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Why I use SketchUp & LayOut exclusively for Architectural Design WorkI use SketchUp Pro and its associated 2D construction documentation software LayOut to build house plans for clients. I do work for clients locally and across the US and Canada. In all cases the SketchUp software is crucial for developing models that can then be used to build plans for printing.,The 3D modeling capabilities of SketchUp are superb. SketchUp has a large community of professionals and enthusiasts that share component models. These can be useful for quickly developing working 3D models.,Rendering is limited. Photo-realistic images are not possible using SketchUp alone. Unlike traditional architectural software SketchUp is not automated. You need to understand code to a high degree in order to be able to draw models correctly. More development of the software would be nice.,10,SketchUp has allowed me develop a successful online drafting & design firm. SketchUp is the core of my business.,,Apple iCloud, Google Analytics, Microsoft 365 BusinessEasy and fast design with SketchUp.We use this software in the company in the engineering department. This excellent program allows us to conceptualize and model 3D images of buildings, cars, people and any other object that we are required to project. In addition, the program includes a gallery of objects, textures, and images that are very useful in working the designs. SketchUp is a program internationally recognized for its extensive capabilities to make 3D designs easily, and it is one of the most popular programs used by architects, engineers, industrial designers, among others.,You can customize it with plugins to have functions specifically designed for your work area Its main feature is to be able to make 3D designs in a simple way. This tool allows integrating Google Maps designs, using the 3D building layer.,The payment method does not work as well in some operating systems. SketchUp does not produce very realistic results compared to other similar tools. You cannot execute very complicated 3D design tasks.,10,With this excellent tool, the company has won accolades in the area of Infrastructure, Telecommunications and Civil Construction, which has generated more profit for the company. I had the opportunity to develop my skills in 3D digital drawing, and I have learned to interpret plans in different stages of development. Additionally, this tool has allowed us to solve design flaws in projects in the development phase, in conjunction with different engineering areas and professionals in their different specialties.,AutoCAD,Microsoft Office 365, Apache Spark, Google Maps APIDesign was never so easy and with professional results.Sketchup is used in the design and production department, all the designers in the area manage the program to make the 3d designs of furniture for offices, it is one of the most useful tools to carry out the design of different products in a quick way for later proceed to make the prototypes.,The side toolbar is very complete and very intuitive. Your 3d warehouse market is full of very well developed 3d models that are very useful. It allows you to incorporate extensions and plugins that improve the performance of the program and its options and commands. Allows you to import and export files from different software, which makes it very flexible to work together with other programs such as Autocad, 3d max, Blender.,The sandbox toolbar is not very useful does not meet expectations. It does not have specialized commands in the parametric design, so you should always look for extensions and plugins that fill that gap. The layout and style builder has not left me satisfied with the professional result. The default textures are of layout professional quality, so you should always look for external links.,8,Easy implementation and learning Very flexible to use together with other software. Really efficient and productive in terms of time and quality. Ideal to present in 3d the design proposals to clients.,Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Premiere ProThe simplest 3D wayMy company uses SketchUp to make sketches of the cabinets for the electronics that we develop. Before final production, designs that are developed and tested from 3D printing are designed in this program. The main problem this tool solved was the time that elapsed from when we made the order for the design team to when we had the completed prototype. Now we ourselves are the ones who design, thanks to SketchUp, and then we print to test them.,It helps to visualize objects in three dimensions. It has a very user friendly interface that has to use all its commands. There is a large community of people who use it willing to help, and also a great official technical support. It offers great compatibility with most 3D design CAD programs.,The work area is small, not supporting large projects. You need a computer with a video board powerful enough to take advantage of the entire software. It does not have enough materials to render, and those that are not realistic enough.,7,It is very practical for quick demonstrations of how the product will be, especially to show them to the customer. It is a powerful tool to move forward in the different versions of the prototypes before its final manufacture. Being a powerful tool, but easy to use, it saves a lot of time and money simply by designing the pieces and showing them on the computer, instead of having to make them by hand for presentation.,Fusion 360 and AutoCAD,Fusion 360, MATLAB, Simulink, Google Drive, Apple iCloudSketchup a Nonprofits best friend.We use SketchUp for our construction department which has 10-15 employees using SketchUp every day. We use SketchUp to help us design construction projects for volunteer workers to complete. These projects range from small things like decks and small remodels to houses.,Ease of Use- SketchUp is great for beginners to CAD and is very easy to learn. Cost- is unbeatable especially if you are in the nonprofit sector as we are. Layout- coming from more traditional CAD and BIM programs, I always struggled with turning my model into 2D documents SketchUp has made this process very easy.,Better used in the construction field. I know SketchUp is very open to many users but it would be great to spend some resources on making things easier for the construction industry. I use a lot of plugins to make SketchUp good for me. But I think there could be more support and more plugins available.,8,The cost for us is very low for just $40 a year as a nonprofit. With that license, we purchase it new every year for every user so we do not need to worry about outdated software. It cost us close to $400 a year and we have seen great strides in our plan drawing especially as our staff learns to use the software better.,Revit,Procore, Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365
  3. SketchUp Reviews
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SketchUp
63 Ratings
Score 8.0 out of 101
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SketchUp Reviews

