Yes, it's probably overkill. What I'm after is the simplicity, even if it comes with limitations. My woodworking plans are pretty simple, and I have no need for fancy shapes or parametric stuff (I can't design more complex things than I can cut and chop with chisel and saw).
I wouldn't go designing fancy shapes for machining with SketchUp, but it's great for doing plans for simple projects.
Yep, Sketchup is excellent for planning out woodworking. It lets you figure out how everything will fit together in 3d space, and then you can just measure all your cuts in your finished design.
I really wish there was an open source alternative, or at least a linux one (Sketchup works ok in wine).
I've been really considering starting a SketchUp -style 3d drawing program project. I have a background in 3d graphics and data structures/algorithms, so it would be right down my alley. But I don't have a lot of time on my hands :(
I wouldn't go designing fancy shapes for machining with SketchUp, but it's great for doing plans for simple projects.