All you need to know

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is SketchUp?

  The most powerful version of SketchUp is SketchUp Pro. SketchUp Pro is a desktop software bundle for Mac/PC and includes three programs: SketchUp Pro, LayOut, and Style Builder.

  SketchUp is a widely used piece of software in the design and architecture industries. Although you can create 2D plans, elevations, and layouts inside SketchUp - it is most well known for giving people the ability to create 3D versions of their designs so these can be pictured in SketchUp before they are built.

  SketchUp has a low barrier to entry as there are both free and paid versions of the software. It is also quite easy to learn (in comparison to other design software) so literally, anyone who has access to the internet can get started with playing around inside SketchUp. This makes it a fantastic piece of software not only for design professionals but also for home renovators or design enthusiasts who love to play ‘virtual house’.

  Please bear in mind that the free version is not for commercial use

• Which SketchUp Licence is right for me?

  For Commercial Work

  If you are a professional, or want to produce professional results, you will want SketchUp Pro subscription or the SketchUp Studio subscription.

  SketchUp Pro Subscription

  In 2020, SketchUp became Subscription only.

  The SketchUp Pro subscription comes with SketchUp (3D modeller), Layout (2D drafting tool), unlimited Trimble Connect (cloud + collaboration tool), the SketchUp mobile Viewer - including the VR tool and the SketchUp Style builder!

  SketchUp Subscriptions are now managed via a Trimble ID (simple sign in), rather than old fashioned serial numbers and auth-codes. You will also get an AMP (Account Management Portal), which allows you to see all your subscriptions, who they are assigned to (or how many you have left to assign), and also allows you to re-assign licences to new employees (once every 90 days).

  SketchUp Pro Classic

  SketchUp Pro Classic licenses are now legacy, so customers can no longer upgrade old classic licenses or reinstate/renew the maintenance and support contracts against them.

   

  However, you can get current and keep up to date with the latest versions of SketchUp Pro by migrating the license to the new annual subscription.

   

  From December 4^th, 2021, customers will no longer be able to migrate classic licenses and will instead have to purchase a brand new SketchUp Pro subscription (current RRP: £235)

  Note: You will never lose your SketchUp Classic licence. It will just not be able to be upgraded after the phase out.

  Already own a Classic license and want to know how the phase out will affect you – or learn about how you can migrate to a subscription (including any special offers)? Talk to us about your options

  SketchUp Studio Subscription

  SketchUp Studio comes with all of the SketchUp Pro goodies, but also includes Sefaira and V-RAY for SketchUp

  Sefaira provides real-time energy and daylighting analysis within SketchUp, enabling architects to drive design decisions like form, orientation, and facade design with real-time feedback.

  Sefaira enables sustainability leaders within architecture firms to push best practices throughout their firms. Now everyone can perform analysis early and often, making the most impact at lowest cost.

  V-Ray® for SketchUp is a 3D rendering software that combines real-time and photoreal rendering — all in SketchUp. From beginner to pro, Chaos® V-Ray has all the tools you need to visualize your SketchUp projects from start to finish.

• What comes with my SketchUp Subscription?

  When most people think of SketchUp, they think of the SketchUp 3D app. But, a SketchUp subscription comes with a lot more than just the 3D modeller app. The SketchUp subscriptions (Pro or Studio) are an Ecosystem of products - all available to you when you have an active subscription!

  SketchUp (3D)

  The world's favourite, fastest and easiest to learn professional 3D modelling software.

  SketchUp Layout (2D)

  Turn your 3D model into professional 2D drawings - from illustrations to diagrams to construction drawings. Your 2D drawings are connected to your model, so when you model changes - so do your drawings!

  Style Builder

  Create your own line styles that you can then use in SketchUp. This is incredibly powerful if you like presenting your models as though they were drawn by hand.

  SketchUp Viewer

  Present or access your 3D model wherever you are (on any device) - or let your customers walk through their projects on their own. 

  Trimble Connect

  Host your projects on the Trimble Connect Cloud and connect the right people to the right constructible data, at the right time.

  3D Warehouse

  The worlds largest 3D model library with millions of free models for you to use.

  Extension Warehouse

  Thousands of SketchUp extensions (free and paid) for you to browse and supercharge your SketchUp.