SketchUp
63 Ratings
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Score 8.0 out of 101
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Shawn Dehner profile photo
November 16, 2018

Review: "Why I use SketchUp & LayOut exclusively for Architectural Design Work"

Shawn Dehner
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I use SketchUp Pro and its associated 2D construction documentation software LayOut to build house plans for clients. I do work for clients locally and across the US and Canada. In all cases the SketchUp software is crucial for developing models that can then be used to build plans for printing.
  • The 3D modeling capabilities of SketchUp are superb.
  • SketchUp has a large community of professionals and enthusiasts that share component models. These can be useful for quickly developing working 3D models.
  • Rendering is limited. Photo-realistic images are not possible using SketchUp alone.
  • Unlike traditional architectural software SketchUp is not automated. You need to understand code to a high degree in order to be able to draw models correctly.
  • More development of the software would be nice.
Any type of design work - from architecture to furniture design, etc.
Read Shawn Dehner's full review
Alexander Palma Ibarra profile photo
November 13, 2018

User Review: "Easy and fast design with SketchUp."

Alexander Palma Ibarra
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use this software in the company in the engineering department. This excellent program allows us to conceptualize and model 3D images of buildings, cars, people and any other object that we are required to project. In addition, the program includes a gallery of objects, textures, and images that are very useful in working the designs. SketchUp is a program internationally recognized for its extensive capabilities to make 3D designs easily, and it is one of the most popular programs used by architects, engineers, industrial designers, among others.
  • You can customize it with plugins to have functions specifically designed for your work area
  • Its main feature is to be able to make 3D designs in a simple way.
  • This tool allows integrating Google Maps designs, using the 3D building layer.
  • The payment method does not work as well in some operating systems.
  • SketchUp does not produce very realistic results compared to other similar tools.
  • You cannot execute very complicated 3D design tasks.
It is easier to learn than AutoCAD, and it can do practically everything that could be done with AutoCAD. It can be customized with add-ons to have functions specifically designed for your work area. Best of all, it has a free version that can be combined with the pro version using the add-ons mentioned above. And the Pro version is undoubtedly much cheaper compared to other software of its kind.
Read Alexander Palma Ibarra's full review
Michael Schell profile photo
September 07, 2018

SketchUp Review: "Design was never so easy and with professional results."

