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Quick and easy mockups of real-world buildings and structures
February 23, 2020

Quick and easy mockups of real-world buildings and structures

Michael Prewitt | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with SketchUp

  • We use SketchUp primarily for mocking up tradeshow displays. It is a quick and easy way to get a visual of how the various components of our tradeshow presence will work on the floor of the exhibit hall. We can look at it from multiple perspectives. I'm able to render out 3D walk-through or walk-around movies so everyone on the team and get an idea of what the structures will look like.
  • Additionally, we have also used SketchUp for television studio set mockups and graphics for printed publications, such as executive reports of projects that we've worked on.
  • It is a very easy-to-use app, and with nonprofit discounts, it is very economical for us. Plus, the free viewer app on the SketchUp website allows anyone to interact with the models even if they are not a licensed user. The free app runs in the cloud, so it can be used from anywhere, without needing to install the software.
  • Very easy to use compared to most other 3D modeling programs
  • Works with a huge library of free 3D components (3D Warehouse)
  • Sometimes SketchUp combines or joins objects in ways you did not intend and undoing that can be frustrating, especially if the Undo command is no longer an option.
  • The process of creating photorealistic renderings is somewhat convoluted compared to other 3D apps.
  • We use a nonprofit license, which is a mere $39/year. The value received in terms of productivity and confidence in our plans greatly outweighs that.
We have also used the pro version of Live Home 3D (https://www.livehome3d.com/), which is also easy to use and is well-suited to creating architectural models of buildings. It also has access to the same or similar library of 3D models that SketchUp has. For creating interior building mockups, it works well. It does not have the options for sharing interactive models in the cloud-like SketchUp has, though, and does not have the ecosystem of extensions that SketchUp has.
No problems with the software or receiving support that I can recall

Do you think SketchUp delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with SketchUp's feature set?

Yes

Did SketchUp live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of SketchUp go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy SketchUp again?

Yes

  • For creating quick conceptual mockups of real-world objects (particularly large objects), SketchUp cannot be beaten. In some industries, such as building construction and architecture, it appears to hold a very strong position. I am not in those industries, but I find the software very easy to use.
  • SketchUp has some powerful tools for creating complex renderings, but some of the methods take some study and practice. I wouldn't say they are immediately intuitive. However, the company behind SketchUp has created a lot of great YouTube videos for training.
  • In my experience, photorealistic rendering is not an ideal use of this application, although it can be done. Some impressive renders have been done, but it seems like a lot of work that this app may not be ideally suited for. For creating photorealistic renderings, particularly of small objects (products, etc.) I would recommend Boxshot, Adobe Dimension, or a traditional 3D modeling app.
  • The methods of creating, combining, and manipulating objects are unique to SketchUp — quite different from standard approaches in other 3D apps. While I personally find them easy to use, there is a learning curve, and it is an entirely different process than one would find in an app like Maya, Cinema 3D, or Blender.