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LayOut 2025  delivers a major step forward in usability, editing power, and visual fidelity—bringing 2D documentation even closer to the SketchUp modeling experience. Whether you're preparing construction drawings, design presentations, or annotated visuals, this release supports a faster, more intuitive workflow. Advanced Visualization LayOut now renders Photoreal Materials  and Environments  directly within SketchUp viewports, transforming how design intent is communicated on the page. New Ambient Occlusion  settings add nuanced shadowing and lighting effects, dramatically enhancing the perception of depth and realism in 2D outputs. Key Highlights SketchUp-like Editing Tools: Move, Rotate, and Scale now behave just like they do in SketchUp, enabling a seamless transition between 3D modeling and 2D documentation. These tools are now standalone, inference-capable, and context-aware. Improved Shape Management: Refined Join and Split commands streamline the editing of vector geometry, making it easier to manage and manipulate complex drawings. Enhanced Visualisation Capabilities: Access new features—Photoreal Materials, AI-generated Textures, Environment Settings, and new 3D Warehouse libraries—directly in LayOut. These visual upgrades bring more stylistic variety and realism to your pages. Smarter Navigation & Viewing: Navigate documents more precisely with the Zoom Window (Z) and Zoom to Page (P) commands—new shortcuts designed for page-level clarity and efficiency. Streamlined Printing & Export: Faster, cleaner, and higher-resolution print and export options let users deliver polished documentation with ease. Live Model Linkage: Say goodbye to static exports. LayOut maintains live links to your SketchUp model, ensuring any changes in 3D instantly reflect across your documentation. Vector Drawing & Annotation Tools: Add technical details, dimensions, callouts, and line weights directly on your pages using LayOut’s robust 2D vector tools. Why It Matters LayOut 2025 blurs the lines between 2D and 3D work by making drafting more dynamic and integrated. The improved interoperability across SketchUp, LayOut, 3D Warehouse, and the SketchUp API/SDK makes it easier than ever to produce compelling, high-fidelity presentations with technical accuracy. Video Tutorial: Custom Scrapbooks in Layout Learn how to explore existing options, import SketchUp elements, and design scaled drawings for efficient reuse. Read more about how you can use Scan Essentials to reduce rework and cost overruns here . Learn more about Layout here .

For franchise operators and multi-location retailers, maintaining design consistency across stores is essential. With SketchUp, you can standardize layouts, materials, and design elements, creating templates that make it easy to replicate a signature look and feel — no matter the location. Setting up your model Before you start designing, it’s essential to set up your model properly. Start by selecting the right template, units, and scale tailored to your project. Don’t forget to bring in any relevant site information—like floor plans, photos, or measurements—to ground your design in accuracy. You can import existing floor plans into SketchUp. These provide a reliable reference for dimensions and layout. With SketchUp’s wide range of templates and import options, you can easily find the perfect setup for your specific retail design needs. Organize your model into layers and groups By using layers and groups effectively, you can simplify your workflow, avoid accidental edits and explore different variations for your design. Layers let you manage the visibility and editability of various elements in your model—like walls, floors, furniture, and lighting. Groups, on the other hand, help you isolate and adjust specific components, such as shelves, displays, or products. Applying materials and textures When it comes to creating environments that truly resonate, the right use of materials and textures makes all the difference. In SketchUp 2025 , photoreal materials  help bring your vision. to live.  With integrated Physically Based Rendering material support, you can enjoy real-time rendering, create outstanding visuals and make better material decisions - all in SketchUp. Seamlessly convert existing swatches to Photoreal Materials or explore a curated collection in 3D Warehouse. A beautifully designed store helps draw more customers in. Imagine walking into a retail space and feeling the warmth of rich oak flooring, the cool elegance of brushed steel fixtures, or the inviting softness of plush fabric seating. Use visual cues to attract more customers, and in your model, those cues come from the quality and realism of the materials you choose.   Adding components and 3D Warehouse One of the most useful features of SketchUp is its ability to add pre-built (configurable) components to your project model quickly. SketchUp has a collection of components that you can access from the Components panel, or can access the 3D Warehouse , which is an online repository of millions of free components created by other SketchUp users.   