Michael Schell
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Sketchup is used in the design and production department, all the designers in the area manage the program to make the 3d designs of furniture for offices, it is one of the most useful tools to carry out the design of different products in a quick way for later proceed to make the prototypes.
  • The side toolbar is very complete and very intuitive.
  • Your 3d warehouse market is full of very well developed 3d models that are very useful.
  • It allows you to incorporate extensions and plugins that improve the performance of the program and its options and commands.
  • Allows you to import and export files from different software, which makes it very flexible to work together with other programs such as AutoCAD, 3d max, Blender.
  • The sandbox toolbar is not very useful does not meet expectations.
  • It does not have specialized commands in the parametric design, so you should always look for extensions and plugins that fill that gap.
  • The layout and style builder has not left me satisfied with the professional result.
  • The default textures are of layout professional quality, so you should always look for external links.
It is very useful and efficient to design simple objects quickly and efficiently, obtaining very nice results, it allows you to export the model to other more powerful software and export and import plans to make the work very precise.
It does not meet the requirements for complex models with curved geometries and parametric designs, you should use extensions and it is very possible that you have errors in the model and do not opt ​​for the expected result.
Read Michael Schell's full review
Alejandro Daniel Copati profile photo
August 08, 2018

SketchUp Review: "The simplest 3D way"

Alejandro Daniel Copati
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
My company uses SketchUp to make sketches of the cabinets for the electronics that we develop. Before final production, designs that are developed and tested from 3D printing are designed in this program. The main problem this tool solved was the time that elapsed from when we made the order for the design team to when we had the completed prototype. Now we ourselves are the ones who design, thanks to SketchUp, and then we print to test them.

  • It helps to visualize objects in three dimensions.
  • It has a very user friendly interface that has to use all its commands.
  • There is a large community of people who use it willing to help, and also a great official technical support.
  • It offers great compatibility with most 3D design CAD programs.
  • The work area is small, not supporting large projects.
  • You need a computer with a video board powerful enough to take advantage of the entire software.
  • It does not have enough materials to render, and those that are not realistic enough.
It is advisable to use SketchUp only on those occasions when designing a rudimentary prototype, and not a definitive version of a final product. It is ideal to capture an idea and be able to communicate it to the rest of the team, although not for the professional presentation of the product.
Read Alejandro Daniel Copati's full review
Azad Lassiter, AC profile photo
July 02, 2018

User Review: "Sketchup a Nonprofits best friend."

Azad Lassiter, AC
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use SketchUp for our construction department which has 10-15 employees using SketchUp every day. We use SketchUp to help us design construction projects for volunteer workers to complete. These projects range from small things like decks and small remodels to houses.
  • Ease of Use- SketchUp is great for beginners to CAD and is very easy to learn.
  • Cost- is unbeatable especially if you are in the nonprofit sector as we are.
  • Layout- coming from more traditional CAD and BIM programs, I always struggled with turning my model into 2D documents SketchUp has made this process very easy.
  • Better used in the construction field. I know SketchUp is very open to many users but it would be great to spend some resources on making things easier for the construction industry.
  • I use a lot of plugins to make SketchUp good for me. But I think there could be more support and more plugins available.
I have seen SketchUp used everywhere so it's tough to say it is less appropriate but I would think it is better for residential type work and not for commercial work.
Read Azad Lassiter, AC's full review
No photo available
July 13, 2018

User Review: "SketchUp is extremely valuable"

Verified User
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I don't use SketchUp for work but I do use it for personal reasons. I've just been diving into it and I must say, it's really cool. I love being able to simply conjure up 3D designs and tweak them to my liking. With 3D printing being more and more available, there's a world of possibilities for people who previously would not have had the knowledge to create physical products.
  • 3D modeling and design.
  • I am not good at drawing so being able to use SketchUp to rapidly prototype is super helpful.
  • I find it's really helpful for visualizing a concept and making immediate changes. All without having to actually hold an object in front of me. Or without wasting resources on building something that won't work.
  • It's not a super simple tool to use. I find it quite tough sometimes to navigate around. And I'll often just get my camera lost because I moved too fast or panned too far.
  • The interaction of 3D objects takes some getting used to. As with most great things, there's definitely a learning curve.
It's quite easy for a beginner to pick up and start using. It's quite tough to really get the hang of it and learn the more complex interactions.
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Victor Arana profile photo
April 19, 2018

SketchUp Review: "SkecthUp for all!"

