SketchUp Pro horizontal logo

Revit importer delivers flexible workflows in SketchUp 2023

Welcome to the next generation of creative exploration; updates for 2023 deliver the fastest, easiest, most native interoperable modeling experience yet. Trimble is connecting two core tools in the industry: SketchUp & Revit! The Revit Importer elevates SketchUp’s Studio subscription, while tangible improvements to core tools boost workflows in the desktop application. Indulge in SketchUp 2023’s powerful toolset for your next built masterpiece.

Shave hours off your Revit-to-SketchUp workflow

The new Revit file import feature within a Studio subscription allows you to accurately and efficiently convert your Revit models into SketchUp geometry for deeper collaboration across project phases, teams, and stakeholders. Various workarounds do already exist to export Revit models to SketchUp, but this new importer saves the most time, is more accurate in geometry conversion, and leads to much lighter models.

By preserving model structures between Revit and SketchUp – Revit families and layers neatly translate to groups, components, and tags in SketchUp – you can save hours or even days of model cleanup and progress your project with accuracy. A smoother transition between design phases allows you to focus on what’s essential: fine-tuning your vision.

“The Revit Importer sped up my importing and cleans up workflows from a couple of days to a few hours, even with complex models.”

-Carl Goodiel, VDC Manager

Play Video

New Revit Importer, Flip-Tool changes, and Referenced .DWGs

Why use the Revit Importer?

  1. Improve collaboration with project stakeholders who create Revit deliverables.
  2. Preserve model structures between software for less cleanup.
  3. Move Revit models into SketchUp to iterate new ideas quickly.
  4. Build efficiencies; the imported Revit file is automatically optimized for easier geometry manipulation in SketchUp and significantly reduces file size.
  5. Create compelling visuals; Revit material colors and transparencies are respected during import to speed up visualization workflows.
  6. Translate Revit levels to SketchUp section planes.
Play Video

For a full overview of how to use the Revit Importer, watch this Skill Builder.

Trimble has made the Revit Importer a native functionality in SketchUp’s desktop application. Customers with Studio subscriptions can access this feature as soon as they update to the 2023 version. Customers with Pro subscriptions can install the Revit Importer in SketchUp 2023 and then initiate a trial to evaluate this new workflow. No Revit license is required.
“We love the Revit Importer. It has saved us lots of time, and to my amazement, the converted file sizes are much smaller than other methods. This importer has become essential to our workflows. “ -Shyam Singh, GLMV Architecture
sketchup vray

Discoverable and connected workflows

Using Studio’s new common installer, you can discover, download, and install all the tools you need for advanced workflows and complex projects. The subscription also includes V-Ray 6 for creating cutting-edge visuals and Scan Essentials for importing point cloud data – both were enriched with new functionality in late 2022. Please note that SketchUp Studio is a Windows-only subscription. Download SketchUp 2023 Now ➔

Breakthroughs for Desktop

Build your anything – faster – with new modeling and documentation features and improvements in SketchUp. Explore a brand new Flip tool that replicates design elements predictably, manage DWG files in LayOut, and more.

Take the guesswork out of Flip transformations — the brand-new Flip tool lets you pre-visualise the outcome to model more predictably. Previsualise the plane you want to flip your selection along, then hover over the red, green, or blue planes to confirm the proper orientation. Click to flip! Fewer clicks and undoes means you can focus more of your valuable energy on developing a symmetrical relationship, evaluating it, and modifying it.

Play Video

New flip-tool in action

Play Video

.DWGs as references in LayOut

Reign over referencing in LayOut

In LayOut, Trimble is fortifying interoperability by adding the ability to manage imported DWG files as references. Sound familiar? It’s the same process for managing referenced files in LayOut, but now they’ve expanded it to apply to all images, text files, or AutoCAD drawings. View all external file references, receive notifications if a file reference is outdated, and update, relink, or remove a file reference using the File Reference Manager. Better still, all your custom style edits (line weights, scale, and viewport positions) stay intact even when reference files are updated. Document and present your work confidently, knowing that all your references are up-to-date without wasting previous layout and styling work.

An enhanced, high-value offering

From the Studio overhaul to cross-subscription modeling improvements, SketchUp has removed workflow barriers to unleash your creativity in 2023. If you already have a Pro or Studio subscription, you can access SketchUp 2023’s time-saving improvements by downloading it here. If you do not already own SketchUp you can also download a 30-day trial version of Studio on the same page.

SketchUp 2023 Release Scale Figure jpg
Heather, Senior Software Engineer at SketchUp, had a significant hand in the updates for 2023.

Download SketchUp 2023

See for yourself how these updates can enhance your professional workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I access SketchUp 2023?
If you have an active SketchUp subscription (Check your account HERE to find out), then you can update to the latest version free, click HERE to download the SketchUp 2023 installer. After running the installer, you should sign out of your current SketchUp version before starting and signing into SketchUp 2023.
If you do not have an active SketchUp subscription with the email you try to sign in with, you will be prompted to begin a 30-day trial.
Can I try SketchUp Studio 2023 before I purchase it?

SketchUp offers a free 30-day trial of the Studio subscription offering which includes all the tools in the Studio ecosystem. Click HERE to download the SketchUp 2023 installer. When you install and start SketchUp 2023 you will be prompted to create and sing into a Trimble account to begin a 30-day trial.

How can I upgrade from SketchUp Pro to SketchUp Studio 2023?

Please Contact Us about this and we will get a prorated invoice for the upgrade sent out to you. This means you will only pay for the price to upgrade to Studio for the remainder of your term and not the entire year.

I have an active SketchUp Pro subscription. What happens if I download SketchUp 2023 and try to launch V-Ray?

By default, V-Ray is not checked for installation in the Windows installer. Users who opt to install V-Ray (by checking the box) will be prompted to accept Terms of Service from Chaos Group. Additionally, a web browser will open and prompt users to sign in with their Trimble ID, a process that identifies their account for V-Ray servers. If you only have a SketchUp Pro subscription, you must start a Studio trial or upgrade to Studio in order to utilise the V-Ray extension. An error message will display if you attempt to interact with V-Ray tools without a Trial or Studio entitlement. A similar message will appear if you don’t finish the account linking process described below.

I have an active SketchUp Studio Subscription or an active 30-Day trial, why is my access to V-Ray still not working?

It is possible that you still need to link your Trimble ID with a Chaos V-Ray license. After installing V-Ray from the SketchUp 2023 Installer or from the ‘My Apps’ page in your Trimble Account, you will need to sign in to the Chaos licensing server with your Trimble ID on this page.

After doing this, check the Chaos license server to make sure you are signed into the correct account and that you now have access.

What happens if I upgrade or purchase SketchUp Studio 2023 via a different channel than my existing subscriptions?
If you upgrade via a different channel than you originally purchased from, you will create a brand new account with a new product and renewal date and won’t be able to take advantage of prorated pricing or co-terming.
Two product names appear in the common windows installer (Pro & Studio). Is there now a separate SketchUp Pro and Studio trial?

Our new common installer enables trialers on a Windows machine to download and install SketchUp 2023 with a single click. It also provides the option to select or deselect any features that make up the SketchUp Studio subscription – V-Ray 6 for SketchUp, Scan Essentials, and the Revit Importer.


*Please note that this will only impact Windows users. For Mac users, there is no change to the existing trial experience.