A new SketchUp Content Library is now available at 3D Warehouse where users can access collections of materials, environments, and more! Add doors and windows from SketchUp's extensive component library, or design custom components to fit the store’s unique specifications. Using extensions and plugins SketchUp’s extensions and plugins offer an incredible way to enhance functionality and streamline workflows. These additional tools help you push the boundaries of creativity and efficiency, adding specialized features tailored to retail design needs. With SketchUp’s Extension Warehouse , you have access to a vast online library of developer- and user-created plugins, from tools for creating intricate curves and shapes to generating dynamic patterns, visualizing lighting, and animating product displays. Whether you’re mapping out a flagship store or designing seasonal pop-ups, these extensions let you customize your design process with precision and flair. For instance, extensions like Curviloft  simplify complex geometry, while V-Ray  offers photorealistic rendering  — perfect for presenting lifelike store concepts. Parametric modeling tools  enable quick adjustments to fixtures and layouts, helping you explore variations without starting from scratch. Rendering and presenting your model SketchUp has a native renderer that you can use to make your design more realistic and attractive., or you can use external renderers that integrate with SketchUp, such as V-Ray, Enscape, Lumion, etc. Presenting your model helps you bring your vision in front of your clients, stakeholders, or audience, and there are different formats and methods, such as images, videos, animations, interactive views, etc. SketchUp has various options and tools for exporting and presenting your model, such as LayOut, Style Builder, Scenes, Animation, etc. When designing retail spaces, it’s not just about the fixtures and layouts — it’s about creating environments designed for human interaction . That’s where Chaos Anima ALL  shines. It’s our go-to tool  for populating 3D scenes with photorealistic human movement , adding a layer of realism and energy that makes your designs more immersive and convincing. With an extensive asset library  featuring thousands of 3D people models  and 4D humans in motion , Chaos Anima ALL helps you showcase how customers will navigate, interact, and experience  your retail space. Whether it’s shoppers browsing shelves , staff assisting customers , or crowds moving through a flagship store , these dynamic elements bring your vision to life . The best part? We can offer you a trial account so you can try it out to add movement, scale, and storytelling  to your retail design presentations. Reach out to us here via whatsapp if you are keen to try out SketchUp 2025. Or fill up our contact us page here .

Sustainable architecture and energy efficiency design for buildings can be challenging because i n traditional workflows, environmental performance often enters the conversation too late—after the building model is complete and flexibility is limited. But sustainability shouldn't be an afterthought. PreDesign  empowers architects to take climate responsiveness into account from the very first sketch. By integrating site-specific environmental analysis at the earliest stages of design, PreDesign helps you make informed decisions that shape not only your building—but its long-term impact on the planet. With PreDesign, you can get the valuable data you need to weave contextual insights into your project and get your creative juices flowing before you launch into 3D. PreDesign is great for Anyone designing a building, building renovation or outside space. Anyone looking for design inspiration or ideas when considering a new building design or renovation. With SketchUp’s PreDesign tool you can: Obtain information about the climate that will help you design a better building. Get inspiration and ideas for incorporating local climate factors and environmental considerations into your design narrative. Find out what design strategies will work well before you start building your 3D model. Generate content that helps you convince others of the merit of alternative design strategies. SketchUp's geo-location and terrain features can help match the planned design with the actual site of the project. Furthermore, you can enhance and expand your modeling capabilities by using extensions such as SketchUp Engineering Toolbox or SketchUp Energy Analysis . You can find and install these extensions by browsing the Extension Warehouse , downloading the files, and enabling the plugins. Where the PreDesign tool fits in: The SketchUp PreDesign tool is intended to be used as part of the “PreDesign” (also known as research) phase of a building or building renovation design project. The SketchUp PreDesign tool filters through design ideas and presents those that have the potential to be most suitable to your project, based on an analysis of historical climate data for your site. By using the SketchUp PreDesign tool BEFORE you start designing, you can avoid spending time thinking about strategies that are unlikely to be worth pursuing on your project. What the PreDesign tool does not do: It does not tell you how to apply design strategies to your project (although we do offer some guidance in the help section.) It does not guarantee compliance with energy or green building codes or standards. It will not be able to provide guidance for a specific 3D model you are working on (it only looks at building type and climate history and provides suggestions based on that). Choosing your location and climate data Specifying a location provides the following: a background map. This is used to help identify the project and as a background on some visualisations An easy way to helps us guide you to the right historical climate data for the study. In the create study workflow, you can start typing an address and you’ll start getting options that might relate to what you are typing. Consider climate in your design planning process. By optimizing a building’s orientation and selecting materials that enhance thermal mass and solar shading, you can significantly boost energy efficiency.