• What are differences between the Subscriptions?

  SketchUp now offers SketchUp Subscriptions based on the needs and budgets of our customers. You can read about each option below.

  If you pay for a SketchUp Pro subscription, your subscription is active for the term listed on your invoice. In most cases subscriptions are for one year.

  For more specific information about administering a subscription or for handling members and seats, be sure to visit the Help Centre article about the Trimble Account Management Portal.

  • Free – ONLY AVAILABLE FROM TRIMBLE DIRECT
  • The free, basic SketchUp modeler (SketchUp Free for Web) running in a web browser for personal or hobbyist use. This subscription includes
  • Trimble Connect Personal subscription
  • SketchUp Viewer applications on iOS and Android
  • Basic importers (.PNG and .JPG) and exporters (.PNG and .STL)
  • Note that SketchUp Free is not for commercial use.
  • Shop – ONLY AVAILABLE FROM TRIMBLE DIRECT
  • A premium online modeler (SketchUp for Web) with:
  • Trimble Connect for Business subscription
  • Augmented reality viewing on SketchUp Viewer for iOS and Android
  • Advanced importers (.3DS, .DAE, .DEM, 2D and 3D .DWG/DXF, .KMZ and .STL)
  • Advanced exporters (.3DS, 2D and 3D .DWG/DXF, .FBX, .KMZ, .OBJ, .VRML, .XSI and COLLADA)
  • Editable Styles and Materials
  • Pro - The Pro subscription includes the premium online modeler offered in SketchUp Shop (SketchUp for Web) as well as:
  • Trimble Connect for Business subscription
  • Desktop applications previously only included with a Classic SketchUp Pro license: SketchUp Pro for Desktop, LayOut, and Style Builder
  • Augmented reality viewing on SketchUp Viewer for iOS and Android
  • Viewing on the following Mixed Reality (XR) applications: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Hololens, and HP Windows Mixed Reality

  Unlike the Free and Shop subscriptions, the Pro subscription includes SketchUp Pro for Desktop, which can run third-party extensions. This subscription also offers more robust customer support and will enable users to access premium content on SketchUp’s Learning Management System.

  • Studio - The Studio subscription includes everything in the Pro package as well as:
  • V-Ray for SketchUp - bring photorealistic rendering into your workflow with the addition of V-Ray by Chaos
  • Scan Essentials - work with point cloud scanned data in SketchUp! Use Scan Essentials to import point cloud data in numerous formats.

  SketchUp (3D)

  The world's favourite, fastest and easiest to learn professional 3D modelling software.

  SketchUp Layout (2D)

  Turn your 3D model into professional 2D drawings - from illustrations to diagrams to construction drawings. Your 2D drawings are connected to your model, so when you model changes - so do your drawings!

  Style Builder

  Create your own line styles that you can then use in SketchUp. This is incredibly powerful if you like presenting your models as though they were drawn by hand.

  SketchUp Viewer

  Present or access your 3D model wherever you are (on any device) - or let your customers walk through their projects on their own. 

  Trimble Connect

  Host your projects on the Trimble Connect Cloud and connect the right people to the right constructible data, at the right time.

  3D Warehouse

  The worlds largest 3D model library with millions of free models for you to use.

  Extension Warehouse

  Thousands of SketchUp extensions (free and paid) for you to browse and supercharge your SketchUp.

• Can I Install my Sketchup subscription on more than one machine?

  Subscription Policies and Assignment

  A SketchUp Pro subscription is assigned to one individual and can only be used by that registered user. It cannot be shared between colleagues. The individual can authorise their subscription on two computers that they use – but can only use one at a time (typically a work computer/desktop and a laptop). 

  To access your subscription, you must sign in with Trimble ID. Each user account can only be associated with one individual person. You cannot create a generalised user account that is shared by more than one person. This is what we refer to as a “named user”

  Subscriptions are intended for use by a single named user for the duration of the subscription term, without ability to re-assign except in following permitted circumstances:

  1. If a seat is inadvertently assigned to the wrong end user at time of purchase;
  2. If a seat is initially assigned to an employee of your company, and such end user leaves your company during the subscription term, then you may re-assign such seat once during the subscription term; and
  3. At the time of subscription renewal, you may re-assign a seat.

