Onshape vs SketchUp

• Cloud-connected - we never have to worry about updating our design computers or upgrade the software as the upgrades happen automatically every few weeks. We are always on the latest version and get access to the newest features.
• Analytics, we are able to see how we are using the tool, how long projects are really taking to complete and how much time we are spending in the system.
• Extensible, we are able to use FeatureScript and write functions for our own features. We have used this to automate repetitive tasks so that we save time on designing features that we use over and over.

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• Quickly exploring solutions in 3D: We get a lot of "what if" and "what would that look like" questions. While hand-sketching and hand-drafting can be fairly quick, SketchUp allows me to quickly create 3D and 2D views of a detail or solution, change dimensions and materials in a flash, and show a client or installer the plan in minutes.
• Creating professional design documents in LayOut: Projects of any scale need good documentation. Using a combination of SketchUp and LayOut, I can create a Design Intent Set, plans for permitting, a set for mechanical trades to mark-up, etc. Having clear, appropriately-scaled drawings with dimensions or notations is a must, and we don't always have the time or budget to get an architect involved!
• Using live files to guide discussions: Not all clients are "visual" people, so opening their model and orbiting around their space in real time has been extremely helpful. Clients and trades enjoy the perspective views so much that we often include them in the full-sized drawing sets to give a good "overall" view of the project intent. For complex or tight spaces, sometimes un-rendered plans and elevations just aren't enough!

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• I would like to see more functionality and options for dimensioning drawings. Customizing text positioning can be critical to optimizing a layout that has a lot of tightly packed features, unfortunately, there are not many options.
• Version history is great in theory, but it needs a search function to make it useful. Example: There is no way to find a list of changes to "Extrusion 1" without manually going through. And the problem is that my team and I use CAD as a development tool to get an idea into 3D space, then review details with the team once there is a visual. The result is hundreds to thousands of line items in the version history, so manual searching is not feasible.
• I don't believe that branching is useful (yes I have reviewed the self-guided material about it, and have gone through the instructor lead training).

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• Ability to import Revit files and libraries.
• Ability to export true curved vector linework. There are some workarounds, needs to be refined.
• Create an OPEN MAPS connection. Since the split from Google, the source for high-quality aerials is limited.
• Ability to dock all menus to the master window on a Mac
• Ability to develop dockable menu trays on a Mac

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• It's hard to quantify, since this is the only software we've used, but for how much it costs (somewhere in the $100-$200 per month range per person, I think), it's way more affordable for a small company than buying 10 SW or NX licenses.

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• SketchUp has definitely had a positive impact on the customer experience with our company. The model can be generated to give the owner a good idea of the final product before actually committing the resources to complete the project.
• Having simple models created before the work gets started in the field means that issues with elevations or odd angles can be ironed out beforehand and solved with the design team. This has greatly reduced the rework on our more complex self-perform concrete structures!

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