Navigating the Materials Panel
Last updated: Oct 21, 2026•2 min read.
The Materials panel is where you can find, manage, and create materials to use in SketchUp models. The Materials panel is part of SketchUp's Default Tray of panels. You can also open the Materials panel on either platform by activating the Paint Bucket (
) tool.
) tool.
Preview
The top of the window contains the preview window. The preview window displays an image representing a selected material. Under the window, you can view or edit the name of that material. Next to the name, you’ll see the option to Copy (
) it.
) it.
Tip: Clicking 
next to a material’s preview image activates the Generate Textures feature, generating photoreal textures for your materials. See Generate Textures for more information.
next to a material’s preview image activates the Generate Textures feature, generating photoreal textures for your materials. See Generate Textures for more information.Select Tab
The Select tab of the material library is where you view and manage the materials in your model. You can also browse for new ones in SketchUp’s default material libraries using the dropdown menu, and even add materials found in 3D Warehouse.
Tip: Want to work with multiple materials from different collections at the same time? You can click (
) to open a secondary selection pane. See Managing and Organizing Materials for more information.
) to open a secondary selection pane. See Managing and Organizing Materials for more information.The following additional features and options are available on the Select tab:
- Create Material (
) – Opens the Create Materials window. See Creating Materials for more information. - 3D Warehouse (
) – Launches 3D Warehouse to access SketchUp’s full material library. 3D Warehouse is a great way to find and use even more materials for your designs. - In Model (
) – Resets the panel to show materials in the current model. - Sample Paint (
) – Activates the Sample tool. Click on any face in your model to “sample” its material, allowing you to paint that material to another entity.
Clicking Details (
) opens a context menu with options like organizing your materials into collections or changing the appearance of the Materials panel.
) opens a context menu with options like organizing your materials into collections or changing the appearance of the Materials panel.Edit
The Edit tab is where you can adjust material properties like color, opacity, and textures. You can also assign a Section Fill hatch pattern to the material.
These properties provide the control you need to tweak materials to better match your designs. For more information on all you can do in the Edit tab, see Editing Materials.