Trimble has released the new SketchUp 2025, which adds numerous new features. Chief among them are new efforts to bolster the popular 3D modeler’s visualization capabilities.
SketchUp 2025
The new version now boasts photorealistic materials and environments with true-to-life finishes and skydomes that deliver more realistic visuals of models and scenes. These new capabilities pair with the new Ambient Occlusion features from last year’s 2024 release and make the AO features more meaningful.
While SketchUp has a wealth of photo-realistic renderers which work with it, these new visualization advancements bolster the impact of visuals while architects and designers are actively designing in their modeling workflows. The new Photorealistic Materials include layers of textures (maps) that can produce effects like roughness, metalness, shine, and other such visual effects. There are defaults in the program and hundreds more in the 3D Warehouse.
SketchUp 2025 adds Photoreal (PBR) Materials and Environments as it steps up its visualization features along with IFC and Revit interoperability gains.
In addition to photorealistic materials, the new skydome enables 360-degree (HDR or EXR) image files that are both a background image and a light source. So sunset skies cast warm red hues into your environments and onto their objects.
IFC and AEC
Also in version 2025 are new IFC features that enable AEC users to move in and out of SketchUp with their models (BIM models) with greater ease. Upon import of IFC, SketchUp will reuse geometries between components, reducing file sizes by up to 85 percent. SketchUp 2025 also now creates tags for each IFC class present in an imported file. And it now recognizes and supports over 180 IFC classes.
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When importing an IFC file SketchUp 2025 will preserve the original version, whether in IFC 2×3 or IFC 4. Exports are also improved, including IFC 4 Hierarchy preservation and IFC PropertySets.
The Revit Importer now adds a dialog displaying all available 3D views in your (.rvt) file. Users can now import a specific view. The Revit Importer now creates components in the Outliner based on the hierarchy structure of levels in your (.rvt) file.
Other Features
There are several improvements to modeling features, including improvements to the Rotate tool, Snaps and others. There is also a purge unused prompt option when saving your file to help keep files smaller. There is a new Extension Migrator that helps users migrate their Trimble and third-party extensions when updating.
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Other new features include Trimble Connect improvements and a new generative AI feature inside of the material editing tools. This allows users to take older materials and use generative AI to create a PRB texture that matches it.
For info and updates to Layout and other features see this page here.
