Google's Sketchup?

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Anyone here use it to design or layout projects? Make simple drawings?  I know a lot of you use "real" programs such as Solidworks but how useful would SketchUp be?  The cost of a program such as Solidworks makes it prohibitive for many of us. Just curious how many are using what to design their projects.  Me I am most comfortable with a soapstone on the concrete floor!  Sometimes we even put pylons around our "cad" drawings to keep them from being swept away. Hell we have even taken pictures of them when moment of inspiration hits us.
Reply:I use it all the time. I am just a home hobbyist though
Reply:i have it works, well for what i need and it was free and easy
Reply:I just downloaded it two days ago.  The biggest problem I am having is making sure I draw the different entities to the correct scale the first time. Resizing a cube for instance is not so easy after you have already made it.  I am also having a hard time placing my separate components in the correct spot relative it another component.  When I rotate the view I am way off yonder and it is a very trying process for me to get it in the right place three dimensionally.
Reply:Use sketchup regularly and went through the same issues burnandreturn.  Check out some of the tutorials and pay attention to the snap to and alignment tools.  Basicly, resting your pointer on a location for about 2 seconds will let you see the line/plane that the point is in.  Moving the mouse will show a dotted line that is aligned to your starting location.  There are also ways to align objects using the same principles.  It's too tough to explain here.  Check the tutorials out, they do help.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:I used the stetchup for a while and then I was able to get the Pro Engineer program on my computer, will most likely not ever use sketchup again, it was too frustrating for me.Miller Dynasty 300dxSpeedglas 9002XMiller Spectrum 375 XtremeLincoln PowerMig 255xtLincoln PowerMig 140cMilwuakee Portaband
Reply:Pro Engineer or Solidworks would be great but at $5000 a copy I will stick with SketchUp for my personal projects.
Reply:For 2D drawings, AutoCad lite is affordable at around $150.00
Reply:I use Aliebre
Reply:I just recently took a look at aliebre. I wish I would afford it
Reply:I got in several years ago and it was cheep then.
Reply:After reading about Alibre in this thread I downloaded the trial version. Great Program. I have 2d cad already but what I really want is a good 3d modeling program. I think Alibre is it!It is not that expensive for what it does. Especially compared to Solidworks. It is only $600.
Reply:I find the 3-d aspect of this is great for me I can export my projects to a pdf and you you can fly around them that is cool for my customers.
Reply:I have used IMSI's Turbocad for years. At the time I bought it the prices was $49.00 and upgraded once or twice. I think a trial version can be downloaded at http://www.turbocad.com/TurboCAD/Fre...5/Default.aspx . The program was a little buggy at the beginning but has seemed to become more stable over the years.Its much more expensive now.Last edited by Gerald Austin; 11-13-2009 at 12:13 PM.Reason: comment  regarding price