Victor Arana
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use SketchUp across the entire organization, to meet the project's requirements as drawings markups, change order in the designs and to present to the final client the updates and new landscapes on the construction field of their properties. We encourage our project managers to develop standards using SketchUp and integrate their proposal within the AutoCAD platform.
  • It's easy to learn and manage all the features.
  • In its Pro version has a powerful documentation engine that allows you to track down the project advances.
  • Store and Share on premise drawings and projects with all your team members and clients as well.
  • SketchUp Pro lacks many architectural [requirements] to achieve standardization over the house wizard and wall tools
  • It's limited to perform a specialized texture modeling.
  • Add in can be expensive upon the initial investment.
SketchUp is suitable to present drawings with the intermediate to advance specs details and it fits great for the sales team that will present portfolios to new potential clients.

I do not recommend SketchUp to set a complex project proposal in the construction fields or in the IT infrastructural segment.
Read Victor Arana's full review
No photo available
June 06, 2018

Review: "SketchUp really fires up your simple 3D models"

Verified User
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
SketchUp was used across our design side of the house to make initial models for landscape designs and structures. It was used to help designers visualize areas in the landscape that would otherwise be limited to 2D. This was a very easy program to pick up so it was able to help us here very quickly.
  • Easily visualize 3D models
  • Quickly design in three dimensions so you can see all areas of a design
  • Help clients that do not have as easy a time visualizing 2D plans. By building 3D models they were much more likely to see the design and buy off on it.
  • Fly-throughs were also very well done in SketchUp
  • The rendered models were not as detailed as more advanced 3D programs
  • The pricing model is interesting but as a small company we made it work
  • Some of the more advanced features were hard to find considering they try and make the product so simple to pick up.
SketchUp is very well suited for small companies who don't have the money and resources to invest in more advanced 3D applications. It is less appropriate if you want photo-realistic models. You can get them in SketchUp but other programs are better suited for this.
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No photo available
February 19, 2018

User Review: "SketchUp for the design professional"

Verified User
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Our company uses Sketchup on a daily basis to connect better with our clients. Sketchup allows us to create a visual experience for the client that is not provided in 2D drawings. Sketchup helps us as the design professionals to visualize the project and work out details that might not have been realized in 2D drawings.
  • Helps to visualize the project in 3 dimension.
  • Helps clients to visualize the design through 3D images in context of the site.
  • Helps the design professional to work through difficult details on the project.
  • Needs more realistic materials
  • Needs better rendering quality
  • Needs better site realistic imaging
Sketchup is well suited for our company because we can quickly produce a building that we can share with the client. In Sketchup we can easily manipulate the model for client changes and turn around models quickly for design review meetings. I would like to see more rendering options with Sketchup so the model does not have to be exported out to any other rendering programs.
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Tony Grasso profile photo
September 25, 2017

Review: "SketchUp for the casual 3D model builder"

Tony Grasso
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
SketchUp Pro is being used by my entire organization to provide a simple 3D modeling tool that does not require in depth training to understand. All of the buttons on the toolbar are self-explanatory or can be learned through a brief tutorial video. The focus of our organization is not to create or manipulate 3D models so a more powerful software is not needed. Simple modeling can convey to our owners and customers the general picture of what we are trying to build.
  • Simplicity. Anyone who is familiar with a computer can jump headfirst into SketchUp and be proficient with its use within an hour.
  • Intuitive button design/layout. Creating 3D objects from 2D shapes is easy with the push/pull tool. More complex 3D modeling software can get overwhelming with all of the buttons on the toolbar.
  • 3D modeling warehouse. There is an online database that allows users to see what other SketchUp users have created and download their own copy. Sharing objects with other users dramatically reduces the time required to build a very detailed model.
  • Hiding edge lines. Since most users need SketchUp to model a 3D object of some kind, it doesn't make sense for there to be visible edge lines at all intersecting faces. There should be an option to automatically hide edge lines once the model gets more complex.
  • Curved faces on a plane out of horizontal. Due to the simplicity of the software, there is no easy way to create a curved line on a plane that is not standard (vertical or horizontal face). Pushing or pulling the 2D shape into the 3D world, creates a bunch of small straight segments of lines rather than maintaining the smooth curve.
SketchUp is best suited for a company or individual that needs a modeling software that is simple to use and easy to get started. No upfront training is needed to get started and the software can be expanded to add additional functionality for the experienced user. Any company or individual that has extensive experience in 3D modeling will find this software too simplistic to be helpful.
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Bryan Welborn profile photo
September 15, 2017

Review: "SketchUp - Awesome for quick sales sketches!"

