# Legal and Software Advice -- Trimble Sketch-Up

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-software-advice-trimble-sketch-up/736690>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 5, 2015, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-software-advice-trimble-sketch-up/736690 "2015-11-05T08:03:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-software-advice-trimble-sketch-up/736690/1 "2015-11-05T08:03:31Z")

</div>

Used to be Google Sketch-Up was a nice and free 3-D drawing program.

Now, there’s still a free version, but it’s “non-commercial.” Reading the license is tough sledding: lots of legalese. Does “non-commercial” mean I can’t use my drawings as, say, an Amazon Kindle book cover? If so…bummer.

(I can’t conceivably afford the $700 they want for a commercial license.)

Anybody know any nice 3-D drawing programs that are either free or affordable?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-software-advice-trimble-sketch-up/736690/2 "2015-11-05T17:24:36Z")

</div>

Take a look [here](http://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-commercial-use/1032/5). Looks like earlier versions allow commercial use. So SketchUp 8 Free would be your best choice.

The End User License Agreement (EULA) changed after Trimble acquired SketchUp to remove commercial use from the “free” version (SketchUp Make). Commercial use is still permitted with SketchUp Pro 2013 and Pro 2014, as well as SketchUp Pro 8 AND SketchUp 8 Free.

The new terms do not affect old versions of the software.

Current EULAs can be found here:  
[http://www.sketchup.com/license/b/sketchup-pro129](http://www.sketchup.com/license/b/sketchup-pro129)  
[http://www.sketchup.com/license/b/sketchup-make182](http://www.sketchup.com/license/b/sketchup-make182)  
Doing a simple Ctrl+F with the word “commercial” will bring you to the appropriate section in the Make EULA.

You may have took around to find SketchUp 8 free.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-software-advice-trimble-sketch-up/736690/3 "2015-11-05T17:25:55Z")

</div>

Here is a link with SketchUp 8 Free for Windows and Mac

> **[How to Get Sketchup Free](https://designerhacks.com/get-the-google-sketchup-free-download/)**
>
> If you would like to download past versions of google sketchup free look at the list below!  We also have links to download the latest and greatest of this incredibly popular software. Once you've downloaded the software check out our Sketchup...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-software-advice-trimble-sketch-up/736690/4 "2015-11-05T22:25:28Z")

</div>

Thank you! I may be safe, because the specific images I want to use were created under the old, free versions of Google Sketch-Up, and one specific image under the free trial period of the new Trimble Sketch-Up. So those “older” pics – so long as I don’t do any further manipulation of 'em, would seem to be grandfathered.

But I’ll definitely glom the free SU8! Thank you for advice and advice!