SketchUp’s big annual release is here. The core focus for SketchUp 2025 is Visualisation. This update introduces photorealistic materials, improvements to ambient occlusion, and premium models from 3D Warehouse. Additionally, there are some long-awaited changes to LayOut, better IFC Import predictability, and more.
Let’s take a deep dive into SketchUp 2025!
Photorealistic Materials in SketchUp 2025
SketchUp models have always felt “SketchUp-y.” They have a stylised look and feel that is great for speedy design and mockups. SketchUp 2025 introduces physically-based rendering (PBR) materials to its platform. There are smooth, rough, shiny, metallic, and other categories to match your needs. These materials interact with the newly introduced Environments through reflections. They also interact with Ambient Occlusion features introduced in SketchUp 2024. They can also be applied to 3D Warehouse models. These new materials help to create realistic real-time renders without the need for extra tools and plugins.
The new PBR materials are under the material tray, and the textures are applied through drag-and-drop. Select your library material, drag it to your model, and adjust the scale. The materials will be automatically UV-mapped to the object, but you can change them if needed. Press the “Display Photorealistic Materials” button on the toolbar from there. SketchUp will then generate the photorealism according to the environment chosen.
If the asset library or 3D Warehouse doesn’t have what you need, you can create your textures with the generative AI. This feature has been in Labs under the SketchUp Diffusion project and is now integrated into SketchUp. To do this, you find a similar material and press the AI button on the texture preview window in the materials tray. This AI button can also fix issues with patterns lining up too.
However, the SketchUp 2025 materials do not currently map to V-Ray 7 for SketchUp. If you are using SketchUp Studio, you will still need to map the materials before rendering.
Environments
SketchUp allows you to use 360-degree images, such as the Skybox, as environments. You can upload environments to SketchUp (8k max file size) or add them directly from 3D Warehouse. These environments can also be used to light your model, and the PBR materials mentioned above will react to the lighting accordingly. For example, a reflective material will reflect the environment, such as the sky reflected in a reflective metal balcony or glass.
You can change the position of the lighting through the environments option in the default tray. There are sliders for choosing the sun’s location and the intensity of your reflections. Shadows automatically change direction based on where the sun is, but you can also have manual control over the shadows to ensure they match your environment. You can also manually control the intensity and colours of your shadows to suit your environment.
3D Warehouse
3D Warehouse also gets a helpful upgrade. SketchUp has introduced a collection of subscriber-only content library. This will be a carefully curated list of high-quality content created by the SketchUp team. This will help to save time when searching through 3D Warehouse to suit your needs. This library will include the furniture models and textures usually found in 3D Warehouse but will also include photoreal materials and environments.
3D Warehouse also hosts configurable models. You can easily adjust your objects with custom sliders before placing them in your image. These configurable assets include furniture and building elements like doors, walls, and windows. If this feels familiar, it’s because configurable models have been in LABS (SketchUp’s beta program) for a little while, and it’s now being integrated into SketchUp.
Another big update is live models. Imported models can now be linked to a file so that any changes made to that file will update in the file. This is particularly useful when you have multiple of the same object, such as chairs in a classroom. Changing the chair from red to blue will change all instances in the model.
Interoperability
SketchUp has improved compatibility with other design tools by improving data import and export. These improvements improve predictability between import and export and reduce the need for fixing once a design has been imported.
Let’s start with the IFC improvements. SketchUp has said you can achieve up to 85% reduction in file size when importing IFC files. It’s also much faster to import them too. SketchUp has also added new tags for IFC classes and recognition for IFC classes, making organising your files easier. These classes also make reporting much more efficient. On the export side, SketchUp files are much more predictable when exported as an IFC file. Outliner hierarchy is now preserved, and dictionaries for components and name updates bring consistency and predictability during export.
You can now use the Revit Importer without access. This makes working with Revit clients without a Revit licence much easier. You can also select specific 3D views to import and retain essential metadata to support BIM workflows, too.
Scan Essentials has been updated with a UI closer to SketchUp. This added layer of familiarity will help you navigate Scan Essentials and achieve better design results. It will also simplify training new designers, reducing the training period.
LayOut Updates
LayOut is getting a long-awaited and much-requested update. This includes a big UI and tools update to align it with SketchUp. Visual styles, including the new photorealistic materials, are now viewable in LayOut and much closer to the model. Tools for Standalone Move, Rotate, and Scale have been added to make working in LayOut much easier. Additionally, the Zoom window allows faster, more precise page viewing and document navigation. The print and export via page inspector has also received an update. There’s new functionality, but most importantly, better predictability with printing and exporting. Overall, these updates are exciting because we’ve seen many people asking for them over the years.
Other Notable Updates in SketchUp 2025
- Scene Tag Management: Apply tags directly to scenes, reducing manual adjustments. Easily control tag visibility across multiple scenes without revisiting each one individually.
- Trimble Connect Enhancements: You can now import, reload, and save cloud-based components directly within shared projects.
- V-Ray 7 for SketchUp: See our blog post about new features in V-Ray 7 for SketchUp.
- Style Builder Removal: Desktop editions will no longer include the Style Builder application.
- Windows Installer Update: A redesigned installation process makes setup more straightforward.
- Enterprise Admin Controls: Organisations can now disable Diffusion for enterprise accounts.
- Extension Migration Tool: Transfer plug-ins from previous SketchUp versions with the new migrator.
Conclusion
So, that’s everything new for SketchUp 2025. What features are you most excited about? Share your designs with us on Facebook, X or LinkedIn!
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