SketchUp facts for kids
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| Original author(s) | @Last Software, Google | ||||
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| Developer(s) | Trimble Inc. | ||||
| Initial release | August 2000 | ||||
| Stable release(s) | |||||
January 5, 2019 |
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| Operating system | macOS, Windows | ||||
| Available in | English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) | ||||
| Type | 3D computer graphics | ||||
| License | Proprietary Subscription |
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SketchUp is a cool computer program that helps you create and work with 3D models. Think of it like building virtual objects or buildings on your screen! People use it a lot for designing buildings (architecture) and making the inside of houses look great (interior design).
SketchUp belongs to a company called Trimble Inc.. You can use a free version online, or you can pay for special versions that work on Windows and Mac computers.
Contents
How SketchUp Started
The Beginning with @Last Software
SketchUp was first made by a company called @Last Software. This company was founded in 1999 by Brad Schell and Joe Esch in Colorado. SketchUp was launched in August 2000. It was designed to help people who work in design create 3D things easily.
The program quickly became popular. It won an award at its very first show in 2000. Later, in 2002, the version for Mac computers also won a "Best of Show" award.
Google Takes Over
In March 2006, a big company called Google bought @Last Software. Google was interested because @Last Software had made a special tool for Google Earth. In January 2007, Google released a free version called Google SketchUp 6. This version let users easily upload their creations to Google Earth.
Google also added a tool called LayOut to SketchUp Pro 6. This tool helped users create 2D drawings and presentations from their 3D models.
New versions kept coming out. SketchUp 7, released in November 2008, made it easier to use 3D models from Google's online library. SketchUp 8, released in September 2010, added features to link models to real-world locations using Google Maps.
Trimble's Turn
In June 2012, Trimble Inc. bought SketchUp from Google. Since then, Trimble has continued to develop and improve the software. SketchUp 2013 was released in 2013, and a new website was launched for it.
How You Can Use SketchUp
SketchUp offers different ways to use its tools, depending on what you need. These are called subscription options.
SketchUp Pro
The SketchUp Pro plan gives you the main desktop program for 3D modeling. It also lets you bring in and send out files in many different 2D and 3D formats. You get access to the "3D Warehouse," which is a huge online library of ready-made 3D models.
Pro also includes "LayOut" for making 2D documents and "Style Builder" for creating custom looks for your models. SketchUp Pro works on both Windows and Mac computers.
SketchUp Studio
The Studio plan includes everything from the Pro plan. Plus, it adds powerful tools for making realistic pictures (rendering) of your models using V-Ray. It also helps you work with "point clouds," which are special 3D scans of real places.
SketchUp Go
SketchUp Go is a version that works online and on mobile devices like the iPad. It includes "SketchUp for Web" and "SketchUp for iPad." It also comes with "Trimble Connect Business," a tool for sharing and working on projects with others online.
This plan is great for designers and builders who need to work on the go. You can even use an Apple Pencil to draw and mark up models on an iPad. However, SketchUp Go does not include the desktop program that you can download and use offline.
SketchUp Free
In November 2017, SketchUp Free was released. This is a web-based version that you can use right in your internet browser. You can save your drawings online or as a file on your computer.
SketchUp Free is great for learning and personal projects. However, it doesn't support extra tools (extensions) or let you create new materials like the paid versions do. It's also not meant for commercial use.
How SketchUp is Licensed
Since June 2020, SketchUp has changed how people buy it. Instead of buying a program once forever, you now get a subscription. This means you pay regularly to use the software and get updates.
3D Warehouse: A Library of Models
The 3D Warehouse is a huge online library where SketchUp users can share their 3D models. It's like a giant collection of virtual objects! You can download models directly into your SketchUp program without saving them to your computer first.
Anyone can create, change, and upload models to the 3D Warehouse for free. All the models there are free to download. You can even use them in other design programs like AutoCAD or Revit. Trimble, the company that owns SketchUp, says the 3D Warehouse is the most popular place online for 3D content.
Software Extensions
SketchUp versions 4 and newer let you add special tools called "extensions." These are like mini-programs written in a language called Ruby. They add extra features to SketchUp. Many of these extensions are available online through the Trimble Extension Warehouse or other websites.
Some popular extensions for SketchUp include Enscape, V-Ray, and Lumion. These can help you do things like create super realistic images or analyze building performance. The free web-based version of SketchUp does not support these extensions.
SketchUp File Types
SketchUp uses its own special file type, which ends with `.skp`.
It can also work with many other types of 3D files, like `.3ds`, `.dae`, and `.dwg`. This means you can often bring in models from other programs or send your SketchUp models to be used elsewhere.
Exporting 3D Models
You can save your SketchUp models in many different 3D formats, such as SKP, 3DS, DAE, DWG, DXF, FBX, IFC, OBJ, KMZ, STL, WRL, and XSI. This makes it easy to share your creations or use them in other software.
Exporting Images
You can also save pictures of your SketchUp models in common image formats like JPG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, and EPS.
LayOut File Types
LayOut, the 2D documentation tool, can import files like SKP, BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, RTF, TXT, DWG, DXF, CSV, TSV, and XLSX.
For exporting, LayOut can save files as PNG, JPG, PDF, DWG, and DXF.
See also
In Spanish: SketchUp para niños
- V-Ray - A program for making realistic 3D pictures with SketchUp.
- List of 3D modeling software - Other programs that help you create 3D models.
