Designing three-dimensional models (like buildings, cars and packages) doesn’t have to be take years of training just to use. SketchUp offers the same results as other 3D modeling software without the steep price point or the intimidating jargon. In fact, you don’t even have to transition your drawings from 2D to 3D. SketchUp takes care of perspective and shading so you can focus on perfecting your product design.
An inexpensive and easy-to-use 3D modeling software
As an artist, your program should not restrict how you want to create a model.
- 8/10 (31 votes) - Download SketchUp Mac Free. Download SketchUp free for Mac, it will allow to have access to 3D designing and modeling software. SketchUp is recommended for users of all levels. SketchUp is a simple and at the same time powerful 3D modeling software application with which you.
- The SketchUp Pro 2018 for Mac is a powerful and intuitive 3D modeling software that enables engineers, architects, and designers to build and document 3D models with ease. SketchUp Pro 2018 for Mac Review. SketchUp Pro 2018 for Mac is one of the best applications for building and documenting the 3D modeling. This fully featured Mac OS X 3D.
SketchUp is a premier 3D design software that truly makes 3D modeling for everyone, with a simple to learn yet robust toolset that empowers you to create whatever you can imagine.
Sketchup gives you three options to begin your design
From Scratch The home page of SketchUp shows you a little person standing in the middle of your screen. You can opt to delete him to start with a completely blank slate. In Google Earth It will take some time to learn this, but SketchUp allows you to create a model on top of a Google Earth aerial photograph. Files Take your inspirations to SketchUp by building a model based on a JPG or CAD file of the product you want to build. Just like Google Earth, it’s a useful but advanced feature.
Perfect training ground for new designers
When it comes to 3D modeling software, it doesn’t get easier than SketchUp. The program’s popularity lies in how quickly you can build something, even if you’re using it for the first time. In fact, you can build something recognizable in under four hours. That’s not to say you’ll be a sketch whiz in that time – it just means that SketchUp’s learning curve is shallow. It’s not even necessary to read it’s manual or be familiar with special geometric concepts. You will only work with line and shapes, which gives you the freedom to arrange things how you want it. Well, how you want things to be arranged in 3D that is.
SketchUp focuses on making things appear hand-drawn by using non-photorealistic rendering. This means you won’t be bothered by providing measurements, plans, and sections, but you also won’t be able to create extremely detailed models like buildings and mansions. These limitations are expected given that making model views look like photos are a specialized undertaking.
Simple and functional design
With the addition of small-scale modeling, SketchUp is just like any program you already use. It only has four main areas that you need to be familiar with.
Modeling Window this is the big area in the middle of your screen, and where you will spend most of your time in SketchUp. It’s sort of like a window to the three-dimensional world since it’s always in 3D view of your model, even if you’re looking at it from the top or sides.
ToolbarSketchUp really makes it a point to do the heavy lifting for you; instead of bombarding you with tons of tools to choose from, you’re greeted with the Getting Started toolbar. It has all the essential tools and commands to get started. Once you’re confident enough to use the rest of them, just click the arrow to the right of the toolbar.
Dialog Boxes SketchUp doesn’t have a technical name for its dialogue box, but it’s like palettes or inspectors you find in other modeling programs.
Context menu whenever you right-click things in your modeling window, the context menu will appear with commands and options to open. It only shows a limited set of tools, but all of them are relevant to what you’re doing or the area that you selected.
Where can you run this program?
A powerful but compact tool, Sketchup can run on both Windows and mac OS X devices with these minimum requirements:
- Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7
- NET Framework version 4.5.2
- 64-bit version of Windows
- 1 GHz processor
- 4GB RAM500MB of free hard-disk space
- 3D class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration
- 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.
Mac OS 10.14+ (Mojave), Mac OS 10.13+ (High Sierra), and 10.12+ (Sierra)
- Quicktime 5.0 and web browser
- 2.1+ GHz Intel™ processor 4GB RAM
- 500MB of available hard-disk space.
- 3D class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.
Is there a better alternative?
SketchUp can only offer the basics of 3D modeling. If you’re looking to deepen your knowledge of CAD software, look no further than Blender. It offers an advanced mesh-based direct modeling software to create, well, anything you want really. Its main use is for video game development and animation, but you can practically create any 3D printable model you want. But with all that power, you’re going to need to know exactly what you want to design before you start your project.
Our take
This is not a tool that calls itself ‘free’ but doesn’t offer anything useful. Sketchup is the perfect CAD software to start learning 3D modeling – or even discover if you like designing in the first place. For sure, it will amaze you how easy it is to come up with a well-thought-out three-dimensional model of your own.
Should you download it?
Yes. It's a great piece of software to start learning or even just dabble in 3D modeling.
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Whether you use SketchUp for Web on a computer or Chromebook, your device needs mouse and keyboard input.
You can use SketchUp for Web on most internet-connected computers via a recommended browser (Chrome 59+ or Firefox 52+).
To use SketchUp for Web on a Chromebook, your Chromebook needs to meet the minimum specifications. However, the minimum requirements don't offer the best experience using SketchUp for Web on a Chromebook. Ideally, your Chromebook meets the following recommended specifications.
| Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
|---|---|
| 2.1+ GHz Intel processor | 2.8+ GHz Intel processor |
| 4GB RAM | 8GB+ RAM |
| 700MB of available hard-disk space | At least 1GB of available hard-disk space |
| Intel HD integrated graphics card with at least 512MB video memory | Discrete Graphics card such as AMD Radeon R9 M37X 2048 MB |
We recommend choosing the largest available offering of RAM for any listed Chromebook. 4GB is strongly preferable to 2GB.
