Environments in 3D Warehouse

Last updated: Jul 15, 2026•1 min read.

Environments allow you to add 360°panoramic backgrounds and image-based lighting conditions to your SketchUp models. The Environments panel offers a few environment options. If you want to add more, check out the Environments section of the SketchUp Content Library in 3D Warehouse.

Note: You cannot upload environment files to 3D Warehouse. The only available ones are in the SketchUp content library.

Add an Environment in 3D Warehouse to SketchUp

To add an environment you find in the SketchUp Content Library to your environment collection in SketchUp, follow these steps:

Navigate to the SketchUp Content Library. Learn how to access the SketchUp Content Library in Accessing the SketchUp Content Library.
Click Environments.
Locate the environment you want to add to SketchUp and click Download ().
In the SketchUp Environments panel, click Add (). A file selection dialog appears.
Locate the downloaded .ske file and click Open.

Sketchup will apply the environment to your model. The environment will also appear on the Environment panel for the model.

Tip: Keep all of your downloaded environments in the same location on your device. That makes them easier to find if you want to add one of them to a different model.