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Troubleshooting and performance
Resolve startup, graphics, crash and file problems.
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Articles in this category
3D Modeling Issues
When creating a model you may run into some unique issues. Here we'll take a look at some known issues not related to a specific tool or technique. Some common issues include:
Troubleshooting and performance
Account Has No Nickname Error
The Credits feature in SketchUp requires your Google Account to have a Nickname associated with it. To add a Nickname to your Google Account, visit the 3D Warehouse and click the Sign In link in the upper right-hand corner.
Troubleshooting and performance
Active Revit 3D View Cannot Be Converted
The active Revit 3D view cannot be converted.
Troubleshooting and performance
Blank Dialog or SDK Error When Exporting
Situation You're exporting a SketchUp file to one of these formats: FBX, OBJ, 3DS, VRM, or XSI. On the Windows platform your export fails with a blank dialog box. On a Mac you get an error message like "SketchUp SDK error: An error has occurred resulting in an invalid output file..."
Troubleshooting and performance
Blurred or Distorted Images
The Quick Answer Download and install the most current video card drivers from the manufacturer's website. Disable 'Fast Feedback' on your system. Make sure that your video card supports OpenGL 1.5+. There are two likely causes of display issues like this:
Troubleshooting and performance
Cannot Create a Valid 3D View
Cannot create a valid 3D view. The project does not contain visible geometries.
Troubleshooting and performance
Cleaning Up Bloated Models
File size can impact SketchUp’s performance. Each entity you create, and each enhancement you apply to those entities, adds to the size of your file. Even when you delete entities you aren’t using, their definition stays in your model, creating what is called model bloat.
Troubleshooting and performance
Clipped or Missing Faces
Clipped or Missing FacesIf you orbit around your model and you see an effect that looks like a section plane attached to your view at a fixed distance you may be worried that something is wrong with your model. Worse yet, objects may disappear or appear to shake when you try to zoom in.
Troubleshooting and performance
Conversion Failed
Conversion Failed. The is the catch-all error shown when an import fails without a specific reason found. In the dialog you see after the attempted import, check the Last Error Description field for more details.
Troubleshooting and performance
Crash Messages in SketchUp
When SketchUp crashes there are a few things to take a look at that may help:System settings or compatibility issuesAn error in your SketchUp installation or an extensionA problem with a model’s file or a pluginOutdated graphics drivers or graphics hardwareTo help troubleshoot these issues, we’ve listed a few examples
Troubleshooting and performance
Device Not Authorized Error
__*We are experiencing technical difficulties. This device is not authorized.*__ When this error appears it means that SketchUp was unable to verify your subscription when you attempted to login. SketchUp needs to verify your subscription at least once every 28 days and needs an active internet connection to do so.
Troubleshooting and performance
Edge Style Value Error
Situation This is only an issue on the Windows operating system. In the Styles browser Edit tab, you change one of the edge settings (e.g. Profiles, Depth cue, Endpoints, or Jitter) to have a value between 1 and 99, but you see an error message "Please enter an integer between 1 and 99."
Troubleshooting and performance
Extension Errors
Extensions can be a great way to customize SketchUp in a lot of different ways. What’s not so great is when those extensions fail to load. Usually extensions can fail to load if they haven’t been updated in a while.
Troubleshooting and performance
Failed to Open Document Error
A corrupted file is a file that contains one or more errors preventing SketchUp from opening it as normal. A file can become corrupted due to issues during the save process, or sending an uncompressed file to another person.
Troubleshooting and performance
Failed to Save to File
Failed to save to file <file name>.
Troubleshooting and performance
File Issues
If you encounter errors when opening or saving a SketchUp file, or when working with file types associated with other modeling applications, it can lose you time, or even your entire project progress.
Troubleshooting and performance
Firewall and Proxy Issues
If you're uncertain if these ports are open on your machine please contact your network administrator for assistance.SketchUp requires uninterrupted access to the internet for features such as the 3D Warehouse, Add Location and Extension Warehouse.
Troubleshooting and performance
Fixing Startup Issues
It can be frustrating when you have a problem before you even get started. We've identified a few common startup issues including:
Troubleshooting and performance
Graphics Card and Driver Issues
If you are experiencing graphics related issues, it may be a problem with your graphics card or driver.
Troubleshooting and performance
Graphics and Performance Issues
SketchUp can be a graphics-intensive program. Getting your work done can be difficult if graphics performance is slow or choppy.If you are experiencing performance issues, please review our Hardware and Software Requirements.
