The Trimble folks have just released the 2023 version of SketchUp. As always, you can learn more about new and improved functionality in their blog posts and the YouTube channel.

I am quite excited about the new Revit importer (see image above for an example) because it allows for improved coordination and rendering workflows with Revit. It loads and converts models reasonably fast and even inserts various plan sections. Now if we could also have a way to easily export from SketchUp to Revit that includes creating native system families (walls, floors,…) where appropriate. IFC only goes so far…

Another great new tool is the Flip functionality, which lets you mirror objects in any orientation. This was of course already possible with extensions and via the “-1” scale-factor trick, but it is now implemented in a more comfortable way that also makes this functionality usable on the iPad and web versions.

This version also includes some future-focused core program improvements like a new installer, better saving, and an overlay function that allows extension developers to create persistent overlays, and more.

TIP

Want to try a new Trimble Creator feature? You can now select an object in SketchUp, click on the Edit > Copy to Trimble Creator menu item and then paste (Ctrl+V) in a Creator graph to upload the selected geometry there. You can then easily use it as a basis for modification.

Another way to make SketchUp geometry usable in Trimble Creator is now also built into the 3D Model Export functionality: The TrimBIM file format (*.trb). Export a SketchUp model this way and then you can load it into Trimble Creator by simply dragging the file into the graph area.

Also, there is now an Open Live Component context menu option that lets you open the Trimble Creator graph of a Live Component, modify your own copy of it, and then republish an updated Live Component.

You can learn more about Live Components and Trimble Creator in my posts and videos here.

On the LayOut side I am very excited about the Per-page Sequence Autotext option that makes it easier to place multiple details on a page and have them auto-numbered sequentially.

But there’s more… Here’s the complete list of what’s new (from the official Release Notes):

SketchUp

  • Windows Common Installer – A new installation experience with more options, including Studio features.
  • Revit Importer – Speaking of Studio, Studio subscribers can now easily import Revit files into their SketchUp models.
  • Flip Tool – The new Flip tool makes it simpler to invert selections and create symmetry, replacing SketchUp’s Flip Along commands.
  • Large Model Saving Efficiency – Save big models with improved efficiency using multithreading technology.
  • Overlays – Developers can now create extensions that can persist while using other native SketchUp tools and functions. We call this an Overlay. The new Overlays panel can help you manage extensions designed with this capability.
  • Various Modeling updates and improvements including new Select options, freehand tool updates, and improvements to the Axes tool.

LayOut

  • DWG References – You can now manage inserted .dwg files as references, just like with SketchUp files.
  • Custom Rotation Start Angle – Define a custom start angle for rotating selected entities.
  • Tag Visibility Improvements – We’ve added the ability to discreetly override styles across multiple viewports, separating line styles from other styles.
  • Per-page Sequence Autotext – Sequenced auto-text can now be either per page or per document.
  • Viewport Improvements – We’ve improved camera predictability for viewports by setting the Pan tool as the default tool when activating the Edit 3D View and fine-tuning the “Preserve scale on resize” option.

So, how do you get the new version? As always, look for the Check for Updates menu item under the Help menu and install it when prompted. And if you are using the web version, the relevant features will just appear magically…

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