Product Reviews

Given the superb feature set of the free SketchUp, the Pro version needs to be special to justify its price.

Actually, there's really only one difference between the two, but it's fundamental: export options. If you want to use the models you've created as part of larger 3D modelling workflows, you'll need SketchUp Pro to export to a format other apps can understand: XSI, VRML, FBX, 3DS and OBJ. The same is true if you want to convert your models to accurate 2D technical drawings, where you'll need to export to vector-based formats such as DXF, DWG, EPS and PDF. And again, you'll need SketchUp Pro if you want to output your flythroughs as AVI videos.

Apart from these export capabilities, the two versions are identical, but Google has further differentiated its Pro release by adding

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a new support program. LayOut (beta) provides a page-based environment in which you build up presentations based on placed models, which you can annotate and embellish with text and shape tools before printing, outputting to PDF or presenting directly onscreen.

The big advantage of using LayOut is that the placed SketchUp models remain live, so changes to the original model are immediately reflected in the presentation. It also means you can quickly select a different scene and view, set an accurate scale, change the line weight, colour set and overall style of display, control shadows, add fog and set the output resolution from within LayOut. Double-click on the placed model and you can even orbit and reposition your scene in situ in real-time.

LayOut, like SketchUp itself, is innovative and easy to use, but Google emphasises that this is a beta version for good reason, since it regularly crashed on our test system. Until LayOut is stable, it means professional users are being asked to pay SketchUp Pro's full price just for its export capabilities. It might seem steep when so much power is given away for free, especially for loyal long-term users.

For many new users, though, upgrading to the Pro release will prove worthwhile. The free SketchUp is great for creatively exploring 3D ideas, but to take them further SketchUp Pro 6 is the natural solution.