Replies

1. 
   user-7627473 | Aug 19, 2022 05:01am | #1

   http://www.sketchup.com

2. 
   esch5995 | Aug 19, 2022 07:38am | #2

   This won't help you much, but you are correct. Shortly after Trimble bought SketchUp from Google they eliminated the free version of downloadable SketchUp, I believe 2017 was the last year SketchUp "Make" was available, and replaced it with the web-based SketchUp "Free" which has an entirely different user interface and limitations. Since I use SketchUp Pro I really can't say much about the web version other than my few limited exposures left me unimpressed. The great thing about "Make" was it had exactly the same interface as the more advanced version of SketchUp making it easy to transition from one to the other which is exactly what I did. The web based offering has little in common with SketchUp Pro from what I can tell. I thought I had seen a post awhile back about somewhere you could still download the 2017 MAKE but I could be mistaken.

   Here is a link that confirms the above. Note the update that states the original premise of the article is no longer valid.

   https://www.howtogeek.com/720402/psa-you-can-still-download-the-old-free-version-of-sketchup/

   Apparently you can get a free 3 year subscription to Fusion 360 for hobbyist use if you are so inclined. Fusion 360 is another 3D design software and part of the Autodesk family which includes Autocad so it has a strong pedigree. If you have Autocad experience you will probably find it's interface very familiar and easy to learn as my son did. Unfortunately I would not expect as much support on this forum with Fusion 360 as there is for SketchUp users.

3. 
   bilyo | Aug 19, 2022 10:30am | #3

   As esch5995 said, Sketchup Make 1917 is no longer available from Trimble and is no longer supported by them. However, you can still download and install it from here;
   https://download.cnet.com/SketchUp-Make-2017/3000-6677_4-10257337.html

4. 
   daverichards | Aug 19, 2022 12:56pm | #4

   "Shortly after Trimble bought SketchUp from Google they eliminated the free version of downloadable SketchUp, I believe 2017 was the last year SketchUp "Make" was available"

   Trimble purchased SketchUp from Google back in 2012. It was more than 5 years after the purchase that they stopped development of SketchUp Make. They continued to offer 2017 Make up through May of this year.

   There are pros and cons to the web-based SketchUp versions. Since they run in your internet browser, they are operating system agnostic. This means they'll run on just about anything including ChromeBooks and Linux machines. Every time you open a new session of SketchUp for Web you get the latest version. Updates are typically fairly frequent. By default files are saved to the user's Trimble Connect account and include history so one can go back to earlier versions of the file if needed.

   Also since SketchUp for web runs in a browser, you can access it from any computer with an internet connection. For me that sometimes means I don't need to carry a computer with me to show a client or a friend my files. I can log into my account and open SketchUp Go from their computer. Or I can send them a link to the file which they can open in the online viewer. No need for them to install SketchUp or download my SketchUp file.

   The UI is different between desktop and web versions but all of the native tools are present. For those who have never used a desktop version that shouldn't be a huge issue. It's really not a big deal anyway. I've been using the desktop versions of SketchUp since 2003. Since I have a current subscription to SketchUp Pro I also have SketchUp Shop (web-based) and have no problem going back and forth between them.

   Cons to the web versions: you need an internet connection to open SketchUp for Web. Once you have it open you only need the internet to access the 3D warehouse and to save your work back to your Trimble Connect account. SketchUp for Web doesn't allow for use of Ruby extensions, at least yet. For most users that's not really a problem but for some, obviously, extensions add another level of operability.

   From my conversations with many hobbyist woodworkers the free web version seems to work just fine for them. If you are a professional woodworker using SketchUp in your process you would need to be using either SketchUp Go or SketchUp Pro. The cost of SketchUp Pro is more than SketchUp Go but it includes SketchUp Go and LayOut. Pro and Go also provide additional import and export options such as .dxf and .dwg which would be useful for generating files for CNC work.

   As for downloading SketchUp 2017 Make from sites such as bilyo linked to, just be cautious. There's no telling what you might get in the download besides SketchUp Make.

1. 
   bilyo | Aug 19, 2022 01:20pm | #5

   I concur with DaveRichards including being careful who/where you download from. However, CNET has been around for many years and I have no reason yet to not trust them.
   I'll also emphasize his point about any OS being able to use the internet version. This is a boon to Linux users who can't run Sketchup except possibly through a secondary program called Wine. And I'm not sure that works.
   One thing that might be considered a web version disadvantage is that you cannot save your work to your own computer. It can only be saved to the Trimble server.

5. 
   daverichards | Aug 19, 2022 02:05pm | #6

   "One thing that might be considered a web version disadvantage is that you cannot save your work to your own computer. It can only be saved to the Trimble server."

   Actually you can save your file locally. It's under Download, though.

1. 
   bilyo | Aug 19, 2022 06:13pm | #7

   I stand corrected. Thanks

6. 
   Rob_Sp | Aug 19, 2022 09:24pm | #8

   I used the free version for some years early on and it worked well. I purchased the pro version in 2014 for access to layout which made printing my plans much more useful. Since, I paid $120 per year for the pro version every year, not because I needed to but for me it was a reasonable value and I wanted to support the platform. For my purposes I could have continued to used the 2014 version.
   Then I received an email in 2020 prefaced by a long lecture from Trimble regarding their commitment to be "Generous with the software". With the next paragraph informing me that they were joining an expanding line of rent seekers and my pro software would require almost triple the charge per year.
   I see no advantage to a subscription base for this software, it is simply extortion to those of us who have invested years of use in their program.
   I will continue to use my 2020 desktop version until it is no longer functional. Then I will happily return to Trimble the big middle finger they gave to us loyal customers a couple of years ago...