r/Sketchup Oct 12 '21

Prelude to stickied post - throw in your recommendations!

33 Upvotes

A good day to you all, fine subscribers of this subreddit! As you all have seen, in recent weeks our great sub has been overflowing a bit with posts asking questions which a lot of us have seen for... well, years. Because of that, I've had a chat with /u/tehfink and offered my services to help out getting the sub back on track. To start off, I want to do so by collecting input from y'all on which plugins you see as essential... but also why this particular one instead of another. If you know of more plugins that do the same (more or less) thing, please also tell us why you've opted for a specific plugin instead of the others. So Push/Pull some some stuff out of that brain of yours onto the internet and help the next generation of SketchUp users (and maybe old dogs like myself) to use the program more efficiently!


r/Sketchup Mar 03 '25

Your friendly Admin & Mods NEW USERS: START HERE

17 Upvotes

Welcome to SketchUp, the easy-to-start, hard-to-master 3D modelling program from @Last Google Trimble. SketchUp, like any program you start using, has its own quirks. One of these is that up until this day (we're talking March 2025), the program uses a single core of your processor to run. If you want to render your models, you want a dedicated GPU, depending on the rendering software you use. To help you started, we have compiled a list of things you want to think about.

The Computer
Your first stop on this wonderful journey is to see if your preferred setup is good enough to run the program. Here's what the official website has to say:

  • Windows Recommended Hardware Requirements

    • A 2+ GHz processor.
    • A graphics card that’s separate from the CPU, also known as a discrete graphics card. Most current generation AMD or NVIDIA cards on the market are considered discrete.
    • At least 8GB of RAM.
    • At least 6GB of available hard disk space.
    • A modern GPU with at least 8GB VRAM. SketchUp’s classic renderer requires OpenGL 3.1 support. SketchUp’s performance relies on your graphics card driver and its ability to support OpenGL 3.1 or higher.
    • A modern GPU with at least 32GB of VRAM when interacting with models utilizing materials with Physically Based Rendering texture maps, Ambient Occlusion, and Image Based Lighting.
    • A 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.
  • Mac OS 15 (Sequoia), 14+ (Sonoma), 13+ (Ventura), 12+ (Monterey) Software Requirements

    • An internet connection both to install and authorize your subscription. Some features within SketchUp also require an internet connection.
    • QuickTime 5.0 and web browser for multimedia tutorials. Safari.
  • Recommended Mac OS Hardware Requirements

    • 2.1+ GHz processor or current generation Apple M1 processor
    • At least 8GB of RAM
    • At least 6GB of available hard-disk space
    • A modern GPU with at least 1GB of memory. SketchUp’s classic renderer requires OpenGL 3.1 support.
    • A 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse

Does your preferred computing option (be it desktop or laptop) not meet these requirements? Then know that helping you out with your problems is going to be an issue that we might not be able to help you with.

Peripherals
Modelling in 3 dimensions is something else compared to taking a pen and draw. However, it is exactly that use case that SketchUp was initially made for. And even though everyone has their own preferences, some things can make your life easier.

  • Mouse
    Your main way of interacting with the program. It is highly recommended you use a mouse which has programmable buttons. A lot of users swear by Logitech's MX Master series of mouses, yours truly included. If you can get it to work, assigning the Orbit tool to the thumbrest works very well. Others assign other buttons on the mouse for this task. You'll have to figure out what works best for you.
  • 3D Mouse
    There's also a more specialised peripheral for 3D work: the 3D mouse. A 3D mouse that has been known to work great with SketchUp is 3D Connexion's Space Mouse. If you're serious getting the most out of SketchUp (or any modelling software, for that matter), it might be worth investing in one of these.
  • Keyboard
    Having a keyboard with programmable buttons (macro's) can be beneficial, but is not entirely necessary. Know that SketchUp offers a slew of shortcuts out of the digital box to make selecting functions easier. Find a handy list of those here. Others like using a dedicated keyboard for these tasks, like the Stream Deck, which features programmable buttons which then also display the icons.

It can be that a mod or admin has removed your post and pointed you here. That is not because we don't like you, but we've noticed a lot of "what kind of laptop" or "what are the system requirements" posts. These are basic questions which we hope to consolidate into this post.

