Trimble announced advancements in collaboration and documentation, site context and visualization in its latest update for Trimble SketchUp®. The 3D modeling software now offers private sharing control, in-app commenting and real-time viewing, enabling designers to get feedback on designs directly within SketchUp for Desktop. New professional 2D conceptual drafting tools in LayOut, enhanced point cloud capabilities, and refined visualization tools help designers bring their visions to life faster, clearer and with more confidence.
"Great designs are shaped by conversation, iteration and shared insight," said Sandra Winstead, senior director of product management, architecture and design at Trimble. "Rather than jumping between email threads or third-party tools to hold conversations, collaborate and make design decisions, we've built collaboration directly into SketchUp. Now, designers can have a two-way dialogue with clients and project stakeholders in the SketchUp model for quicker iterations and better alignment throughout the design process. Collectively, from collaboration to documentation, context and visualization, these advancements impact critical design workflows, helping designers move from concept to reality with greater speed, clarity, and confidence."
New collaboration features centralize design discussions, allowing designers to provide context, resolve questions and make decisions in real time without leaving SketchUp.
Designers can securely share models with specific stakeholders, controlling who can view and comment. With built-in commenting, feedback is attached directly to specific 3D geometry, ensuring conversations are linked to the relevant part of the model. All collaborators see instant updates to the model, creating a shared space for real-time design conversations. Additionally, cursor and camera tracking features allow clients and stakeholders to follow along during presentations, ensuring everyone stays on the same page and can make quick, informed decisions together.
In addition to the advancements in collaboration capabilities, the new release introduces improvements across several key areas:
Improved Design Documentation:
- New 2D drafting tools enable more intuitive and precise drawing for common documentation tasks, and a new set of scrapbooks enables quick access to standard architectural graphics, such as doors and windows, for scaled, 2D composition in LayOut.
- Enhanced DWG export ensures SketchUp geometry and Tags are preserved, and rework is minimized when moving from 3D in SketchUp to 2D in other CAD and BIM tools.
Improved Site Context:
- Upgrades to Scan Essentials simplify the process of incorporating real-world conditions from point clouds into designs and create a seamless workflow when working with a shared coordinate system.
- New tools, Texture Projection and Surface Mesh, and scene management capabilities open up more efficient ways to leverage point clouds for visual outputs.
- New import options in Add Location enable designers to quickly and easily incorporate existing buildings into the terrain as pre-built 3D geometry for improved visualization, climate analysis, and site planning.
Enhanced Visualization:
- Refined visualization capabilities offer more precise stylistic control and a wider range of options, including Color Ambient Occlusion, Ambient Occlusion Scale Multiplier and Invert Roughness.
- A new and improved Diffusion [Labs]* offers higher-fidelity AI visualization and greater control of generated imagery.
Availability
With this launch, collaboration capabilities are available for subscribers in SketchUp for Desktop and the Web Viewer.
*SketchUp Diffusion [Labs] are available as part of the SketchUp Labs Program, which is a public beta program that enables SketchUp subscribers to try new innovative features and provide feedback. To access the features in Labs, you must be a SketchUp subscriber.