Troubleshooting and performance
Hardware Acceleration Errors
Hardware acceleration is unsupported or has been disabled on your graphics card. This error appears when your graphics hardware (GPU) isn’t capable of utilizing hardware acceleration.
Troubleshooting and performance
I Lost My SketchUp Status Bar (PC)
This can happen when your SketchUp window is larger than your monitor's screen. You can display the SketchUp status bar by clicking the "Maximize" button to maximize the SketchUp window (the "Maximize" button has an icon that looks like a computer screen and is just to the left of the "Close" button, the red button
Troubleshooting and performance
I'm Unable to Set the North Angle for My Model
When you first create a model, your model will not contain any geographic orientation or coordinates. You can always use one of the three axes as a placeholder for a cardinal direction. For example:
Troubleshooting and performance
Identifying Your Graphics Card
SketchUp is a graphics-heavy program. Knowing your graphics card can help you troubleshoot odd visual behaviors or recommend a good-performing card to other users. The easiest way to find your graphics card is to run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool:
Troubleshooting and performance
Invalid Filename Error
If you are receiving a message stating “Invalid Filename” every few minutes, it may be an issue with SketchUp’s autosave feature.SketchUp saves your files while you are working on them every five minutes by default.
Troubleshooting and performance
Launch Errors
On launch, SketchUp, LayOut, Style Builder and Viewer check that your machine meets the requirements to run each program and shows you an error dialog if it does not meet those requirements.
Troubleshooting and performance
LayOut Performance Issues
The most common performance issues you may encounter are usually due to the way LayOut handles your SketchUp viewports. Here are a few common ways to improve performance in LayOut.
Troubleshooting and performance
Loading an Offline Bugsplat Report
If a crash occurs when you are not connected to the Internet, BugSplat displays a dialog box indicating that a zip file has been created on your local hard drive. This dialog box also indicates the name and location of the zip file (normally AtLastCrashMMDDYY_HHMMSS.zip in your Windows temporary directory).
Troubleshooting and performance
MacOS - Spacebar Opens Model Info
To work around this issue, press Ctrl+F7. If you're using a Mac laptop, press Ctrl+Fn+F7.Pressing Ctrl+F7 will disable Full Keyboard Access. If the shortcut doesn't work, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts. Select Text boxes and lists only under Full Keyboard Access.
Troubleshooting and performance
Model's Background Color Shown in Vector Mode
If you're using the Vector rendering feature in LayOut, you may see the background color of your SketchUp model in cases where it shouldn't be visible. This can happen if there's a hole in your geometry that shows the background color or if the SketchUp window in LayOut clips any geometry.
Troubleshooting and performance
My Logitech Mouse is Running Slowly
If your Logitech mouse is running fine in other programs, but very slowly in SketchUp, there is a setting you can switch to eliminate this problem. The newer Logitech mouse drivers have a special setting for use with games that disables acceleration, but this actually applies to all applications that use OpenGL, which
Troubleshooting and performance
My Shortcuts Won't Save
When you customize shortcuts, SketchUp saves the changes you make along with your other preferences. If you make changes to your shortcuts and they don’t save between sessions, there are two ways you can troubleshoot that issue.
Troubleshooting and performance
NVIDIA Graphics Card Error
Windows devices with an NVIDIA graphics card may encounter the following error message:"Your hardware configuration does not meet minimum specifications needed to run the application. The application must close. Error code: 6"To resolve this issue, please try the following steps:
Troubleshooting and performance
No Valid 3D View Found in Revit File
No valid 3D view can be found in the Revit file.
Troubleshooting and performance
Online Services and Connectivity Issues
SketchUp includes features that require an internet connection. These features include:Add Location3D WarehouseExtension WarehouseTrimble ConnectTake a look at the following troubleshooting articles if you are having trouble connecting to these services:
Troubleshooting and performance
Passkey Issues
Passkeys are encrypted digital keys you can use as a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) method for your Trimble ID. For information on how to set up a passkey, see Passkeys.To help avoid issues with your passkeys, here are some best practices we use here at SketchUp:
Troubleshooting and performance
Performance Issues
Some performance issues aren’t directly related to your graphics card or drivers.
Troubleshooting and performance
Product Functionality Issues
Running into issues while using SketchUp can be frustrating. Find what you need for tools and functionality issues, 3D modeling issues, and more.
Troubleshooting and performance
Push Pull Is Not Working
The Push/Pull tool cannot extrude objects that are a part of a Component or Group. Double-click the Group or Component to edit it, then select a surface to manipulate.For more information see Pushing and Pulling Shapes into 3D in our Help Center.