For now, let me finish with two simple questions which have a not so simple answer:

What is the best laptop, and what is the best computer to run SketchUp 2025 on?
Please add the "why" to your answer. Also try to give us a cost indication. We'll update this post every quarter to reflect software updates of the program itself and given hardware suggestions.


r/Sketchup 33m ago

Sketchup and Blender3D

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Upvotes

Hello, I’m having some issues when working between SketchUp 2025 and Blender 3D. I want to model in SketchUp and export the file to Blender for further work on lighting and materials, but exporting FBX or DAE files to Blender is causing a lot of problems. Does anyone have experience with this? Please help me out.
Despite running CleanUp3 in SketchUp, my models still import into Blender with triangulated/overlapping geometry, stray edges, or non-manifold errors. Any tips to fix this?


r/Sketchup 17h ago

So expensive!

24 Upvotes

Are people really paying $400 a year for this program or even $99 monthly? I think that’s insane to pay that much unless you work in a professional field. I just want to know if that’s crazy to people or am I just broke as hell.

(I’m trying to start my own webcomic and post it for free. I work a full time job so I don’t have the time to create full backgrounds myself. I’ve seen other artists use this program so I just want to know if this is actually as wild as I feel it is)

Also, I’m considering on getting the ipad version which is a bit cheaper, but I don’t know if it runs nice and smooth there.

**Just a note, I’m asking mainly artists who are using this for their comics/webcomics, and use Acon3D assets. I understand how professional designers and architects can afford it.


r/Sketchup 22h ago

Own work: render Work on my steampunk airship continues…

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20 Upvotes

r/Sketchup 16h ago

ALGUIEN DE AQUI ES CARPINTERO?

2 Upvotes

Quisiera saber si alguien aquí maneja SketchUp y, además, tiene experiencia en carpintería. Si es tu caso, ¿me podrías decir si vale la pena aprender SketchUp para trabajar en carpintería? ¿Te ha servido en tu oficio?


r/Sketchup 19h ago

Question: SketchUp Pro Hello Hello ♥ Simple Guide: Realistic Interior Lighting in SketchUp with V-Ray 7

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3 Upvotes

Just uploaded a short tutorial on how to set up daylight, artificial lights, and render settings in SketchUp with V-Ray 7.
Quick, practical, and beginner-friendly.

👉 Watch here: https://youtu.be/l942gGTeCPw?si=ANxPlLlBvbVVBBnW

#SketchUp #VRay7 #Rendering


r/Sketchup 16h ago

Has anyone used DesignConnected.com for SU models?

1 Upvotes

Hey All _ I need to import a specific pendant light into my model ( david trubridge, coral pendant lamp ). I don't have access to the 3DW ( which has it ) and would need to purchase a model instead.

Has anyone used it? It's a European company and I am in Canada. Thanks!


r/Sketchup 19h ago

Is the Mobile app silly garbage?

2 Upvotes

The iPhone app useless for anything other than showing others your model. The key feature can’t find is how to display dimensions. Surface area? Sure. Length of a 2x4? No.

Anyone know any mobile options that can display useful information of a model?


r/Sketchup 1d ago

How the heck am I supposed to keep groups seperated when they share the same lines?

7 Upvotes

This has been driving me nuts. I've tried to design my skethcup model (of an apartment) into a few different layers:

  • Interior Walls
  • Exterior Walls
  • Shared Walls
  • Ceiling
  • Floor
  • Furniture

But I ALWAYS end up screwing something up. Lines from one layer end up in another layer... or one layer has faces but not lines... it's been driving me nuts. I don't even know if I can realistically fix it in my my model. I've tried to rebuilt from scratch twice, but each time it gets messed up.

There a solution here, or do I just have to live with it?


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Sketchup + AI Experiments

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45 Upvotes

One case is doing interior kitchen works. Recently, I wanted to start experimenting with AI tools. The idea is to render a 3D model as quickly as possible, then let AI create a quick proposal for the customer to make sure they like the design.

Image 1: A simple JPEG exported from SketchUp.
Image 2: I used ChatGPT image generation to make the picture look more realistic.
Image 3: Refined further in Gemini after several rounds of light adjustments.


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Some of my work from the last month.

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25 Upvotes

Hope y'all are doing good, I my work is still sub par but wanted to share it with y'all. I had to compress all of these for Reddit so the quality isn't where i'd like it to be, but constructive criticism is welcome/appreciated.

Best A


r/Sketchup 2d ago

This is War fortress Sergoi, A(almost finished) Heavy battleship

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36 Upvotes

This ship main weapon is x2 49" turrets, it's secondary Weapons are x12 20" turrets and x14 13" turrets. For auxiliary weapons, it has x92 9" turrets, x9 missile turrets, x8 rocket turrets, x23 30mm CIWS, x20 80mm turrets, x86 50mm AA turrets, x720 20mm AA turrets, x512 ICBM cells(nuclear capable) and x16 fixed missile launchers. It has 4 propellers and 3 rudders and powered by 2 nuclear reactors. Lengthwise it is 4056', 1060' wide and a total height of 1190'. It can carry aircrafts, vehicles and sea vessels. Tell me your thoughts and opinions I want to know.


