New Total Sketch Desktop Pro Edition - Almost A Convert

[PassnThru]

I just tried the new Sketch Pro Edition. I am a long time Apex user. I have to say that Total Sketch really has leaped forward with the new sketcher but sadly it is still lacking some small but crucial elements to bring it up to the level of Apex. Primarily this involves jumping to points. Apex allows for jumping to points whether they are the end point of a line or the mid-point. This small feature allows for complex interiors and at times complex exteriors to be drawn quickly.

Many times I take reference measurements of complex structures while in the field. I then use free form drawing to trace parts of the sketch along with the jump feature to accurately place my cursor. As it stands, Total Sketch only jumps to a point on a very limited scale. This ultimately slows how accurately and thus how quickly I can work my way through a complex sketch. It is frustrating to try to manually place the cursor exactly where I want and then to look back and notice it was slightly off. With jump to end or jump to mid point the flexibility, speed, and accuracy increases greatly in my opinion.

On another important note it appears that when one starts drawing in free form one cannot simply hit delete to quickly clear the free form lines. Again many times I use free form as a base and then delete the free form lines once I have completed that portion of the sketch. Apex allows me to simply hit delete until I have deleted all the free form lines I need to.

I have only spent a few minutes with the Sketcher but I thought I would express my first thoughts about it. It is impressive how far it has come but it hasn't quite pried my paws away from Apex….YET.

 

[dbiggers]

I just tried the new Sketch Pro Edition. I am a long time Apex user. I have to say that Total Sketch really has leaped forward with the new sketcher but sadly it is still lacking some small but crucial elements to bring it up to the level of Apex. Primarily this involves jumping to points. Apex allows for jumping to points whether they are the end point of a line or the mid-point. This small feature allows for complex interiors and at times complex exteriors to be drawn quickly.

Many times I take reference measurements of complex structures while in the field. I then use free form drawing to trace parts of the sketch along with the jump feature to accurately place my cursor. As it stands, Total Sketch only jumps to a point on a very limited scale. This ultimately slows how accurately and thus how quickly I can work my way through a complex sketch. It is frustrating to try to manually place the cursor exactly where I want and then to look back and notice it was slightly off. With jump to end or jump to mid point the flexibility, speed, and accuracy increases greatly in my opinion.

On another important note it appears that when one starts drawing in free form one cannot simply hit delete to quickly clear the free form lines. Again many times I use free form as a base and then delete the free form lines once I have completed that portion of the sketch. Apex allows me to simply hit delete until I have deleted all the free form lines I need to.

I have only spent a few minutes with the Sketcher but I thought I would express my first thoughts about it. It is impressive how far it has come but it hasn't quite pried my paws away from Apex….YET.

There will always be some things people like better about one platform or another (Ford vs. Chevy comes to mind, and I'm a Ford guy...LOL), but there's no question that Apex is a superb, mature product. They're good at it, and it's all they do. Sketch for us is one of many products, so I'd admit that for a while it didn't get the attention it deserved -- but as you've sensed, that's changed over the past year.

We've dedicated additional resources to it on both the desktop and iOS and Android, and will continue to improve both the free Standard and the premium Pro versions. We have lofty ambitions for Sketch at all levels, so stay tuned.

And obviously, the big deal about Pro is that it actually activates the integration for Apex at the same time -- so you can toggle back and forth between the two as you see fit. Elite users therefore get Apex integration for free AND a free premium Sketch Pro, which we think is pretty compelling. It doesn't matter to us if they use Sketch Pro or Apex, but we obviously want to be the better product from a pride standpoint alone. We'll continue to push it further.

For those who don't know what we're talking about, here's the update notice:

http://www.alamode.com/e-mails_new/2014/Appraiser/0814/TOTALSKETCHUPDATE_0814_ew.html

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Deleted member 128537]

So I draw my sketch in the field on an IPAD. What's really going to be different? I seldom ever use the sketching program on the PC. In fact I find the field sketching program easier to use and sometimes will sketch even new construction on it and then transfer it.

 

[PassnThru]

It doesn't matter to us if they use Sketch Pro or Apex, but we obviously want to be the better product from a pride standpoint alone. We'll continue to push it further.

For those who don't know what we're talking about, here's the update notice:

http://www.alamode.com/e-mails_new/2014/Appraiser/0814/TOTALSKETCHUPDATE_0814_ew.html

Thanks for the feedback.

Hello Mr. Biggers. I have to agree. The pride you guys take in your products is evident. I always considered Total Sketch to be a product I likely would not even consider but that has changed to a large extent. However, I guess I am still a Chevy guy for now. Lol.

As a practical note I thought I would provide a couple of instances where jumping to mid or corners of both exterior and free form lines is helpful. When drawing an interior many times a closet space splits two bedrooms and many times the two bedrooms are on an end wall. One can jump to the center of the end wall, then move the cursor by 1.5', then draw one wall of the closet, then move the cursor 3' and draw the other wall, then jump to the center of the closet wall and draw the divider. Another instance would be in the kitchen. One can draw the cabinets along a wall. If the cabinets on the opposite wall line up one can jump to the end cabinet corner that was just drawn and use a shortcut key move the cursor to the opposite wall for quick and easy alignment. There are many other scenarios where jumping to end and mid points is helpful IMHO. This goes back to the Chevy vs Ford argument I guess but it wouldn't hurt to throw in a couple extra features on the ole Ford would it? You have already put a big motor in it. Lol.

 

[Pat Butler]

I downloaded the update and had previously bought the Apex sketch integration. I noticed that the version was just the standard version rather than the Pro version. I thought that I should have had the Pro version by default because of my prior integration purchase.

I've now chosen the Trace function and it did convert the program to the Pro version. However, I'm not sure that I have the Pro version as a 'demo' simply because I'm trying out the trace function, or whether that's what it took for the software to switch over to the Pro version and recognize that I was an integration purchaser.

I don't see the word 'demo' anywhere so I'm hoping that the Pro version is permanently locked-in but would like to have some way to verify it.

 

[dbiggers]

I downloaded the update and had previously bought the Apex sketch integration. I noticed that the version was just the standard version rather than the Pro version. I thought that I should have had the Pro version by default because of my prior integration purchase.

I've now chosen the Trace function and it did convert the program to the Pro version. However, I'm not sure that I have the Pro version as a 'demo' simply because I'm trying out the trace function, or whether that's what it took for the software to switch over to the Pro version and recognize that I was an integration purchaser.

I don't see the word 'demo' anywhere so I'm hoping that the Pro version is permanently locked-in but would like to have some way to verify it.

It's working properly it would appear. If trying a Pro feature works without asking you to initiate a trial or to buy it (a dialog would pop up), then you have Pro.

 

[Pat Butler]

Sounds good. It did ask me to log in, but that must of have just been for verification purposes.

 

[dbiggers]

So I draw my sketch in the field on an IPAD. What's really going to be different? I seldom ever use the sketching program on the PC. In fact I find the field sketching program easier to use and sometimes will sketch even new construction on it and then transfer it.

That's good to hear! As for the iPad, these same features like Trace mode for multi-level properties will be moved over to all mobile versions, there will be similar interface improvements, etc. Pro on mobile devices will keep pace with Pro on the desktop as closely as possible.

 

[Pat Butler]

The trace mode is a huge improvement. It now makes it easy to trace the lower level. In the past, the upper level would get merged with the underneath level after it was drawn.