Visualizations are more than pretty pictures — they play a crucial role in design and construction workflows. Read on to check out the top ten benefits of visualization, along with real user stories that can help inspire your workflow. Rendering of a residential design by architect Alberto Beitia. Jump to: Project-winning presentations Speedy design iterations Inspiring stakeholders Double-duty with 2D documentation Fast problem-solving Easy collaboration Smooth sequencing Comprehensive 3D visualization for BIM  Supporting a building’s full lifecycle Winning your next job To be a suc ..read more

A new SketchUp Labs feature, Scan-to-Design [Labs], will revolutionize your scanning, model creation, and design process. Do it all in just one app while opening up opportunities for easy collaboration. SketchUp Labs, our public beta program, introduces a groundbreaking workflow on iPad that will amplify your productivity. Scan-to-Design [Labs] lets you scan, design, and collaborate — all in one app. Scan existing interior spaces and watch as SketchUp, powered by Canvas, Apple, and Trimble’s cutting-edge technology, transforms your scan data into an intelligently organized SketchUp model. By ..read more

2024 offers a new layer of realism and innovative visual styles directly within the SketchUp interface, along with updates that amplify productivity. Image of a SketchUp scene; slide to see the same scene with Ambient Occlusion turned on. 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.  SketchUp 2024 also includes performance upgrades to boost productivity, ranging from a new graphics engine to easier ways to sh ..read more

Learn how to bend and warp shapes using the simple but powerful Shape Bender extension, available for download on the Extension Warehouse. Drawing a straight line in SketchUp is a cinch. But what if you need to bend that line, or perhaps a more complex shape, into a specific curve? Enter Shape Bender, a SketchUp extension that can quickly transform straight geometries into complex curves. Let’s walk through downloading and using Shape Bender in your design workflow.  Chris Fullmer, the creator of Shape Bender, originally built it to solve a problem he encountered while designing a landsca ..read more

Dive into pool design and learn how Design Director Brad Holley won the Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge.   Winning the 2023 Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge was a pinnacle moment in Design Director Brad Holley's unconventional journey into the world of design. Every year, this prestigious nationwide competition attracts talented pool and landscape designers, builders, and outdoor living architects who submit their designs in hopes of being recognized as the best in the industry.  Equipped with a detailed list of design requirements, a 3D model of the existing condition ..read more

Trimble joins the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) and reinforces its commitment to interoperable 3D ecosystems with SketchUp’s newly created USDZ exporter. Learn more about this promise and explore a step-by-step workflow from SketchUp to Omniverse.  We don’t want to hinder your design workflow; we want to supercharge it. As part of the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), we’re committed to better interoperability between SketchUp and other platforms, like NVIDIA Omniverse™ Cloud, for more advanced visualization. With our new import and export functionality for USDZ, users have a more s ..read more

Skåne, Sweden Andreas Lebisch, architect and sustainable construction business developer, gives us insight into the incredible potential of timber for sustainable construction and how his country home, Villa Skäret or Kvartshus, featured on Grand Designs Sverige, grew out of his sustainable ideals. Photograph of Kvarthus in a lush spring landscape. Jump to: Using timber for a sustainable future Sustainability meets natural beauty Shaping the design of Kvartshus The CLT and timber design-to-build workflow About Andreas Lebisch Andreas’ career has been defined by a passion for design and a ..read more

BIM workflows don’t have to be overwhelming. We talked to SketchUp’s construction software workflow expert, Stephane Desmulie, to walk through an approachable BIM workflow powered by connected technologies.  Jump to: What is BIM? BIM workflow phase one: conceptual design BIM workflow phase two: structural design BIM workflow phase three: technical design BIM workflow phase four: documentation and delivery What is BIM? BIM has been getting a lot of buzz in the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry for good reason: it’s an information-rich, error-minimizing, and h ..read more

The prolific extension developer and SketchUp power user Christina Eneroth shares some of her favorite extensions she's made and how using SketchUp changed her life's trajectory. Schloß Eneburg, Christina’s imaginary dream home, worked on since 2009. The project that made her write her first Ruby scripts. Click arrows to scroll. Jump to: The “why” behind Eneroth extensions Extensions for architectural modeling workflows Extensions for printing and cutting workflows About Christina Eneroth The "why" behind Eneroth extensions Christina Eneroth started coding extensions to help make he ..read more

Our insight into the benefits of high-performance design shows that architects have an essential role in building our future through sustainable design. Jump to: More control, more choices The urgency of sustainable design How forms determine performance Designing with sustainable budgets in mind Tools that unlock the future of sustainable building design It is difficult or impossible to control many of the variables that affect building performance. Each building has variations in usage, occupant behavior, and external factors like weather patterns that can change over time. Given the ma ..read more