dings, for example.

So maybe you can't see a reflection within a reflection with SU Podium. It costs less than V-Ray., right?

Yes, you can buy Podium for $198 from www.suplugins.com. Podium includes a library of models and materials. "It's like SketchUp 3D warehouse," says James. I ask if Podium allows users to upload model, as SketchUp does, or textures. "It's our stuff, actually," says James. "We make sure it's all up to standards." Some are free but the entire library can be had for an additonal $60.

Green Theme at AIA

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (AIA Convention) - I notice the vendors on the exhibit hall are falling over them selves with green products or initiatives.

• Reclaimed woods from church pews, torn down barns, even bowling alley floors
• Several vendors showing living roofs
• Every page of the classes has several mentions of "sustainability," "green, "carbon-neutral," "solar and wind," etc.

You might take exception at the thick show guide (almost 200 pages) but AIA points out that it is make of "100% post consumer, de-inked fiber without chlorine."

But let's forget for a moment that the biggest fears of the attendees are:

1. swine flu
2. the other kind of green, i.e. greenbacks, and their dwindling commissions due to the economy

And let's also put aside the irony that the entire built-environment industry exists only to modify the earth from its pristine state. For the purpose of show coverage, let us just go with the flow...