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What's New
in Sketchup 2024

SketchUp 2024 has dropped!
Expect a faster Graphics Engine, enhanced Building Information Modelling(BIM) documentation, a new Scan-to-design feature,  Ambient Occlusion and more! 

SKetchUp 2024 Cover

For existing SketchUp Users, download the 2024 version installer from your account management portal here. Install it on your desktop and you're ready to go!

Better Collaboration

A main theme of this update focuses on streamlining how people share their work, while using different software/ tools. Part of this is link sharing for the desktop version of SketchUp via Trimble Connect. 
 

LayOut has moved to a versionless model, meaning that it is now backwards compatible with older files. This means that you do not need to update LayOut in future to view newer files, making it much easier to manage collaborators who are not able to update their software. 

Sketchup 2024

Boost Performance, Enhance Collaboration

With stunning visualization features, you have the best opportunities to explore your creativity like never before. Plus, you get to try out new features that are part of SketchUp LABS. 

Scan to Design SketchUp 2024

01

Performance Improvements

Hooray! SketchUp has listed to the community and made improvements and performance upgrades aimed at boosting productivity so you can accelerate project delivery.​

 

This means that navigating and orbiting complex models will now feel considerably lighter and faster in SketchUp 2024. 

SketchUp Layout.

  • Faster Graphics Engine: The latest version of SketchUp desktop application (Pro and Studio users) and LayOut boasts a new graphics engine, resulting in a more responsive user experience. Tests indicate an average 8x increase in speed, making model navigation significantly smoother and faster.

With faster speeds, get buy–in faster. In LayOut, the graphics engine draws entities on pages (and redraws them as you zoom, pan, and change pages). 2D or 3D, you can communicate it all in one place: all the angles, all the details, all the context, much faster now!

02

Scan to Design for iPad
[LABS]

Imagine walking into a client's space, holding up your iPad to scan, and instantly generating a 3D model. 
With this new feature, you can now scan existing interior spaces to capture detailed conditions and measurements.​

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  • Generate a photographic visualization of 3D space you can reference for existing conditions. This option is handy for collaborating with clients onsite: generate the scan and annotate it in Markup Mode to present quick design possibilities. 

  • Jump into a simplified, untextured 3D model made up of just the SketchUp edges and faces you’re already used to working with, allowing you to start exploring design concepts immediately.

  • Start with textured yet editable geometry, perfect for irregular spaces, organic elements, or more intricate shapes within your space, like furniture. 

Customize Scan-to-Design to suit your outputs by choosing between textured 3D meshes that are created leveraging Canvas’ scanning technology or simplified, untextured planes using Apple’s RoomPlan technology – or both. 

Watch as an interior designer helps a couple transform their empty space into a playroom for their kid using Scan-to-Design.

03

Ambient Occlusion

SketchUp has a new global style setting to give your designs depth with built-in real-time rendering capabilities - Ambient Occlusion. These features can be transferred over to LayOut viewports. And it is backwards compatible with older SketchUp files that you can open in SketchUp 2024!

  • LayOut supports Ambient Occlusion styles, allowing you to easily toggle them on and off when creating 2D drawings. When you turn on Ambient Occlusion in the SketchUp Scenes you use in LayOut, the visuals will automatically update throughout your LayOut file.

Unlock more realistic visuals directly in SketchUp and elevate your models by adding depth in-app with the latest 2024 release. Now, you can minimize switching between software for many of your conceptual visualization needs. 

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This new feature can be tailored to produce stylized visuals similar to clay or white models and is available on Desktop, iPad, and LayOut. The release of Ambient Occlusion represents one of our most significant visual enhancements to date and a major milestone on our development path for you to produce compelling visuals natively.

Advanced visualization workflows at your fingertips

In addition to enhancing the visual outputs, SketchUp has also made complex rendering and animation processes more accessible than ever. Improved import and export functionality for USDZ and glTF files allows seamless transitions between SketchUp and other industry-standard tools. Use these files in real-time applications like NVIDIA Omniverse or Epic Games’ Twinmotion for rendered animations and advanced XR viewing experiences. 

Share your 3D model with anyone efficently

Link Sharing is now available on Desktop allowing you to show the full 3D model or Scenes you’ve selected with clients or collaborators. Your designs can be viewed even if the other party does not have a SketchUp subscription. With Trimble Connect you can easily share a link to a view-only version of your model and quickly access your .skp files across devices. Imagine how much time you can save by skipping so many steps: No more exporting one-off, flattened visuals or spending time documenting, formatting, and exporting project updates!

Amplify your productivity with other updates

  • Add Location – The new Add Location simplifies the process of adding high-quality, accurate terrain, including an updated workflow, a visible True North arrow, and improved import options. 

SketchUp for Desktop

  • Scan Essentials Ground Mesh – The new Ground Mesh tool in Scan Essentials can quickly and easily turn a 3D point cloud scan into an accurate, quad-face based terrain mesh that you can edit and manipulate in SketchUp. 

Advanced visualization workflows at your fingertips

In addition to enhancing the AR/VR visual outputs, SketchUp has also made complex rendering and animation processes more accessible than ever.

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Import and export functionality for both USDZ and gITF files is now available and opens up new possibilities for seamless transitions to and from industry-standard digital content creation tools.
 

The Details

USDZ was developed by Pixar and is known for efficiently managing complex 3D scenes and animations. gITF is known as the “JPEG of 3D” and offers a robust framework for transmitting and loading 3D models. SketchUp now offers the option to import and export both of these formats, unlocking new cross-platform interoperability for advanced 3D visualization. 

From 3D to 2D with Layout: What's New

  • Improved Inferencing – Inference locking in LayOut is now a bit more like SketchUp. Additionally, while working in your document, LayOut will limit available references when drawing to entities closest to your last mouse click, increasing responsiveness for moving and copying entities  
     

  • Non-Scalable Labels – Labels no longer have scale grips but will remain scalable when attached to LayOut or SketchUp geometry. 
     

  • Export Improvements – When exporting your document, you can now choose multiple page ranges at once. Exports will now include page names alongside the file name. 

SU2024-Launch-2024 ipad

As the authorized reseller, we work directly with the Trimble SketchUp APAC team to better support you from Singapore.

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  • We can offer savings of up to 19%, and for purchase of over 10 licenses, get in touch to find out about group bundle offers. 

  • You will pay in SGD, not USD — no need to worry about conversion rates and surcharges

  • Stay updated with us on how you can leverage SketchUp to win deals faster and collaborate more effectively.

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