In most industries and workflows these days, interoperability is key for efficiency and collaboration. We understand that people have different software preferences, and SketchUp isn't the only tool they use. Regardless of your toolset, the ability to move seamlessly between tools is critical, which is why we constantly look to improve import and export capabilities.  When you want to use SketchUp with other modeling programs or tools, that typically means you need to either Import a file from another program into SketchUp. Export your SketchUp model into a file format that works with another program. A linked RVT file in SketchUp: With SketchUp Studio's Revit Importer, users can easily import and view Revit models to iterate and share from SketchUp quickly. Tip: When this article refers to other modeling programs or tools, that means programs outside the SketchUp family of software and tools. Learn the type of file formats that allows users to share 3D modeling data between applications. To import or export some of these files, you need a SketchUp Pro license or active SketchUp for Websubscription. The following table has a full list of the different types of files you can import into and export from SketchUp. Note: The SketchUp Subscriptions have additional import and export options as well. File Type File Extension(s) Subscription Type Learn More CAD files .dwg, .dxf Go Pro Studio Importing and Exporting CAD Files and Starting with a CAD File in SketchUp Image files .jpg, .png, .tif, .bmp, .psd, .tga, .eps Free Go Pro Studio Importing and Exporting Image Files PDF files .pdf Go (iPad only) Pro Importing and Exporting Image Files COLLADA files .dae Free Go Pro Studio Importing and Exporting COLLADA Files 3D Studio (3DS) files .3ds Go Pro Studio Importing and Exporting 3DS Files Digital elevation models (DEM files) .dem, .ddf Free Go Pro Studio Importing DEM Files for Terrain FBX files .fbx Go Pro Studio Exporting FBX Files Google Earth files .kmz Free Go Pro Studio Exporting KMZ Files for Google Earth OBJ files .obj Go Pro Studio Exporting OBJ Files VRML files .wrl Go Pro Studio Exporting VRML Files XSI files .xsi Go  Pro Studio Exporting XSI files IFC files .ifc Pro Studio Exporting IFC files USDZ files .usdz Pro Studio n/a gITF .gib Pro Studio n/a

SketchUp Extension Warehouse is a library of plugins, tools, and extensions designed to elevate the functionality of SketchUp. These valuable extensions can be downloaded and installed directly within the SketchUp software, making it easy to add new features and capabilities to your designs. Whether you're a novice or an experienced user, the Extension Warehouse serves as an invaluable resource, granting access to a diverse array of tools aimed at enhancing efficiency and productivity, ultimately saving you valuable time.

Scan-to-Design uses LiDAR scanning in SketchUp for iPad to generate 3D models of existing spaces using the following 3D outputs:  Canvas generates a textured 3D model where surfaces such as walls, ceilings, or floors are drawn in SketchUp as planes and/or triangulated meshes. This output can then be edited using SketchUp’s modeling tools. The rest of the scanned space such as furnishings or decorations will be drawn as a textured, triangulated mesh.    Apple’s RoomPlan technology generates a simplified model of the scanned space using orthogonal SketchUp edges and faces. Room features like windows and doors are represented as cut-outs. To use the RoomPlan output, you will need to toggle it on in the Tags panel. You can also set it as your preferred output in Scan-to-Design settings, turning the Canvas output off altogether.  Canvas is the active visible output by default, but you can freely switch between both outputs in the Tags panel.  Note : Scan-to-Design is a SketchUp Labs feature. Labs features are still in active development and may change or be removed at any time. For more information see SketchUp Labs . Using Scan-to-Design Tip : Start with a new SketchUp model for best results.  The Scan tool appears in the Expanded Toolset. To scan a room: Activate the Scan tool. A scanning grid will appear on your iPad’s screen. SketchUp will offer prompts to help you capture a complete scan.  Begin your scan by slowly panning your device up, down, and across the walls around the space. Continue in a steady, patterned motion to make sure you capture every possible detail.   While scanning, you can tap Cancel in the lower left corner of the screen at any time to exit the Scan tool. When finished scanning a space, tap Done. Processing can take a few minutes.  Review and start modeling using your scanned 3D output.  Manage the visibility of your scanned output in the Tags panel.  After scanning a space, SketchUp organizes the output imported into your model in the Outliner. For more information on how you can use the Outliner to organize, view, and manage groups and components in your model, see Outliner Panel   Scan-to-Design Settings The Scan-to-Design section In Settings provides options to configure your scan output in a way that best represents your design workflow.  Canvas Settings contains the following Canvas-specific options: Create a Mesh – When this toggle is on, Canvas will create a mesh representing the scanned output. If toggled off, the Mesh Level of Detail and Apply Textures to Mesh options will be unavailable.  Mesh Level of Detail – Choose a level of detail between 2” and 12”.  Apply Textures to Mesh – When this toggle is on, Canvas will apply textures to the mesh it creates.  Create Simplified Planes of Room Surfaces – When this toggle is on, Canvas turns scanned room surfaces such as floors, walls, and ceilings into simplified planes.  Apply Textures to Planes – This is only available if Create Simplified Planes of Room Surfaces is toggled on. Canvas will apply textures to simplified plane surfaces.  RoomPlan Settings contains the following RoomPlan-specific options: Generate RoomPlan Output – Toggle this on to use Apple’s RoomPlan. If toggled off, all other options in this section will be unavailable.  Include All the ‘Stuff’ that Fills a Room – Choose to include all objects in the room in your scan.  Align Furniture to Room – RoomPlan will align all the objects recognized as furniture with walls. Single Wall Group – SketchUp will create a Group out of the scanned walls  An additional setting appears near the bottom called Backside Color of Faces . This setting allows you to adjust the color that appears on the backside of the faces created by your output. Tapping the square opens a color picker dialog, allowing you to change the color as needed.

