SketchUp 2027 is here

SketchUp 2027 is here

SketchUp 2027 is here, and it is one of the more meaningful releases we have seen in a while. Trimble has built this version around a simple idea: you should be able to change your mind without rebuilding your model. If you work in a South African architecture, interior design, construction or landscape practice, that idea alone is worth paying attention to.

In this post we unpack what’s new in SketchUp 2027, which SketchUp plan includes each feature, what you need to check on your hardware before you update, and how to get started with local support from iRender, South Africa’s authorised SketchUp Gold Reseller.

Trimble groups the SketchUp 2027 release into four themes:

SketchUp 2027 at a glance

• Core modelling: native, non-destructive Procedural Tools, AutoFit Live Components that fit themselves to faces in your model, and section cuts that show accurate material hatch patterns.
• Documentation: faster LayOut exports and views, a new Paperless Canvas in LayOut, and image editing directly inside LayOut viewports.
• A modernised interface: a redesigned Mac UI, a more organised workspace, multi-model management and faster file loading.
• Interoperability: the new SketchUp Importer for Revit, greater control over imports and exports, and a DWG-style hidden-line output.

Non-destructive modelling with Procedural Tools

The headline feature of SketchUp 2027 is native, non-destructive modelling. Traditionally, many SketchUp operations were destructive: once you ran Follow Me or a Solid Tools subtraction, the original geometry was gone, and a design change meant rebuilding. SketchUp 2027 changes that.

Geometry created with the new Procedural Tools becomes a Procedural Component. The source geometry is kept intact, so you can go back, edit the original profile, path or values in Entity Info, and SketchUp updates the result automatically. Procedural Components otherwise behave like any other SketchUp component: you can edit, nest and reuse them.

The procedures available in this release are:

• Copy Along: duplicate groups or components along a path with adjustable spacing; ideal for balustrades, fencing, street furniture and shelving.
• Follow Me: extrude a face along a path while keeping its materials and attributes, so cornices, skirtings and kerbs stay editable.
• Solid Tools: add or subtract solids from a target solid while preserving its attributes, for carving openings or shaping building forms.

You will find them under the Procedures menu, or by switching on the Procedural Tools toolbar via View > Toolbars. For architects this means reshaping multi-layer walls, arraying site furniture and carving building forms without starting over; for interior designers it means trim, moulding and cladding that can be revised as the client changes direction.

AutoFit Live Components

SketchUp 2027 introduces AutoFit, a new way of placing Live Components. Drag a supported component from the Components panel onto a flat face and it adapts its size and shape to fit that face. A highlight shows you when a face can accept the component; you then set the origin and orientation and click to confirm.

If the face changes later, simply right-click the component and choose Refit Live Component. It is a small workflow change that saves a surprising amount of time on windows, panels, fixtures and repetitive detailing.

Section cuts with accurate material hatching

Section cuts in SketchUp 2027 display accurate material hatch patterns, and wall assemblies can be adjusted while keeping every layer editable. For construction teams and technologists producing SANS-aligned technical drawings, that means clearer sections straight out of the model, with less manual hatching afterwards.

Faster, more flexible LayOut documentation

LayOut receives several practical upgrades in this release:

• Faster LayOut exports and views: documentation sets and file exports are quicker to produce, which matters when a deadline and a large drawing set collide.
• Paperless Canvas: draft in 2D without being restricted by page limits, then bring your work onto sheets when you are ready.
• LayOut viewport image editing: fine-tune presentation images directly inside LayOut, without a round trip to a separate image editor.

A modernised interface on Mac and Windows

Mac users get a fully modernised Mac UI, and Trimble has aligned the experience so that the interface is consistent across Mac and Windows. That is good news for mixed-platform studios and for anyone who switches between a desktop in the office and a laptop on site.

• Organised workspace: a cleaner, more modern layout of panels and tools.
• Multi-model management: work across several open files at once, compare details side by side and move between models more easily.
• Faster file loading: large models open more quickly.