Troubleshooting and performance
RAM Issues
SketchUp’s recommended hardware requirements state you need at least 8GB of RAM. That means for the average SketchUp model, 8GB should be all you need. Larger models can use up a lot of memory and may cause performance issues like stuttering while modeling.
Troubleshooting and performance
Recommended Graphics Card
We recommend any graphics card that fully supports OpenGL 3.0 or higher and has at least 64 MB of video memory. If you're going to create large models, we recommend a graphics card with more than 512 MB of video memory.
Troubleshooting and performance
Rendering Delays While Modeling
To keep SketchUp interactive and responsive while you're modeling, SketchUp waits to render the model with full detail until you temporarily stop working on the model.
Troubleshooting and performance
Reporting Errors with BugSplat
When SketchUp crashes you will see Bug Splat, a third party application integrated into SketchUp that helps us collect crash information.
Troubleshooting and performance
Revit Importer Errors
When importing a Revit file into SketchUp, you may encounter the following error messages: No valid 3D view can be found in the Revit file. The active Revit 3D view cannot be converted. Cannot create a valid 3D view. The project does not contain visible geometries. Conversion Failed.
Troubleshooting and performance
Sign In and Account Issues
All versions of SketchUp, along with features like 3D Warehouse and Extension Warehouse, require you to sign in using your Trimble ID. If you run into issues while signing in, or have issues with your account, take a look at the following articles:
Troubleshooting and performance
SketchUp and OpenGL
3D applications, such as SketchUp, require abundant system resources. Aside from having a fast CPU and large amounts of RAM, your video card and video card drivers must be 100% OpenGL compliant. What is OpenGL?
Troubleshooting and performance
Texture Images Failed to Import
Texture images failed to import.
Troubleshooting and performance
Tools and Functionality Issues
You may run into issues with tools, extensions, and other features and functions. This article may help you find solutions to your problems.
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting
If you are here, that means something went wrong. Whether you're having trouble getting started with a SketchUp product, experiencing a technical error, or need some help with your subscription, we can help you find the answers you are looking for.
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting 3rd Party Sign In
What are the 3rd party sign-in options I can use?You can choose Google, Apple, or Microsoft as a 3rd party sign-in option.Am I required to use a 3rd party option?No.
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting Add Location
Here are some common issues a user may come across when using Add Location. Missing Terrain or TilesIf your import is missing sections of terrain, also known as tiles, it may be because those sections weren’t available at the resolution you selected or the provider didn’t get the data for that area.
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting Exporting and Importing CAD Files
SketchUp subscribers can import and export models using a wide variety of formats. In this article are some common issues you may encounter and how to handle them.
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting Multifactor Authentication
What is Multi-Factor Authentication?Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security process that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to their Trimble account. MFA enhances security by requiring something you know, like a password, and something you have, like a verification code.
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting Trimble Identity
What are the password requirements for Trimble ID?All passwords must contain:
Troubleshooting and performance
Troubleshooting a Corrupted File
A corrupted file is a file that contains one or more errors preventing SketchUp from opening it as normal. A file can become corrupted due to issues during the save process, or sending an uncompressed file to another person.
Troubleshooting and performance
Unexpected File Format or File Not Found Error
In the case of an incomplete download, the problem isn't with the model itself; rather, the failed download results in an incomplete file that SketchUp can't recognize or open.
Troubleshooting and performance
Unknown Graphics Card
This message means your computer can't detect an installed graphics card. When that happens, the computer runs in Software Emulation mode. If you see this message, you should update your graphics driver. For more information about how to update a graphics driver, click here.
Troubleshooting and performance
Updating Your Graphics Driver
SketchUp is a graphics-heavy application. We suggest always keeping your graphics drivers up-to-date. Updating drivers can often correct odd visual behaviors such as freezing, artifacts, model slicing, and slow performance. Windows If you have a notebook or laptop computer:
Troubleshooting and performance
Version of Revit File Not Supported
The version of the Revit file is not supported.
Troubleshooting and performance
When I Select a Face, the Reverse Face is Selected (PC)
This is a known issue with some OpenGL graphics drivers. We have built a workaround option into SketchUp: In SketchUp, open the "Window" menu. Click "Preferences." Click "OpenGL." In the "Acceleration" section, select the "Correct reversed picking driver bug" option. Click "OK."
Troubleshooting and performance
White or Black Box Around Cursor
SketchUp supports real-time 3D drawing, you must make sure your display settings are optimized for 3D. If you see a white or black outline around your cursor in SketchUp, you can usually fix this by increasing the color quality for your display.Note: For some older graphics cards, this might not work.
Troubleshooting and performance