SketchUp for iPad includes most of the features available in the desktop version along with some features only available on an iPad. With SketchUp for iPad you can create, edit, and mark up 3D projects on-site, on the go, and in the office.

What You Need

To get started with Sketchup for iPad, the first thing to do is Install SketchUp from the Apple app store and sign in using your Trimble ID. If you already have a Trimble account and an active SketchUp subscription, you're ready to go! If not, you can purchase a Monthly or Annual SketchUp subscription through the App Store or purchase a subscription at SketchUp.com. For more information about available subscription options, see SketchUp Subscriptions. For more information on how to set your Trimble ID, see Trimble ID.

SketchUp for iPad Interface

Home

The Home screen appears after launching and signing into SketchUp for iPad. It contains the following::

• Create new - Create a new SketchUp model. Use the dropdown menu to choose a template with your preferred default units.

• Open From - Opens iPad’s Finder to help you open locally saved files, or files saved to another location.

• User icon - When selected, you’ll see information about your account, including, including account management options. It also lets you access to your Trimble profile
  
  

  

Navigating the Interface

The SketchUp for iPad interface includes several toolbars and panels that provide easy access to all of the features you’ll need to create models.

Here's an overview of what you'll see when you open a model:

1. The main navigation bar includes the following options:

   • Menu icon () - Opens a menu with several options:
     • Home (): Exits your document and returns to the Home screen. You can save, save a copy, or discard any changes you’ve made to your model before returning to the Home screen.

     • File name: Shows and lets you change your model’s file name.

     • Save as (): Saves to a location you choose.
     • Import (): Launches a file browser. You can browse the Files app of your iPad or Trimble Connect for files to import into your model. See Importing and Exporting for more information. 
     • Export (): Opens the Export dialog, which provides file types and other options for exporting your model.
   • App Settings (): Opens the Settings panel, which lets you change settings, such as input modes, multitouch actions, backup and purging preferences, and graphics engine.
   • SketchUp AI () - Access AI Assistant and AI Render. For more information on SketchUp AI features like AI Assistant and AI Render, see SketchUp AI.
   • Undo () and Redo () - Reverses your last action and restores the action you just canceled.
     
     

     Tip: When using your finger or a touchpad, a two-finger tap can undo while a 3-finger tap will redo.

     
     
   • Cloud () / Disk Drive () - Indicates if the file is saved to Trimble Connect or your iPad. If you make changes to a model saved on Trimble Connect, the icon changes to a cloud with an upward pointing arrow  () to notify you that SketchUp for iPad has auto-saved your model. If you tap the icon, it will save the file to Trimble Connect.
     
     

     Note: When iPad for SketchUp auto-saves, it only creates a local recovery backup file, and doesn’t save the latest version to Trimble Connect.

     
     

2. Measurements Box - Lets you specify measurements while creating your model.

3. Collaboration toolbar - Includes the following options:

   • Your profile picture: If you have shared your model and others have accessed it while you are working, you can make all other users follow a camera view of your movements by clicking your profile picture. For more information on live collaboration, see Real Time Viewing.

   • Show/Hide Cursors ()/() - Click to show or hide the cursors of others viewing your model. 

   • Share – Opens the Sharing window, so you can share your model safely through SketchUp’s collaboration tools. For more information, see Sharing a Model.

4. Toolbars - When you first open a new document, you will see the Getting Started toolbar, showcasing some of the most used SketchUp tools. When you tap a tool, an additional toolbar with that tool’s optional modes appears.
   
   Tapping () at the bottom of the Getting Started toolbar opens an extended tool palette where you’ll see the rest of the available tools. As you begin using tools, they‘ll appear in one of three spaces showing tools you’ve recently used. For more details about using tools, the different toolbars, and customizing the toolbar and tool palette, see Tools Overview.

5. Context Menu Toolbar - Each icon represents a feature normally seen in the context menu in other versions of SketchUp. The available options depend on what type of entity is currently selected. For more information, see Entity Context Menus.

6. Panels Toolbar - SketchUp’s panels provide several ways to elevate your models. See iPad Panels for more information.

iPad Input Methods

When you’re used to Sketchup’s other platforms, navigating Sketchup for iPad’s interface can be a bit of a shock. You can interact with SketchUp for iPad using several input methods, and each input method interacts with the interface in a different way.

In addition to supporting classic mouse/trackpad and keyboard inputs, SketchUp for iPad provides options to create and view models using multitouch gestures or an Apple Pencil.

Multitouch

SketchUp for iPad offers full multitouch support that allows you to navigate the interface, select tools, and view and create models. The following quick reference card provides an overview of the gestures you can use while creating your models.

Depending on the tool, you’ll use a combination of gestures such as hard presses and taps to create and manipulate geometry.

Apple Pencil

You can interact with the interface and use tools with an Apple Pencil through a combination of taps, hard-presses, and drawing gestures. 

The Settings panel lets you set your Apple Pencil to one of the following two modes:

• Just Draw - This mode allows you to just draw as you would with a pencil and paper. For example, to draw a rectangle using the Rectangle tool, touch your pen to the screen where you want your first corner to be, lightly drag the pencil to the location for your second corner, and lift your pencil to complete the shape.

• Click-Move-Click - This mode is versatile and takes advantage of Apple Pencil’s pressure sensor. Lightly dragging the pencil across the screen allows you to infer things in the model before pressing hard with the pencil tip to start and complete an operation. For example, to draw a rectangle using the Rectangle tool, hard-press the location for your first corner, lift your pencil, and  use another hard-press to designate the diagonal corner, which completes your shape.

Touchpad and Mouse

Using a touchpad or mouse in SketchUp for iPad works a lot like it does for SketchUp for Desktop. Actions, such as click-and-drag, double-click, and triple-click, work the same as they do on other platforms.

Keyboard

If you have a keyboard, many of SketchUp’s keyboard shortcuts are available on iPad. To see what keyboard shortcuts are available, press and hold the CMD key or search for them using the Omnibar. You can also use your keyboard to enter measurements without selecting the measurements box first just like you can in SketchUp for Desktop.