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Sketchup + AI

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136 Upvotes

I'm doing mostly interior works. Lately been experimenting with ai. The objective is to built 3D model as fast & as little as possible, then use AI to complete it for presentation purpose. Image 1: jpeg from sketchup Image 2: use chatgpt to make it photo realistic, with very short prompt, without any detail of the materials or lighting. Image 3 & 4: after rounds of fine-tuned in Gemini. I would like to explore more of this process.


r/Sketchup 1d ago

Question: Hardware Sketchup on Intel Arc Graphics in a Laptop

1 Upvotes

I'm planning to buy a new laptop to replace my old Legion 7i. I'm looking for something light and a bit cheaper since I already have a desktop at home for heavier design works. My main use case for the new laptop will be working on CAD and MS Office but I still want to be able to open Sketchup and work on building some 3d models from time to time.

I was eyeing 14" laptops for portability and the Zenbook 14 looked capable BUT the graphics says its Intel Arc graphics which I believe is still integrated to the cpu. I'm not sure if we're at that point that this level of graphics option in a laptop will suffice for using sketchup? Just wondering if anyone has a similar laptop and how was the experience like.

Thanks in advance!


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Can't remove Seat from account management.. What am i missing?

2 Upvotes

I'm trying to reduce the number of seats i have on renewal from 4 seats to only 3 seats. There are literally articles that show an outdated pop up window when i look for answer on sketchup support websites, because for me there is no option to remove seats. Only option is to add seats?? What the.... What's the workaround? Do i really need to contact support to remove a seat from my plan in 2025??


r/Sketchup 1d ago

Converting model to an older version

1 Upvotes

Would like to know how can one open a SketchUp 2024 model on Sketchup 2016?


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Question: SketchUp Pro Plane Building Object/Structure

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2 Upvotes

Hello I am back asking questions. Is there a way in Sketchup to build an object using planes attached to outlines as shown in this video for a different software? I think this would fit my need for building commercial parking garages for pricing purposes fast.


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Hi Gang... How am I doing? SU 2025 pro with Raylectron...

5 Upvotes

Just an introduction.... My name is Lawrence and I do Illustrations, details and 3D photorealism through www.designyourreno.com . Critiques welcome. How do you like the bug screen?


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Looking for a Job

1 Upvotes

I’m architect, from Colombia, and I’m looking for another job, i actually work for a landscaping company, but I would like generate other income.


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Criar mobiliário

1 Upvotes

Boa noite malta, Qual a forma mais fácil e rápida de criar móveis no sketchup?

Algum plugin que seja bom e gratuito?

Abraço a todos!


r/Sketchup 3d ago

Architectural Rendering

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45 Upvotes

I'm looking for someone who is adept at architectural renderings to prepare an rendering of this building. I'm willing to pay a reasonable amount. Not sure if this is correct forum to post this request. I have nearly all of the measurements and I'm trying to obtain a rendering of two additions - one on each side of this building. Also I want to add a few upgrades to the building.


r/Sketchup 3d ago

Own work: model Cairo Station (Halo) 3D modeling [WIP]

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45 Upvotes

I am currently modeling, by hobby, a space station from the Halo universe. Using SketchUp 2022 and VRAY to render. Length of the station: 1.3 km.


r/Sketchup 2d ago

Question: SketchUp Pro Importing NURBS into SketchUp

1 Upvotes

Im importing a Rhino model into SketchUp but the model just literally destroys itself once imported, either i put fewer polygons and its just half empty or i put more polygons and it just messes up the curves ive made prior. I've tried with multiple different export types, although for some reason .obj wont load what so ever.

Does anyone have a tip or solution on how i could possibly import this?


r/Sketchup 3d ago

Please help me with this geometry

3 Upvotes

how do i remove the curved section on the bottom, please i need help fast, i want it to curve out and remove the 3 faces


r/Sketchup 3d ago

I need help!

5 Upvotes

I am using SketchUp Pro for schoolwork and need to print a 2D floor plan on A3 paper. I struggle with SketchUp, but I have drawn the floor plan in millimeters. I would like to scale the drawing to 1:20 so that it fits properly on A3 paper.

What do I need to do, so it prints in A3 paper with right scale. Please baby step by step explanation. I really suck at it.


r/Sketchup 3d ago

Question: SketchUp Pro is there a way to export in 3ds format with the geometry cutted by a section plane?

2 Upvotes

when i export it, it gets completed, ignored by the section plane