Chris Rosewarne  is an award-winning Concept Artist in the movie industry, having worked on projects like Star Wars: Episode VIII, Max Payne, Skyfall, Spectre, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Guardians of the Galaxy. So, ‘concept art’: How would you describe it to those not in the know? In simple terms, concept art involves producing visuals and designs for things that haven't been made or seen; they exist only in the script or in the director’s head until you put pen to paper. It’s the job of the concept artist to extrapolate these ideas and turn them into a design or visual. It's something that’s certainly exploded since I first got into it, back when “Concept Art” wasn’t really a search term. I remember trying to swallow up as many examples as I could get hold of, which before websites like  ArtStation  and DeviantArt, wasn’t easy. Now though, it's highly accessible with a wealth of resources and even degree courses. It's very exciting to be a part of, you get inspired by amazing art and of course, the reaction is “I want to do that! How do I do that?” Many concept artists have come up through the art school system and were taught the fundamentals of perspective drawing and proportion, and have found an application for their skills. For those who think: “I like the look of that; I want to learn it,” it can be quite easy to accidentally skip over these basics. SketchUp screen grab from Chris Rosewarne's "Camera Drone" tutorial You’ve worked on some of the biggest grossing movies of all time including  Skyfall  and  Avengers: Age of Ultron . Which projects have been a personal highlight? I would have to say  Guardians of the Galaxy, Skyfall,  and  Star Wars: Episode VIII.  My first exposure to any concept art was imagery from Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. I remember thinking, “That’s what I want to do” so I quit my job as a prop maker and put together a portfolio to show art departments. Fast forward ten years and I was working on concepts for Star Wars: Episode VIII. That was certainly an “Oh my God, here I am actually doing this” moment; it felt like things had come full circle. Guardians of the Galaxy  was great to work on. We were exposed to the script and it was just so wacky: a talking raccoon and a walking tree sounded completely off the wall. I was involved in designing elements that had a backstory where things weren’t pristine; they were aged, modified, and rebuilt. When you move on to the next project, you kind of forget what you did. At release it all comes back, you sit in the cinema smiling like a big kid, getting lost in and feeling a great sense of pride in your work. Hasbro brought out a Nerf gun based on Quill’s (the lead character) pistols and sent some our way. It’s very rewarding to see them side-by-side with our many original drawing iterations.   When a production designer approaches you with a brief, what gets you excited? I’m into what is referred to in the industry as hard surface modeling: it’s what I use SketchUp for and it also fits my background as a hands-on prop maker. So if anything is kind of robotic or weaponized in nature, I really, really get into it and enjoy the mechanics. One of the comments I often receive is that my designs look like they would move and function, even within the realms of a fantasy movie. I always like to have a visual grounding: that could be anything from the shape to the finish. I pick inspiration up everywhere I go. When you spend time in workshops with welding equipment you see what heat does to metal; adding cherry reds, bright blues, and smoky blacks. This tells you it was hot. It's not just about a cool design, you also have to add visual cues based on reality and inherent imperfections. People are often surprised to learn you work predominantly in SketchUp. How did you get started? It seemed to be the industry standard in the art department, allowing art directors to rapidly model their set with architectural forms - which SketchUp has got lit. They would traditionally draw up the plans for the sets on paper to build in SketchUp, whereas now I see them just building straight in software. Art directors would provide their set designs for me to screengrab and paint up in Photoshop. Gradually, as I would be tasked with editing scenes and be more involved, it became apparent I should just learn SketchUp. I first broke the back of SketchUp working on A Good Day to Die Hard. Designing one of the main chase vehicles seemed like a fantastic project to cut my teeth on, so I watched YouTube tutorials on how to model cars, tractors, and boats. Within a couple of days, I was up and running. The main vehicle took about a week to finish, but afterward, I was able to produce a series of visuals at a rate of one each day. I could stage crash scenes quickly using other vehicles from 3D Warehouse and placing the camera in the right position to render in  Podium  and finish in Photoshop. The visual effects company was keen to know how I was doing it so quickly. When I told them it was SketchUp, they were really surprised. You get really far, really fast, without getting bogged down with all the modeling settings. Once you have a couple of assets, it's super quick. That means you can leap into the painting and the final visual. Some of your work is incredibly complex and detailed. What tricks do you have up your sleeve to work quicker? Components, components,  components…  I try to make the software do the work for me, so if I see anywhere that I’m going to have to repeat the modeling, I will split it in half and it will become a component. I have components of components, so there I only need to model in one small quarter or an eighth of the design. Chris’ Sub mech project is comprised of a series of components to accelerate modeling. There are some fantastic plugins, which I’d say are essential, especially if you are going for photo-real renders later on. Others include  RoundCorner , which is indispensable for adding radii to edges and  CenterPoint , which enables you to find the center of an object to apply new geometry. How do you achieve that extra bit of polish in your designs? It really is bevel everything. I did a model-making degree course and it was the same principle. We had to replicate a mobile phone out of wood and plastic using templates that were as precise to 0.2mm. Almost everything that is manufactured has