  Subscriptions must be assigned to named individual email address and not a generic email address.

• What are the hardware requirement for SketchUp?

  Like many computer programs, SketchUp requires certain hardware and software specifications to install and run. These are basic requirements, though, so you may want to use our recommended suggestions to improve performance.

  Windows 10, Windows 8+ and Windows 7+

  • Software
  • An internet connection is required to install and authorize SketchUp and to use some of the features.
  • Microsoft® Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher. We recommend Google Chrome.
  • SketchUp Pro requires .NET Framework version 4.5.2.

  SketchUp requires a 64-bit version of Windows. Also, to install SketchUp, Windows 8.1 must be current with Windows Update.

  Boot Camp, VMWare, and Parallels are not supported environments.

  • Recommended hardware
  • 2+ GHz processor
  • 8+ GB RAM
  • 700MB of available hard-disk space
  • 3D class video card with 1 GB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL 3.1 or higher and is up to date.

  SketchUp's performance relies heavily on the graphics card driver and its ability to support OpenGL 3.1 or higher. To test your graphics card's compatibility, please download and run the SketchUp Checkup application. Historically, people have seen problems with Intel-based cards with SketchUp. We don't recommend using these graphics cards with SketchUp at this time.

  • 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.
  • Minimum hardware
  • 1 GHz processor
  • 4GB RAM
  • 500MB of free hard-disk space
  • 3D class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL 3.1 or higher and is up to date.

  Mac OS 10.15+ (Catalina), Mac OS 10.14+ (Mojave), and Mac OS 10.13+ (High Sierra).

  • Software
  • An internet connection is required to authorize SketchUp and to use some of the features.
  • QuickTime 5.0 and web browser for multimedia tutorials.
  • Safari. We recommend Google Chrome.

  Boot Camp, VMWare, and Parallels are not supported environments.

  • Recommended hardware
  • 2.1+ GHz processor
  • 8GB RAM
  • 700MB of available hard-disk space

  Alert: Please be aware, SketchUp is unable to support case sensitive hard drives with our installation. If you use a case sensitive hard drive you'll experience crashes at launch which cannot be resolved.

  • 3D class video card with 1 GB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.1 or higher and is up to date.
  • 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse
  • Minimum hardware
  • 2.1+ GHz Intel™ processor
  • 4GB RAM
  • 500MB of available hard-disk space.
  • 3D class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.1 or higher and up to date.
  • 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.

  To use your license with SketchUp Pro you must have internet access. 

   

  Note: SketchUp will run on multiple-processor machines; however, SketchUp will only use one processor. SketchUp doesn't support hyper-threading or multi-threading at this time.

  Note: You can use Logitech 3D Motion Controllers from 3Dconnexion to create models in SketchUp. The 3Dconnexion website has more information about these controllers.

• What devices does SketchUp run on?

  3D Modelling & 2D drafting

  If you want to design, model and draft you need to install the SketchUp and Layout apps onto a PC or Mac computer (desktops or laptops).

  IMPORTANT: You cannot design, model or draft in SketchUp or Layout using a tablet or phone.

  Viewing

  If you want to view your SketchUp models, you can do this on any device. On a PC or Mac computer, you can simply use the SketchUp or Layout apps.

  However, you can also download the SketchUp Mobile Viewer app on a tablet and/or phone. If you have a subscription, you will also have access to the VR tools!

  Trimble Connect:  You can also log into your Trimble Connect and access your projects from the cloud. 

  Finally, you can also view your projects on the free cloud app: MySketchUp. This is the preferred option for a lot of professionals who share their projects with their customers.

• What if I can no longer access a computer or device where I had installed an application and signed in?

  The “Deauthorize All Devices” feature in the account management portal can be used to sign out of such computers or devices, subject to certain limits and conditions. Abuse of this feature is a breach of your end user agreement(s).

• If I save my files to the cloud, what happens if I decide to stop paying my subscription fees?

  If you allow your subscription to lapse you’ll still have access to your files and be able to view them using SketchUp Free. The one exception to this is if you happen to exceed Trimble Connect’s free quota of 10gb of stored data. If this is the case, all of your files will be set to read-only. This will restrict usage of Sketchup web by preventing you from saving new files. You’re always able to download your files and store them locally by directly signing into Trimble Connect.