SketchUp
SketchUp is a suite of subscription products that include SketchUp Pro Desktop, a 3D modeling computer program for a broad range of drawing and design applications — including architectural, interior design, industrial and product design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, theater, film and video game development. Owned by Trimble Inc., the program is currently available as a web-based application, "SketchUp Free", and three paid subscriptions, "SketchUp Shop, SketchUp" "Pro, and SketchUp Studio," each with increasing functionality. The program includes drawing layout functionality, surface rendering in different "styles", and enables placement of its models within Google Earth. History. Section::::@Last  Software. SketchUp was developed by startup company @Last Software of Boulder, Colorado, co-founded in 1999 by Brad Schell and Joe Esch. SketchUp was created in August 2000 as a 3D content creation tool and was envisioned as a software program for design professionals. The program won a Community Choice Award at its first tradeshow in 2000. The first macOS release of SketchUp won a "Best of Show" at Macworld in 2002. Google. Google acquired @Last Software on March 14, 2006, attracted by @Last Software's work developing a plugin for Google Earth. On January 9, 2007, Google announced Google  SketchUp 6, a free downloadable version of SketchUp, including integrated tools for uploading content to Google Earth and to the Google 3D Warehouse. Google SketchUp Pro 6 introduced a beta version of Google SketchUp LayOut which includes 2D vector tools and page layout tools allowing presentations to be produced without the need for a separate presentation program. On November 17, 2008, SketchUp 7 was released with integration of SketchUp's Component Browser with Google 3D Warehouse, LayOut 2 and dynamic components that respond to scaling. On September 1, 2010, SketchUp 8 was released with model geolocation with Google Maps and  Building Maker integration. Mac OS X Tiger was no longer supported. SketchUp version 8 use under Wine has been rated "Gold". Geolocation information is always stored in the KMZ file. The building designs themselves are saved in SKP. Trimble. Trimble Navigation (now Trimble Inc.) acquired SketchUp from Google on June 1, 2012 for an undisclosed sum. In 2013, SketchUp 2013 was released. A new site was provided, Extension Warehouse, hosting plugins and extensions for SketchUp. Subscriptions. SketchUp comes in three subscription options: Studio. Everything in the pro plus professional rendering via Chaos' V-Ray for SketchUp and point cloud import  and management via Trimble's Scan Essentials. Pro. SketchUp Pro subscription includes the eponymous desktop 3D modeler, plus importers and exporters to common 2D and 3D formats, access to SketchUp's repository of pre-built 3D models (3D Warehouse), access to its extension library (Extension Warehouse), access to LayOut (2D documentation software) and Style Builder (create custom edge styles for SketchUp models). SketchUp Pro 2016 has native integration with Trimble Connect, treat 3D Warehouse models as references, a rebuilt Generate Report and now LayOut offers web-friendly reference objects as well as a new LayOut API. SketchUp Pro licensing is  dual-platform and works on Windows and Mac machines. Shop. SketchUp Shop is a version of SketchUp specifically for DIY designers, makers, and woodworkers. It has a feature set designed to meet the specific needs (e.g. interface with 3D printers, CNC routers and other shop machines) of these users. A major difference between Shop and Pro is that SketchUp Shop is a web application that runs in a browser only while connected to the internet, whereas SketchUp Pro is a downloadable application that can be used offline. Free. In November 2017, SketchUp Free was released as a web-based application  which replaces SketchUp Make. Drawings can be saved to the cloud, saved locally as a native SKP file, or exported as an STL file. Compared to Make, SketchUp Free does not support extensions, creation and editing of materials. The product is not for commercial use. License. On June 4, 2020, Trimble announced that SketchUp would transition to a subscription business model. After November 4, 2020, SketchUp no longer sells perpetual licenses and maintenance & support plans. 3D Warehouse. 3D Warehouse is an open library in which SketchUp users may upload and download 3D models to share. The models can be downloaded  right into the program without anything having to be saved onto your computer's storage. File sizes of the models can be up to 50 MB. Anyone can make, modify and re-upload content to and from the 3D warehouse free of charge. All the models in 3D Warehouse are free, so anyone can download files for use in SketchUp or even other software such as AutoCAD, Revit and ArchiCAD - all of which have apps allowing the retrieval of models from 3D Warehouse. Since 2014 Trimble has launched a new version of 3D Warehouse where companies may have an official  page with their own 3D catalog of products. Trimble is currently investing in creating 3D developer partners in order to have more professionally modeled products available in 3D Warehouse. According to the Trimble, 3D Warehouse is the most popular 3D content site on the web. SketchUp designers may visit 3D Warehouse to discover new products or for inspiration when designing their own. Patents. SketchUp holds U.S. Patent 6,628,279, granted in September 2003, on its ""Push/Pull"" technology. Software extensions. SketchUp 4 and later support software extensions written in the Ruby programming language, which add specialized functionality. Many such extensions are  available to others on the Trimble Extension Warehouse and many other 3rd party websites as well. SketchUp has a Ruby console, an environment which allows experimentation with Ruby. SketchUp Free, the web-based version, does not support extensions which severely limits the functionality of the tool. Model viewers. SketchUp Viewer. SketchUp Viewer is an app released by Trimble. It is available on Desktop, iOS, Android, and Microsoft HoloLens. While the app is free to install and use on all platforms, AR and XR features use the freemium model. Cubits. Cubits for iPad and iOS is a 3D interactive model viewer /renderer. It can view .kmz files from SketchUp either as attachments through e-mail or via Dropbox. Kubity. Kubity — the first mixed reality multiplex, is a system to instantly visualize 3D models on multiple devices: desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, augmented reality gear and virtual reality glasses. They also developed rvt2skp, a free plugin to export any Revit project to a .skp file. The Wild. The Wild is a collaboration software program that allows architecture and design teams to experience their SketchUp models together in virtual and augmented reality.