a tiny bevel on it, and that either creates a shadow line or a highlight. "The same should apply to 3D geometry. If you have a box with just corners, you’re going to get two flat sides that look unnatural. If something has a tiny bevel, the edge is going to catch the light differently – that’s the key to it looking more believable." It is often the reaction of people I work with, that they question what has been made in SketchUp. They don’t expect it. I find it extremely easy to create in it, as I’m repeating a few basic methods of modeling; radial arrays, linear arrays, components, and bevelling. There is, however, no shortcutting the addition of detail. Thankfully, I enjoy adding it! That undoubtedly comes from my years with Airfix and Lego. What recent design trends have you seen? On the day of the one-click photo-real render, I’m noticing a pushback. People are asking me how to get that ‘graphic look’. I’m not seducing anybody with gloss, surface, or finish; just the pure form, proportion, and detail. All the classic elements taught in art college or design school are applied in SketchUp. Form and design are the two most important principles whether you’re concepting in film or architecture. Directors and colleagues like the look of clay render overlaid with line work. You get the soft shimmer of the clay and the crisp graphic edges of the original SketchUp UI. I’ve even had expert poly modelers ask how I achieve the look. The explosion of CGI movies inevitably means more people want to get into concept art; what techniques keep you ahead of the game? Well, that’s something that I’m very aware of, with all the recent grads who are very literate in various applications and poly modeling. "However, I wouldn’t say I was hired because I’m really good with a piece of software, you are hired to problem solve: that problem being the brief and your solution being a design. No one cares how you get from A to B as long as you get there fast and the design looks good." My workflow currently includes a modeling program, rendering software (KeyShot) and Photoshop. But I could always do pretty good paintings with just Photoshop. So 3D modeling is enhancing an existing ability. What piece of SketchUp game would you teach to a younger you? I might have to be controversial here and say I learned pretty much all I needed to know within the first week, which speaks to SketchUp's ease of use. I don’t consider myself a master at all: if people ask me how to do ‘x’, I have no idea, but I can do what I do very quickly and efficiently. Everything else that has improved my game has come in rendering or post. Thanks for the crash course in concept art, Chris! Where can we keep up to date with your latest work? Not all of my professional work I can share, but I do publish some of it alongside my personal projects, which does reflect the film work I’m involved in. For that, head over to my  ArtStation page  or my  Facebook page  and be sure to check out my tutorials on  Gumroad. You can follow his work here  instagram.com/rosewarnedesign   Follow us on Linkedin for the latest blog posts. `

In SketchUp, Live Components  are dynamic, parametric objects that allow for more flexibility and interaction within your 3D models. Live Components can be configured in SketchUp for Desktop, SketchUp Web, and SketchUp for iPad. Unlike standard SketchUp components, which are static, Live Components can adapt based on user inputs and conditions. They are built with parameters that let you modify aspects of the component, such as size, shape, material, and configuration, without having to redraw or replace the component. For 2025, Live Components is only accessible to SketchUp Pro or SketchUp Studio subscribers with 200+ new and refreshed components available in 3D Warehouse, You can find Live Components by searching for them using the advanced search filter in 3D Warehouse . On the 3D Warehouse home page, click the search icon on the search bar to open the search results page. Click Filters . Select the checkbox next to Live Components from the list and click Apply .  Key Features of Live Components: Interactivity : Live Components come with adjustable parameters, allowing users to make real-time changes to their appearance and functionality. For example, you can adjust the length of a beam, the number of shelves in a bookcase, or the diameter of a pipe, and the component updates accordingly. Parametric Design : These components are based on rules or formulas that govern their behavior, making them more flexible than traditional components. For example, you can set up a window component with adjustable width, height, and style, where changing one parameter automatically adjusts the others. Smart Behavior : Live Components can automatically adjust to fit within certain constraints. For instance, a door component may automatically adjust to the size of the opening in a wall, or furniture may snap to floor levels depending on the terrain. Integration with SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse : Many Live Components are available through the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, allowing you to download and incorporate these dynamic components into your models. Some may require you to install special plug-ins or extensions. Customization : As a designer, you can create your own Live Components, defining custom parameters and rules using the SketchUp Ruby API, making them adaptable to specific needs in your projects. Efficiency : Live Components help streamline workflows by enabling real-time modifications without needing to replace or re-model components manually, making it a powerful tool for rapid prototyping and design adjustments. What's New and Updated for SketchUp 2025 Live Components can now be painted if nothing is selected. Live Components saved in SketchUp before the 2025 release will need to be configured once to enable the painting functionality. All newly downloaded Live Components will immediately be paintable. Previously, reconfiguring a Live Component with color or material panels would add many auto-created, unused materials to your In-model library. Now, these auto-created materials are only temporarily seen during a configuration session and are removed when you’re done configuring the component. Improvements to the auto naming of materials used in Live Components. Improvements to Live Component connectivity.

