Trimble has released SketchUp 2014, the latest version of its popular 3-D modeling platform for architects, engineers, design and construction professionals, as well as members of the global maker community.
SketchUp 2014 features major enhancements to SketchUp’s 3-D Warehouse—the world’s largest repository of free, high-quality, 3-D content—as well as new tools that improve the classification of design objects, tighten interoperability with other products used in Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows, and make professional documentation more efficient.
“As SketchUp’s professional footprint expands, access to content and broad interoperability are vital issues to our customers," said Chris Keating, director of the Architecture Division within the Trimble Buildings Group. "With SketchUp 2014, we’re giving users better tools to easily access the models they need and to ensure those models add value throughout the information modeling process.”
New 3-D Warehouse: Where Content is King
SketchUp’s 3-D Warehouse is an online repository for finding, storing and sharing useful 3-D models. In SketchUp 2014, the 3-D Warehouse has been rebuilt, making it easier for users to quickly find the models they need, create and organize their own collections, and share them with the world.
- The new 3-D Warehouse now features an integrated WebGL viewer, enabling users to preview and orbit models in full 3-D before downloading them into their own projects.
- Users can now upload 3-D models directly from their Web browsers, without first opening them in SketchUp, while the maximum size of uploadable models has been increased from 10 to 50 megabytes.
- The new Product Catalogs feature speeds the task of finding specific manufacturers’ products—from windows to washing machines—letting users start their models with the exact items they intend to use.
Building upon SketchUp Pro’s Information Modeling Foundation
Since BIM is an increasingly important process for professionals in architecture, engineering and construction, Trimble has expanded SketchUp Pro’s interoperability with other commonly used tools and data. The new release provides an easier way for users to participate in the information modeling process by ensuring that their objects and models—and the data connected to them—remain consistently identifiable throughout the BIM workflow.
SketchUp Pro 2014 contains three new features that are specific to information modeling:
- IFC Export: since the information embedded in information models is often used by other software programs, SketchUp Pro 2014 now includes another important industry standard to its roster of supported exports—the IFC 2x3 file type.
- Classifier: this feature allows users to classify objects with the pre-loaded IFC classification, use alternate classification types, or create a customized system for their specific needs.
- Component Options: provides editable options relevant to an object’s classified type, allowing pertinent data about each object to be managed throughout the information modeling process.
“BIM workflows are often complex and rigid processes, and we believe they don’t need to be,” said John Bacus, director of SketchUp product management at Trimble. “With this new release, we are enabling users to participate more effectively at any point in the information modeling process. We’ve added simple tools for adding structured information to a model in a way that is helpful to SketchUp customers, allowing them to easily pass information to others on their project teams, regardless of the tools being used.”
Documentation Done Right
Professional users will also benefit from continued enhancements to the 2-D documentation capabilities in SketchUp Pro 2014, such as: auto tags to improve accuracy and reduce repetitive work, smart labels with pre-populated relevant text, and significant improvements in speed for vector-rendered model views.
SketchUp 2014 is available now. Additional information and downloads are available at: www.sketchup.com.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Jan 27, 2015
London plans to build Foggo Associates' 'can of ham' building
The much delayed high-rise development at London’s 60-70 St. Mary Axe resembles a can of ham, and the project's architects are embracing the playful sobriquet.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 22, 2015
Sales of apartment buildings hit record high in 2014
Investors bet big time on demand for rental properties over homeownership in 2014, when sales of apartment buildings hit a record $110.1 billion, or nearly 15% higher than the previous year.
| Jan 21, 2015
From technician to rainmaker: Making the leap in your career
Many AEC firms focus on training for the hard skills of the profession, not so much for business prowess, writes BD+C's David Barista.
Modular Building | Jan 21, 2015
Chinese company 3D prints six-story multifamily building
The building components were prefabricated piece by piece using a printer that is 7 meters tall, 10 meters wide, and 40 meters long.
| Jan 21, 2015
Tesla Motors starts construction on $5 billion battery plant in Nevada
Tesla Motors’ “gigafactory,” a $5 billion project on 980 acres in Sparks, Nev., could annually produce enough power for 500,000 electric cars.
| Jan 20, 2015
Daring hotel design scheme takes the shape of cut amethyst stone
The Dutch practice NL Architects designed a proposal for a chain of hotels shaped like a rock cut in half to reveal a gemstone inside.
| Jan 20, 2015
Avery Associates unveils plans for London's second-tallest tower
The 270-meter tower, dubbed the No. 1 Undershaft, will stand next to the city's "Cheesegrater" building.
| Jan 19, 2015
HAO unveils designs for a 3D movie museum in China
New York-based HAO has released designs for the proposed Bolong 3D Movie Museum & Mediatek in Tianjin.
| Jan 19, 2015
Gaudi’s first work outside Spain will be a chapel in Chile
Nearly 100 years after Antoni Gaudí’s death, Chile will begin constructing a chapel using his designs.
| Jan 19, 2015
Architecture for Humanity closes office, plans to file for bankruptcy
After more than 15 years of work, the nonprofit design group Architecture for Humanity has closed its San Francisco office and plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.