Understanding the Process

Here's how to import your SketchUp model into SketchUp LayOut.

Importing your SketchUp model into LayOut is a fundamental step for creating presentations, construction documents, and drawings directly from your 3D model.

SketchUp LayOut is designed to work seamlessly with SketchUp models. Instead of importing geometry directly, LayOut creates a link to your SketchUp file (.skp). This link allows you to display specific views (scenes), adjust styles, and update the model in LayOut when changes are made in SketchUp. You must have SketchUp LayOut installed to perform this action.

The first step is ensuring you have your SketchUp model saved as a standard .skp file that LayOut can access.

Getting Your SketchUp Model Ready for LayOut

The method for saving your model depends on whether you are using the web-based version or the desktop version of SketchUp.

For Web-Based SketchUp Users

If you are using the web-based version of SketchUp, you need to download your model in the standard SketchUp file format (.skp) to your computer.

• Reference Step: Yes, if you have Layout. In the upper left of the Web based sketchup is a menu icon of three lines, click on that and download, choose . skp.
• How-To:
  1. Open your model in the web-based SketchUp application.
  2. Look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines) located in the upper left corner of the interface.
  3. Click the menu icon.
  4. From the dropdown menu, select "Download".
  5. Choose the ".skp" format for download.
  6. This action will save the file to your computer in the standard sketchup format.

For Desktop SketchUp Users

If you are using a desktop version of SketchUp (like SketchUp Pro or SketchUp Shop), your model is likely already saved as a .skp file on your computer. Simply ensure you know the file's location.

Importing Your SketchUp Model into LayOut

Once you have the .skp file saved on your computer, you can insert it into a LayOut document.

1. Open SketchUp LayOut: Start the LayOut application.
2. Create or Open a Document: Create a new LayOut document or open an existing one.
3. Insert the Model:
   • Go to the "File" menu in the top left corner.
   • Select "Insert..." (or sometimes "Place..." depending on the version).
   • Browse to the location where you saved your .skp file on your computer.
   • Select the .skp file and click "Open" or "Insert".

Working with the Model in LayOut

After inserting, your SketchUp model will appear on the LayOut page as a viewport. This viewport displays a view of your 3D model.

• You can move and resize the viewport like any other object.
• Use the SketchUp Model inspector (usually found under the "Window" menu) to control which scene is displayed, adjust styles, scale the model, and choose the rendering type.
• Since LayOut maintains a link to the original .skp file, if you make changes to your model in SketchUp and save the .skp file, you can update the model in LayOut (via the SketchUp Model inspector or File menu) to reflect those changes.

This process allows you to create precise drawings, annotate views, add dimensions, and combine your 3D model representations with 2D elements and text for professional documentation.