Have you found jumping back and forth between Revit and SketchUp a tedious process? With SketchUp Studio, you can use a native Revit importer to seamlessly transfer your Revit files to SketchUp. More importantly, when you are working on BIM projects or have large teams working with different modeling solutions, importing Revit files into the SketchUp environment enables easy transfer of data across project phases. SketchUp Studio advances interoperability, help you accelerate your workflow. While there are various workarounds to export Revit models to SketchUp, the updated native Revit importer (from SketchUp 2023) saves the most time, is more accurate in geometry conversion, and leads to much lighter models. As a  native connection between SketchUp and Revit, the interoperability feature between these two powerhouse design tools to save you hours (or days) of model cleanup while maintaining accuracy. “We love the Revit Importer. It has saved us lots of time, and to my amazement, the converted file sizes are much smaller than other methods. This importer has become essential to our workflows. “ Shyam Singh, GLMV Architecture The Challenges of Switching Between Revit and SketchUp Revit is widely used for its robust BIM capabilities, providing precise, data-rich models that are essential for large-scale projects. SketchUp, on the other hand, is known for its user-friendly interface and rapid prototyping features, making it a go-to tool for quick design iterations. However, when you’re working with both tools, you often face the challenge of transferring files from one to the other, which can lead to compatibility issues, data loss, or simply wasted time. By preserving model structures between Revit and SketchUp – Revit families and layers neatly translate to groups, components, and tags in SketchUp – you can save hours or even days of model cleanup and progress your project with accuracy. A smoother transition between design phases allows you to focus on what’s essential: fine-tuning your vision. See how quickly you can import your Revit files into SketchUp with One Click! See how quickly you can import in your Revit files into SketchUp Allow all stakeholders to collaborate, regardless if they work with Revit or not Starting with the basics about what the importer is and how to access it, learn best practices for getting the most out of SketchUp's native Revit Importer. Tips and Tricks: Webinar on Revit Importer (60 mins) If you are a user who works with Revit, you can open up your .skp files in Revit and vice versa - No extensions, no intermediate file formats. Plus you can reduce rework when you re-import. SketchUp looks at the Revit file and automatically: Creates components Generates tags Creates sections Optimizes geometry Defines materials Supports Revit links In addition to the Revit Importer, a SketchUp Studio subscription offers: A license of V-Ray for SketchUp to assist with your rendering projects Scan Essentials, which allows you to model using point cloud data to create a design quickly or to gather data and measurements. SketchUp's user-friendly interface is for both beginners and seasoned professionals. The simplicity of its tools allows users to start modeling quickly without a steep learning curve. We are offering a one-month trial. Please contact us via our online form here . Please note that Studio is a Windows-only subscription. For more info on Revit (for non SketchUp Studio users), please read: SketchUp Interoperability with Revit for more efficient workflows

For hobbyists in agriculture, mechanics, or DIY engineering, 3D printing opens endless possibilities to innovate, repair, and build—right from home. Imagine you can easily create custom components and parts tailored to a specific need—whether for agricultural projects, machinery repairs, or DIY innovations. Or as a marketer, you can design your own prototype and bring your idea to life! 🔹 Affordable Prototyping – Traditional manufacturing can be costly for small-scale projects. Whether you want to design an award with unique shapes or plan on launching limited-edition toys, 3D printing allows for complete creative freedom—no need for large production runs or expensive molds. 🔹 Agro-Tech Innovations – Hobby farmers and engineers can create custom nozzles for irrigation, seed planters, animal feeders, or even enclosures for weather sensors—fully tailored to their unique setup. 