Status of Sketchup

[Cecil]

Is the paid version of Sketchup pro the only one available now? $695? That is a bit steep for me as a hobbyist. If that is the case, perhaps I will go back to pencil and paper.

[Robert Adams]

I believe sketchup make is the only free version now. I'm not too familiar with it but it's easy to see they have been working towards being a competition to autodesk, solid works, chief architect and rhino.

I use Autocad for 2d and I prefer rhino for 3d over solid works. Chief architect is awesome for house and building drawings. You can draw up a house in an hour with most all of the systems drawn in and rendering 3d views is child's play it's so easy and looks great.

[DaveR1]

Cecil, SketchUp 2016 Make is still free. When you get set to download SketchUp, make sure you indicate that you are using it for personal use. It'll install as the pro version and give you a 30 day trial. After the 30 days have expired, it'll revert to the free version. If you are running a PC, make sure you choose 32-bit or 64-bit as appropriate.

[Cecil]

Thanks. I guess the 30 free trial is what threw me off. Now I know that it will revert and still work !

[DaveR1]

It will as long as you did select the right option before downloading.