Trimble Announces New SketchUp 2017—New Graphics Pipeline 2.0

Trimble today announced the latest update to SketchUp—version 2017. The new update features dozens of new features and some of best graphics-related new features that will be sure to please its dedicated user base.

What’s New

The company rhetorically asks:”What matters more than how fast, smoothly, and reliably SketchUp renders your models?” The answer is obvious—basically nothing matters more.

SketchUp 2017 introduces Graphics Pipeline 2.0, a major improvement to the company’s OpenGL-based rendering pipeline. And the improvement isn’t limited to just SketchUp proper; 3D Warehouse, LayOut, my.SketchUp, and Trimble Connect all render models using the same under-the-hood algorithms—all tuned for what the company is calling “buttery 3D orbiting.”

01 – SketchUp 2017 (on the right) features all new graphics pipeline improving visual qualities such as transparency.

Yes, this new graphics pipeline technology is a baseline for future updates to come as well. So users should expect additional improvements planned in this particular area.

Still sticking to the realm of graphics, SketchUp 2017 features new features for transparency controls, including better displaying of multiple transparencies and the ability to fine-tune control of opacity levels in X-ray mode.

Other key features are listed below:

• High DPI Modeling — SketchUp 2017 has higher resolution snapping.
• Smart Offset — A new Offset tool avoids overlapping and self-intersecting geometry for cleaner offsets, even in LayOut.
• Perpendicular Face Inferencing — new “perpendicular” inference tool helps snapping during modeling.
• Rectangular Tool Improvements — A new arrow-key axis locking capability.
• New Tables in LayOut — Tables are a new feature that enables the management of spreadsheet data. You can create from scratch or import .CSV or Excel files.
• High Fidelity DWG — A completely written LayOut DWG/DXF exporter. It is now possible to export a ten-page LayOut file into just one DWG with ten separate tabs for each page.
• Native Entities in DWG Export — better exporting of LayOut elements to AutoCAD.
• Smart Scaling — LayOut exports are now smart enough to self-scale for paper size or model space. Drawing entities like labels and polygons scale to paper size. Model linework scales to model space.
• Color by Layer — A new Color by Layer option has been added to exports.

Finally, user preferences allow more customization to the app so you can tweak the color of the axes, ground or sky. Associative dimensions are made more powerful, and there is a new Extension Manager to help users visually control and manage all their extensions to SketchUp.

02 – SketchUp 2017’s Extension Manager is a new feature that helps users keep tabs on what they have installed.

SketchUp 2017 is available now. Users who are current with their licenses can update to this version for free. To learn more visit SketchUp online.