SketchUp for Web supports Retina (high DPI) displays.
Like many computer programs, SketchUp requires certain hardware and software specifications in order to install and run. These are basic requirements, though, so you may want to use our recommended suggestions to improve performance.
Windows 10, Windows 8+ and Windows 7+- Software
- An internet connection is required to install and authorize SketchUp and to use some of the features.
- Microsoft® Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher.
- SketchUp Pro requires .NET Framework version 4.5.2. For more information about the .NET framework, click here.
SketchUp requires a 64-bit version of Windows. Also, to install SketchUp, Windows 8.1 must be current with Windows Update.Boot Camp, VMWare, and Parallels are not supported environments. - Recommended hardware
- 2+ GHz processor
- 8+ GB RAM
- 700MB of available hard-disk space
- 3D class video card with 1 GB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL 3.1 or higher and is up to date. SketchUp's performance relies heavily on the graphics card driver and its ability to support OpenGL 3.1 or higher. To test your graphics card's compatibility, please download and run the SketchUp Checkup application. Historically, people have seen problems with Intel-based cards with SketchUp. We don't recommend using these graphics cards with SketchUp at this time.
- 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.
- Minimum hardware
- 1 GHz processor
- 4GB RAM
- 500MB of free hard-disk space
- 3D class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL 3.1 or higher and is up to date.
- Software
- An internet connection is required to authorize SketchUp and to use some of the features.
- QuickTime 5.0 and web browser for multimedia tutorials.
- Safari
Boot Camp, VMWare, and Parallels are not supported environments. - Recommended hardware
- 2.1+ GHz processor
- 8GB RAM
- 700MB of available hard-disk space Alert: Please be aware, SketchUp is unable to support case sensitive hard drives with our installation. If you use a case sensitive hard drive you'll experience crashes at launch which cannot be resolved.
- 3D class video card with 1 GB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.1 or higher and is up to date.
- 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse
- Minimum hardware
- 2.1+ GHz Intel™ processor
- 4GB RAM
- 500MB of available hard-disk space.
- 3D class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and support for hardware acceleration. Please ensure that the video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.1 or higher and up to date.
- 3-button, scroll-wheel mouse.
SketchUp 2020
With the release of SketchUp 2020 we've removed support for Mac OS X 10.12 (Sierra). When signing into web features such as the Warehouses you'll be taken to an external browser to complete the signin process.
SketchUp 2019
With the release of SketchUp 2019 we've removed support for Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan). You need to sign in with a Trimble ID to access the SketchUp Pro 2019 subscription or to participate in a Free Trial. SketchUp Desktop 2019 Classic licenses do not require a sign-in.
SketchUp 2018
With the release of SketchUp 2018 we've removed support for Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). There is no longer a SketchUp Make for download, our free version of SketchUp is called SketchUp Free and available in all modern web browsers.
SketchUp 2017
With the release of SketchUp 2017, we've removed support for 32-bit operating systems, OpenGL 2.0, and software rendering of models (as opposed to hardware acceleration). We also removed support for OS X 10.9 (Mavericks.)
SketchUp 2016
With the release of SketchUp 2016 we’ve removed support for OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and earlier.
SketchUp 2015
With the release of SketchUp 2015 we’ve removed support for Windows Vista, Windows XP and OS X 10.7 (Lion) and earlier. SketchUp 2015 and earlier isn't supported on Mac OS X Sierra, but is supported on Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Yosemite. Additionally you must have Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 or greater.
SketchUp 2014
No System requirement changes were made.
SketchUp 2013
With the release of SketchUp 2013 we reduced the level of support we can offer for Windows XP and removed support for OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and earlier.
SketchUp 8
With the release of SketchUp 8 we removed support for OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and earlier.
SketchUp 7
With the release of SketchUp 7 we removed support for Windows 2000 and earlier.
High DPI Support
SketchUp is DPI aware and can adjust the sizes of Icons and drawing elements so they are sized correctly for High DPI screens. Icons are sized when SketchUp starts up. If you adjust your DPI or scaling (Microsoft Windows – but only up to 150%) you will need to restart SketchUp to see correctly sized Icons and drawing elements.
Download Sketchup Make
Mac OS X 10.12 (Mojave)
SketchUp 2018 has a known issue that leads to a one-time crash of SketchUp 2018 on MacOS Mojave in the first 10-15 minutes (or so).
Windows Vista and older
These versions of Windows are no longer supported.
Mac OS X 10.12 (Sierra) and older
These versions of OS X are no longer supported.
Sketchup Pro For Mac
Linux
A Linux version of SketchUp isn't available at this time. However, you may be interested to see how others have had success running SketchUp on Linux using Wine.
Virtualized Environments
At this time, SketchUp doesn't support operation in a virtualized environments such as VMWare or Citrix.
Per the SketchUp Pro License in section 1.1: You may not use or host the Software in a virtual server environment.
Sketchup Layout For Mac Catalina
Boot Camp/Parallels/VMWare
Neither Boot Camp, VMWare nor Parallels are supported environments.
Remote Desktop Connections
Due to hardware restrictions in shared environments we can't reliably predict how SketchUp will perform. At this time SketchUp is not supported via a Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) on any platform.