Google buys @Last (SketchUp)

[f700es]

Not sure how I feel on this yet. Of course the AutoDesk haters at PushPullBar (http://www.pushpullbar.com/) are cheering this while I see no difference here as if AutoDesk, Adobe, Apple or Bently had bought @Last. I felt their difference was that they were small enough to still listen to their user group. Time will tell.

http://www.sketchup.com/index.php?id=1439

[CADTutor]

Very interesting news. Anyone who has used the Google Earth plug-in for SketchUp won't be surprised by this news - it's amazing.

On balance this is good news for the end user. I'd have been very disappointed if it had been Autodesk doing the buying - that would have been the end of SU and all those lovely features leached into AutoCAD. There's something clean and lean about SU and it would have been such a shame to add to the AutoCAD bloat.

This is also good news for AutoCAD users. Autodesk now have a serious challenge on their hands and Acad will have to improve it's 3D functionality to compete - looks like A2007 is arriving just in time.

[Methuselah]

Did anyone get a chance to beta test '07? I signed up for it, but never actually got around to downloading the beta version.

[f700es]

Did anyone get a chance to beta test '07? I signed up for it, but never actually got around to downloading the beta version.

Yes, I got a 30 day demo of 2007. It is no where close to what SU does. What it is, is a much more robust version of AutoCAD with WAY better 3D tools. It also seems to have the full Mental-Ray 3DMax render engine built into Acad now!