Better interoperability: the SketchUp Importer for Revit

For practices that collaborate with BIM teams, the new SketchUp Importer for Revit is a significant addition. It is a Revit extension that brings SketchUp models into Revit and converts the 3D geometry into native Revit families, while preserving materials, PBR properties and tags. Elements are managed from a SketchUp panel, and files can be accessed from local storage or Trimble Connect.

Trimble says the importer can save up to a week of manual remodelling and helps teams keep a single source of truth. Note that the Revit importer is included with SketchUp Studio only.

SketchUp 2027 also gives you greater control over imports and exports, and adds a DWG-style hidden-line output for cleaner CAD deliverables to consultants and contractors.

What SketchUp 2027 means for your discipline

• Architects: reshape multi-layer walls, array site furniture and carve building forms without rebuilding, then document faster in LayOut.
• Interior designers: design trim, moulding and cladding non-destructively and polish presentation images inside LayOut.
• Construction and engineering firms: adjust wall assemblies with every layer still editable, produce technical drawings faster and draft in 2D without page limits.
• Retail and shopfitting: speed up store rollouts with editable fixture arrays and quicker revisions after stakeholder feedback.
• Landscape architects: array and modify site furniture and landscape elements freely, and share across standard file formats.

Which SketchUp plan includes what?

Most of the new SketchUp 2027 desktop features are included in SketchUp Pro and SketchUp Studio. SketchUp Go does not include them, and the Revit importer is exclusive to Studio. Based on Trimble’s plan comparison:

Remember that SketchUp Studio also bundles V-Ray for photorealistic rendering, Scan Essentials for point cloud work and the Revit importer, which makes it the natural choice for practices that render in-house or exchange models with BIM teams. Not sure which plan suits your practice? Speak to us and we will help you choose.

Before you update: check your system requirements

This is the part not to skip. SketchUp 2027 raises the minimum platform requirements:

• macOS: SketchUp 2027 requires an Apple Silicon Mac. If you are on an Intel Mac, continue using SketchUp 2026.
• Windows: SketchUp 2027 requires Windows 11. If you are on Windows 10 or earlier, continue using SketchUp 2026.
• Migration: SketchUp includes built-in tools to bring your extensions, templates and custom materials across from earlier versions.

Many South African practices still have Windows 10 workstations in service, so we recommend checking every machine in the office before you roll out the update. Your subscription remains valid either way; machines that cannot run 2027 can stay on SketchUp 2026 until you are ready to upgrade hardware.

How to get SketchUp 2027

• Existing subscribers: download the latest SketchUp for Desktop and install it alongside your current version. Your subscription gives you access to the newest release at no extra cost.
• New to SketchUp, or still on a perpetual licence: choose a SketchUp Pro or Studio subscription through iRender and you will be working in SketchUp 2027 straight away.
• Want to try it first: start a free trial and test the new Procedural Tools and LayOut features on one of your own projects.

Get SketchUp 2027 with local support in South Africa

iRender has been South Africa’s authorised SketchUp reseller since 2001. When you buy your subscription through us, you get:

• ZAR billing: no exchange rate surprises or credit card forex fees.
• Local support: real human help in your time zone, including help checking your hardware and migrating to 2027.
• Personalised training: tailored sessions on Procedural Tools, LayOut, V-Ray, Trimble Connect and the wider SketchUp ecosystem.
• Honest advice: we will help you choose the right plan for your practice, whether that is SketchUp Pro, Pro Scan, Studio or Advanced Workflows.

If you would like a walkthrough of what SketchUp 2027 can do for your team, get in touch; we are here to help.

Ready to explore SketchUp 2027?

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athol@irender.co.za  |  +27 (0)82 468 0937

Post tags: SketchUp 2027, What’s new in SketchUp 2027, SketchUp 2027 new features, SketchUp Pro, SketchUp Studio, LayOut, Procedural Tools, AutoFit Live Components, SketchUp Importer for Revit, V-Ray, SketchUp South Africa, SketchUp subscription SA, 3D design software South Africa, architecture, BIM, iRender