🔹 Custom Parts on Demand – Instead of searching for hard-to-find or expensive replacement parts, now you can design and print their own. Need a specialized gear for your farming tool or a mount for your sensors?  With 3D printing, you can produce custom casings for motors, brackets, or irrigation components without expensive tooling or bulk orders. How does one get started? We love finding inspiration from 3D Warehouse, the world’s largest 3D model library. Here you will find millions of pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp. 3D Warehouse is a tremendous resource and online community for anyone who creates or uses 3D models. Before you print a model on a 3D printer, you need to make sure your 3D printer can understand your model data. Your model needs to have a volume.  For example, if you want to print a box that's hollow in the middle, the faces along the outside of the box need to have a thickness, as shown in the following figure. Make sure your model is a solid group. With your group or component selected, choose Window > Entity Info . If your model is a solid group, the Entity Info window tells you so in the upper left (see above). If your group or component isn't solid, download and install the Solid Inspector 2 extension via SketchUp's Extension Warehouse. (In SketchUp, select Window > Extension Warehouse , search for the extension, and click the red Install button.) This extension helps you analyze why your model isn't solid and repair and holes or issues. For example, if your model contains internal geometry, then your model is not a solid. Check that the fronts of faces point outward. (And thus, the backs of faces need to face inward.) Technically, making sure all your faces are oriented the correct way is called checking the normals. To check that the face fronts point outward in SketchUp, select View > Face Style > Monochrome to see whether the back sides of a any faces point outward . By default, the face fronts are white and face backs are dark gray. To reverse a face, context-click it and select Reverse Faces . Orient your model so that the 3D printer has a base on which to build your model.  Your 3D printer prints your model one layer at a time. If your model juts out at the top, the 3D printer has nothing to build upon. For example, if you want to 3D-print a gear, rather than orient the gear vertically, place the gear on its side, as shown in the following figure. After you check that your model is ready to be 3D printed, you need to output your model to a format your 3D printer understands, also known as the STL format. Exporting a SketchUp model as an STL File Select File > Export > 3D Model . The Export Model dialog box appears. Navigate to the location where you want to save your exported file. (Optional) In the appropriate text box, type a name for the exported STL file. Windows Only - From the Save As Type drop-down list, select STereolithography File (.stl) . MacOS Only- From the Format drop-down list, select STereolithography File (.stl) . (Optional) Click the Options button, and in the STL Export Options dialog box, select your desired options for the exported STL file. (See the following list for details about each option.) Click OK when you're done. Back in the Export Model dialog box, click Export . SketchUp exports your model to the STL format and saves the file in the location you specified. The STL Export Options dialog box enables you to choose a few options for how SketchUp renders your exported file: Export Only Current Selection: When you select this checkbox, SketchUp exports only the selected geometry to the STL file. This option is helpful if you want to model several parts that fit together in one SketchUp model file, but export each part to a separate 3D-printable STL file. File Format: By default, Binary is selected from the drop-down list. The other format option is ASCII. The binary format is generally preferred because this format helps reduce the size of an STL file. Swap YZ Coordinates: By default, this checkbox is cleared. If you select it, the Y axis becomes the vertical axis instead of the Z axis. STL Units: By default, the STL file is exported using the same units specified in the model. (To check your model's default units, select Window > Model Info and, in the Model Info window, click Units in the sidebar on the left.) You can change the units in the exported STL file to meters, centimeters, millimeters, feet, or inches.

