April 27, 2012, 12:07:20 am
Most SketchUp veterans are talking about it here:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=44881&start=60The core SketchUp team is still there since they are called @last, anyone remember @last SketchUp?

And I know they are not sold easily without good causes.
SketchUp product manager even stated that 64-bit developer also monitored this thread

They are going to open to new market once again, like the time they move to Google.
But this time, to more professional uses in GIS and engineering for sure.
FYI, SketchUp do nothing best but it is so intuitive. A lot people overlook because of it marketing position by Google. When people know sketchup ecology, it's not that hard to do this in SketchUp with some Photoshop, it's low poly model ready for real-time. This one from 2009:

I think what SketchUp people going to do is make these engineering things a lot easier to disciplines.
Lumion should watch this closely, new opportunities also there. At least, SketchUp have possibility to become BIM, like what it did to 3D industry. SketchUp & Layout is almost BIM before development stuck for years. I'm not talking to just BIM for architects, it's BIM for many disciplines which involved in AEC now.
http://gfxspeak.com/2012/04/26/google-sells-sketchup-to-trimble/SketchUp currently claims 2 million active users per week, based on their ability to track how downloaded copies are used. On an average week, between one-third and one-half of those active users are running SketchUp Professional, which retails for $495. As one SketchUp employee says regarding market presence, “If Autodesk or Bentley is there, so are we.â€