Bryan Welborn
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use SketchUp only occasionally at our construction sales company. An owner of a project may want to see how our products will look aesthetically in their build, and SketchUp makes this quick and easy.
  • Easy to learn, and very user friendly!
  • Their 3D Model library saves time from having to draw commonly used objects
  • Creating 3D curved & irregularly shaped walls is cantankerous
  • Building custom roof lines is a lot of steps. You have to draw your highest peak triangle first, then work your way down in order for the other roof lines to work, so if you've got a lot of different peak heights to draw, there will likely be a lot of trial and error to get this roof right
  • Import/Export compatibility with other programs (like AutoCAD) is not the greatest. You still have to do quite a bit of touch up in the program to get the drawing looking like it was before.
SketchUp is great for interior designers, realtors, remodelers, and occasionally a general contractor to use in their sales materials to owners. But SketchUp won't replace the abilities that AutoCAD or Revit has at creating blueprints.
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Ethan Dunkle profile photo
August 15, 2017

"SketchUp Review"

Ethan Dunkle
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
The VDC department is the only department using SketchUp in which it has many uses for us. Overall it is a great tool to help people visualize things in 3D and we can better explain details and plans using SketchUp's modeling capabilities. It also is a user-friendly program and is not overly complicated to use and complete a professional looking model.
  • Being able to quickly model objects without many limitations.
  • Not over complicating the program and it's interface which allows more users to be able to take advantage of it's capabilities.
  • You are able to build professional looking models and can even get plugins to render those models as well.
  • A lot of the models that are out there to be downloaded are of poor quality.(Not really SketchUp's fault but could maybe have some type of filter)
  • Advertising some of the plug-ins that are out there that would be beneficial to users.
  • No issues with the actual modeling capabilities.
It's great for explaining 3D details and being able to turn different layers and components off and really being able to breakdown and dissect and object. It's not great if all you are looking for is a 2D image or plan in which you would be better off just using something more simple like AutoCAD.
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No photo available
November 22, 2017

SketchUp Review: "Great Modeling Software for Simple Needs"

Verified User
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Our business uses different types of 3D modeling software, but we use SketchUp primarily for on-the-fly drawings or to quickly edit previously drawn renderings. It's great if you want to quickly make a drawing and not necessarily need a full-fledged dimensioned engineering drawing. We find it very intuitive and user-friendly.
  • Very user-friendly.
  • Easy to learn and simple software.
  • Lots of models to use in the 3D warehouse to save time.
  • There are lots of resources for SketchUp to support the user.
  • Exporting/importing files from other programs may not always be compatible.
  • I'm an engineer and I feel SketchUp is more geared towards architects. However, I still find it useful for certain aspects of my job such as creating renderings.
  • Has a tendency to slow down as the file size gets larger. Apparently, it runs on an outdated engine that has trouble with very heavy models.
SketchUp is good if you are look for simplistic, quick models that don't need to have a lot of detail. We use this to draw out our preliminary ideas that we share to the whole team. However, once we have a design hashed out, we use a more powerful 3D software to do realistic renderings and engineering drawings. Having said that, I would skip SketchUp if you need realistic renderings or need to create complex models with a lot of texture and detail.
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SketchUp Scorecard Summary

Likelihood to Recommend (63)
8.0

About SketchUp

SketchUp is 3D modeling software with an emphasis on usability.
Categories:  Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

SketchUp Technical Details

Operating Systems: Unspecified
Mobile Application:No