SketchUp Labs

At SketchUp, we pursue innovation that makes work simpler and more fun for our users. With that in mind, we’ve created SketchUp Labs.

SketchUp Labs is a testing ground where we can share the features in development and get them out there into your hands. That way, you get a head start using new tools and technology and a chance to help us shape the future by telling us what you think.

What is SketchUp Labs?

Here are a few things you need to know about SketchUp Labs and the features you’ll find there:

• SketchUp Labs is a public Beta program that is covered under Trimble’s applicable end user terms.

• We need your feedback! With SketchUp Labs the door is wide open. Let us know if you have any suggestions on how we can improve, ideas about where we should focus, or questions about how something should work. If you’ve fallen in love with a new feature and want to tell us how much value you are getting out of it, we want to hear that too!

• Features in SketchUp Labs are works in progress. The features you discover in SketchUp Labs will likely change and evolve as we collaborate with you. We want to make sure the features we share in Labs adhere to rigorous safety and security standards and meet a minimum quality and stability threshold while collecting information about experimental ideas. Since Labs is a place for us to test things that are in early development, things won’t always be perfect and you may encounter a bug or two.

• Some features may not be released. Experiments don’t always work out. If a feature doesn’t add value to your experience or isn’t connecting with our users we may decide to shut it down. Trimble may close out a Labs feature at any time.

• Eligibility for the features in SketchUp Labs may change at any time. We may use Labs to test and get feedback about pricing and packaging. When it comes to Labs features, we’ll make every effort to communicate pricing and packaging changes at least 30 days before they take effect.

Latest Features

LayOut’s New Graphics Engine

In the 2024.0 update, we are excited to introduce a new graphics engine for LayOut as a Labs feature!
In LayOut, the graphics engine draws entities on pages (and redraws them as you zoom, pan, and change pages). This new engine brings LayOut screen drawing into a more modern infrastructure and provides more flexibility moving forward to improve performance.
Early adopters have indicated that the navigation speed improvements are a noticeable and very welcome addition. We are working to finalize some known issues, but that’s why we are releasing the LayOut graphics engine as a Labs project and seeking more feedback from a wider range of SketchUp users. Please use this thread to report any issues you encounter using the new graphics engine. And of course, let us know if you are experiencing an improvement in handling and responsiveness in your pages… or not!

Daylight Analysis

SketchUp Daylight Analysis is a next-generation daylight analysis tool. This feature is already available in Sefaira, an application that provides building performance analysis of geometry created in SketchUp. SketchUp Daylight Analysis is available as an extension you can download from Extension Warehouse .

Add Location Enhanced Geolocation Data

To improve the geolocation data offered by SketchUp’s Add Location feature, we’ve introduced support for Coordinate Reference System metadata. This added support will help you with:

• Accurate georeferencing of models using real-world data

• Interoperability with BIM and survey tools like Trimble Business Center (TBC) and IFC/TRB exports

• Storing geospatial data like elevation, true north offsets, and CRS identifiers

Graphics Engine

LayOut's graphics engine draws entities on your pages and redraws them as you pan, zoom, or navigate between different pages. This Graphics engine affects page graphics that LayOut naturally draws like text, lines, fills, patterns, and images. The new graphics engine boosts performance of these native entities and provides a modern graphical infrastructure and flexibility for future updates. The Use new graphics engine option is selected by default unless your device is incompatible with it. If you prefer to use the classic graphics engine, you can choose the Use classic graphics engine option instead.

Viewport Vector and Hybrid Rendering Engine (SketchUp Labs)

The new rendering engine focuses on SketchUp model rendering and accelerates Hidden Line Rendering (HLR) by significantly reducing vector linework generation time for complex models. It achieves this performance boost while maintaining or improving overall drawing fidelity in complex models. The update improves rendering performance for models when set to the Vector or Hybrid mode.

For more information on render modes and how to specify them for SketchUp models, see Rendering Models.