Working with SketchUp Files

SketchUp offers several ways to help you access SketchUp models across multiple devices and apps, including options to save models locally on your iPad, store them in the cloud using Trimble Connect, or a number of other cloud storage services. SketchUp makes it easy for you to open, share, and manage your files.

Creating and opening files in the SketchUp App

Create New

New models created using the Create New button on the Home screen will be saved in the SketchUp app folder on your iPad. You can find the SketchUp app folder by launching the Files app and then choosing On My iPad in the Locations sidebar. From there, you can manage your SketchUp files just like you would with any other type of file on your iPad.

On the Home Screen, the Recent Models section designates files that are saved locally on your iPad with a Files app icon on the model card, next to the last modified time and date.

 


 

When a model is stored locally on your iPad in the SketchUp app folder you can open the overflow menu using the icon and see the following additional file management options:

  • Duplicate -Create a copy of the file with the same name with the word 'copy' added at the end saved locally on your iPad in the SketchUp app folder.
  • Rename -Rename the file that is stored on your iPad.

  • Publish to Connect -Opens the Publish to Connect panel. You'll have the option to choose a project to save your model to, or create a new project if needed.
     

    Note: Trimble Connect offers many additional file management options including the option to delete folders and projects, or move files from one folder to another.
  • Share -Opens the iOS Share widget where you can save, share or send the USDz file to whatever location, app or person you choose.
  • Share - Generate a link to your model you can share with others. For more information see Link Sharing.
  • Export... - Export the file to a .png, .mp4, .usdz, .stl, or .obj format. After choosing an export option it may take a moment for SketchUp to convert the file. After the conversion is finished, SketchUp opens the iOS share widget where you can save, share or send the file to whatever location, app or person you choose.
  • Delete -Deletes the model from the SketchUp app folder on your iPad and removes the model from the Recent Models list. This action cannot be undone.
Warning: Uninstalling the SketchUp for iPad app will also delete the SketchUp app folder on your iPad. This includes any locally saved models you have in that folder. These files do not appear in your Recently Deleted folder and this deletion cannot be undone. If you need to delete or uninstall the SketchUp for iPad from your device, we recommend first publishing your files to Trimble Connect, saving them to a third party cloud storage service, or copying them to another location on your device.


 

Trimble Connect

Trimble Connect is a cloud-based project management solution. With Trimble Connect you can seamlessly work across multiple devices and even across different flavors of SketchUp -including SketchUp for iPad, SketchUp for Web, and SketchUp for Desktop apps.

You can access all of your Trimble Connect projects, both ones you've created and ones shared with you, from the Trimble Connect tab on the Home screen.

After opening and closing a file from Connect, SketchUp will display the model in the Recent Models list on the Home screen. Files that are saved in Connect will display a Trimble Connect icon in the model card, next to the last modified time and date.

 


 

Trimble Connect files are not saved locally on your iPad. Each time you open a file stored in Connect, SketchUp checks if you are opening the latest version of the model. When saving changes to the files stored in Connect, those changes are saved as a new version of the file that is stored in Connect.

The Menu () button for models stored in Connect includes the following additional options:

 


 

  1. Make available offline -Make a Connect file available for offline use. SketchUp downloads a copy of the file you can open and continue to work on it even if you go offline.
    • If you are online SketchUp will still check each time you open the model to make sure that you are working on the latest version.
    • While offline, you can save changes to your models and SketchUp will keep those changes saved on your iPad, so that when you go back online, you will have the option to publish those changes back to Connect, as a new version of the model.
  2. Download a copy -Create a duplicate of the file stored locally on your iPad in the SketchUp app folder. This copy no longer has any association to the original file stored in Connect.
  3. Rename -Rename the file.
  4. Remove from recent list -Removes this model's card from the Recent Models list on the SketchUp app Home screen.The model will remain available in Trimble Connect.
  5. Export USDz -Export the file to USDz format. After choosing this option it may take a moment for SketchUp to convert the file. After the conversion is finished, SketchUp opens the iOS share widget where you can save, share or send the USDz file to whatever location, app or person you choose.
  6. Delete -Deletes the model from Trimble Connect and removes the model from the Recent Models list on the SketchUp app Home screen. This action cannot be undone.

For more information on how to use Trimble Connect to manage your SketchUp files, see Using Trimble Connect with SketchUp.

Open From

Tapping the Open From... button on the home screen open the Files app browser within the SketchUp app. The Files app offers the option to add a wide range of 3rd party cloud service providers (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc) to the Locations sidebar. You can then use the Files app to search or browse any added services. Once you find the SketchUp file you're looking for, simply tap it to automatically open it in the SketchUp app.

After opening and closing a file from a 3rd party service via the Files app you'll see a Bookmark icon in the model card, next to the last modified time and date.

 


 

Bookmarked files from a 3rd party cloud service are not saved locally on your iPad. When saving changes to bookmarked files, those changes automatically save to the original cloud service.

Using the iOS "Open In..." feature

You can open a SketchUp file directly from any other 3rd party app (for example, from your email app, the Dropbox app, or the Google Drive app) using the iOS Open In... feature, and by choosing to open the file in SketchUp. The exact sequence of steps will vary depending on the app you are using. After opening and closing a file from a 3rd party app, SketchUp will automatically save a copy of the file on your iPad, in the local SketchUp app folder, and the file will appear on the Home screen in the Recent Models list to make it easier for you to reopen it later.

3D Warehouse

To open files that are stored in 3D Warehouse:

  1. Open your preferred web browser app (e.g. Safari, Chrome or Firefox).
  2. Visit 3dwarehouse.sketchup.com.
  3. After locating the model that you're looking for, download it.
  4. Open the downloaded model in the SketchUp app.

After opening and closing a file that was downloaded to your iPad, SketchUp will display the file in the Recent models list on the Home screen and show a Bookmark icon in the model card,

AirDrop

SketchUp for iPad supports the ability to AirDrop a file from any iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS device. The Device receiving the shared file asks you to choose the app that you want to use to open the AirDropped file. Simply choose SketchUp and you're off to the races.

Tip: If you are currently on the SketchUp app Home screen, you can open a file that is AirDropped to you. If you already have a file open, the AirDropped file opens into that open model.
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