Pitching for a new project is one of the most exciting parts of the design process. Creativity needs to flow but deadlines are around the corner. You want to get ideas out of your head quickly and turn them into winning results that will wow your clients. We have put together some tips on how you can easily create design options that will help you win new business. The examples used are interior design focused but don’t worry, these concepts can be applied to almost any industry! Get started with a 2D sketch, floorplan or photo in SketchU There are a few ways to bring your project into SketchUp right from the start. Don’t be afraid to use what you have depending on the project, whether a sketch, photograph (check out how to use Match Photo ) or a 2D plan: Working from a hand-drawn sketch? Import the hand drawing as an image and start tracing with the Line tool to create a floorplan. This is an easy and popular way to bring a floorplan into SketchUp. Have a set of plans? Import a floor plan in CAD, image, or PDF. Outline your project by scaling and drawing from the plan as a reference. Bring the outline into 3D  Once you have an outline, you’re ready to draw exterior walls . This workflow highlights how to use imported CAD geometry as your starting point . Create multiple design options using 3D Warehouse It’s time to bring your space to life. Apply colours and textures with materials to add detail and realism to your models. Visualize your design ideas fast by importing real products from 3D Warehouse .  SketchUp lets you quickly work through configurations and build upon the ones you like. Show off options for furnishings or add in various types of greenery to brighten the space and give your design some personality. The key to showcasing and organising design options for your projects in SketchUp is use of Layers and Scenes . Layers help you organise your model, and Scenes help you present designs easily by adjusting layers, objects, styles and more!  Save your project to Trimble Connect  Now that you have your design options in hand, it’s time to save your project to the cloud. Trimble Connect offers you unlimited cloud storage with full version control. The best part? It’s included in a SketchUp Pro subscription .  Part of a design team?  Working together just got a little easier with Trimble Connect. Let’s say you’re working on the interior design at the same time another team member is working on the MEP design.  You can import a reference model into SketchUp from Trimble Connect. You won’t be able to modify the model, but you can use it as context to more easily coordinate the project. This is useful when you have a team of designers working on different areas.  Invite other people to your project, and create groups with different permissions to control which files members can access. You can also utilize version control to track project history and progress. Flying solo?  Every you upload a copy of your design file, Trimble Connect will keep track of the versions. Use version control to manage different iterations of your model and share those as design options with your client. Assign to-dos and quickly work through client feedback, all within Trimble Connect. If you want to try out the latest version of SketchUp, just contact us via whatsapp right here!

Many SketchUp projects eventually make their way into other programs for detailing and documentation. At the same time, projects from these programs find their way into SketchUp for better visualization, collaboration, and improved communication. One popular program used to deliver construction documents and permit sets for many large architecture projects is Autodesk Revit. SketchUp makes it easy to export your SketchUp files to Revit and import Revit files into your SketchUp models. SketchUp to Revit Import your SketchUp files into Revit using one of the following methods: As an "In-Place" Component As a "Link" As an IFC Export Revit to SketchUp Interoperability   Here are just a few reasons you may want to use a Revit file in SketchUp: Develop shading and solar studies Perform material studies Create more complicated geometry Add detail to a model Collaboration with non-AEC stakeholders Access to 3D Warehouse For SketchUp Pro subscribers, learn how to transfer your work from Revit into SketchUp: Revit as a DWG Export From an open Revit Project, select or create a 3D view. Once in a 3D view select File > Export > DWG > Modify Export Setup... > Solids, make sure ACIS is selected and finish the export. In SketchUp, select File > Import, select the .dwg file you just exported, and click Import. The Revit families from your exported .dwg file become SketchUp components and tagged with the default CAD layer name. All elements act like normal SketchUp entities and allow you to manipulate and visualize them as you see fit. Note: Revit will only export what is visible in your 3D view. Turning off unnecessary families can help maintain a clean and usable SketchUp model. The transition of materials to SketchUp can be vary based on your export preferences. Revit as an IFC Export Within an open Revit Project, select File > Export > IFC and finish the export. Within SketchUp, select File > Import and select the IFC file you just exported. The Revit families from your exported .ifc file become components in SketchUp, are assigned as Untagged, and labeled in SketchUp's Outliner. SketchUp preserves the IFC classifications set in Revit.All elements act like normal SketchUp entities and allow you to manipulate and visualize them as you see fit. Each Revit family instance becomes a unique SketchUp component due to Revit's schedulable parameters. For example, If there are 5 instances of the same door family in Revit tagged as "A101-A105", that will create 5 unique SketchUp components rather than five instances of the same component. Tip: Check Extension Warehouse for extensions that can help import from Revit to SketchUp. For example, Material Replacer can help update shaded materials to a more realistic appearance, and IFC Manager can help with tags and geometry optimization. Revit Importer  is now available to SketchUp Studio subscribers. “The Revit Importer sped up my importing and cleans up workflows from a couple of days to a few hours, even with complex models.” -Carl Goodiel, VDC Manager The import feature within a SketchUp Studio subscription allows you to accurately and efficiently convert your Revit models into SketchUp geometry for deeper collaboration across project phases, teams, and stakeholders. Various workarounds exist to export Revit models to SketchUp, but this new importer saves the most time, is more accurate in geometry conversion, and leads to much lighter models. By preserving model structures between Revit and SketchUp – Revit families and layers neatly translate to groups, components, and tags in SketchUp – you can save hours or even days of model cleanup and progress your project with accuracy . A smoother transition between design phases allows you to focus on what’s essential: fine-tuning your vision.  Note : The Revit Importer is only available for Microsoft Windows and requires a SketchUp Studio subscription. If you don't have a SketchUp Studio subscription, you can set up a trial account here . Creates sections