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
K-12 Schools | Jan 8, 2024
Video: Learn how DLR Group converted two big-box stores into an early education center
Learn how the North Kansas City (Mo.) School District and DLR Group adapted two big-box stores into a 115,000-sf early education center offering services for children with special needs.
Green | Jan 8, 2024
DOE releases RFI on developing national definition for a Zero Emissions Building
The Department of Energy released a Request for Information (RFI) for feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on a draft national definition for a Zero Emissions Building.
Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2024
Australia to be first country to ban engineered stone countertops
In 2024, Australia will be the first country to ban engineered stone countertops. The ban came after a years-long campaign supported by doctors, trade unions, and workers over concerns that the material was causing increased silicosis cases among workers cutting and handling it.
Roofing | Jan 8, 2024
Researchers devise adaptive roof tile concept that adjusts to ambient temperatures
Scientists at the University of California Santa Barbara published a paper that proposes adaptive roof tile technology that can adjust to ambient temperatures. Using a wax motor, tiles could switch from a heating or cooling state enabling savings on heating and cooling costs.
MFPRO+ Special Reports | Jan 4, 2024
Top 10 trends in multifamily rental housing
Demographic and economic shifts, along with work and lifestyle changes, have made apartment living preferable for a wider range of buyers and renters. These top 10 trends in multifamily housing come from BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Annual Report.
Giants 400 | Jan 3, 2024
Top 200 Reconstruction Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Stantec, HDR, Corgan, and PBK Architects top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest building reconstruction/renovation architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Designers | Jan 3, 2024
Designing better built environments for a neurodiverse world
For most of human history, design has mostly considered “typical users” who are fully able-bodied without clinical or emotional disabilities. The problem with this approach is that it offers a limited perspective on how space can positively or negatively influence someone based on their physical, mental, and sensory abilities.
Mass Timber | Jan 2, 2024
5 ways mass timber will reshape the design of life sciences facilities
Here are five reasons why it has become increasingly evident that mass timber is ready to shape the future of laboratory spaces.
Giants 400 | Jan 2, 2024
Top 120 Hotel Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, WATG, HKS, DLR Group, and HBG Design top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest hotel and resort architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Resiliency | Jan 2, 2024
Americans are migrating from areas of high flood risk
Americans are abandoning areas of high flood risk in significant numbers, according to research by the First Street Foundation. Climate Abandonment Areas account for more than 818,000 Census Blocks and lost a total of 3.2 million-plus residents due to flooding from 2000 to 2020, the study found.