3D Warehouse is really slow and freeze very often. When I search models in google chrome, not in SkechUp, there is no problem though. and also, 3D warehouse need a better organizing system. I think most of the pro version users are looking for real exciting products, not crappy models just someone made. It is good that everybody can upload and share their works, However, when I searched a coffee table, the search result was filled with a bunch of “box” which made by a guy. It really degrade the quality of the archives, It is better to separate real products model from the others. SketchUp needs to be related with the real business world, like Revit is. As a professional interior designer, I really wish that.
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We’re working on some solutions for this. At Google, we tried a couple of things to help with this, and we never did find a great solution. Here’s a couple of suggestions:
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Look at the “Featured Catalogs” strip to see if there are building product manufacturers that submit their products. If they aren’t there, email and ask them, so you get the real deal.
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Search collections instead of models, for people that would be interested in the general topic rather than just the name of the item. Search for coffee table | 3D Warehouse
A couple of examples from that search:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/collection.html?id=a7afa9016c2ebdb0285c6dcf7035be71
Follow the person who has tastes that match yours, or create your own collections to filter these.
I’m sure other users have suggestions?
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hmm… and some that are Featured don’t have their inventory of Coffee Tables: http://www.dwr.com/category/manufacturer/herman-miller/coffee-tables.do I guess technically, these were “designed by X for Herman Miller@”
@tak2101
" SketchUp needs to be related with the real business world, like Revit is. As a professional interior designer, I really wish that."
No disrespect intended, but, maybe you should stay over at Revit.
I am not a professional, but I don’t upload “crappy models.” If anything, I wish there was some kind of filter or review system before models are allowed to go public. There’s a lotta stuff out there that seems to be nothing but a kind of “spam.” Boxes. Odd shapes. Bullcrap message wars. I don’t think it would be fair to penalize artists like me who just wants to showcase all my hard work because of all the “crappy models” that are allowed to be uploaded to the warehouse.
Just my opinion… and again, no disrespect. But not all non-professionals create and upload “crappy models.”
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Better filtering is very much needed (file size, physical size, whether the author claims the model is is meant to be used as a components etc). The warehouse could also log what models are downloaded and placed from within SU rather than an external browser and give these higher rankings when viewed from within SU. The warehouse could also differ downloads by Pro and Make users and let models more often downloaded by Pro users get higher ranking.
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Exactly…
Pro user # of downloads = high rankings
Models created in pro = higher rankings
Models within collections = higher rankings (and collections favorited by Pro users = higher still)
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Thanks for all the feedback. We have ideas, but I can’t talk about futures. All good ideas that we’re considering.
Great to hear Barry
I don’t suppose the warehouse is curated at all?
Perhaps thesearch engine could find items similar to those we have already downloaded (or does it do that already?)
I suggest using “chair” as a testing search term…it’s such a common thing to search for yet many of the results that come up are completely stupid.
Essentially, If I type in “chair” i expect to see (in order);
- some simple archetypal chairs (dining room chair, armchair, office chair), fairly low poly; similar style to the models in the sketchup component sampler but a larger range.
- some more detailed and accurate models of similar chairs, higher poly, textured, etc.
- strange/unique design chairs and other related types (designer beanbags, lounge chairs, etc)
- some models that containing multiple chairs(eg 40 office chairs) or settings (eg dining room), ( though ideally these would be in collections).
- anything that was made just for fun and is of virtually no use to anybody else.
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SU is supposedly very popular among young adults on the autism spectrum.
My wild-ass, uneducated guess is that many of the “crappy” models are from younger SU users with autism, who might be prone to oversharing. There’s probably some phenomenal models from young adults with autism, too, but unfortunately the boxes, anime characters, oddly-proportioned cars and buildings, and message wars stand out.
I’m also involved with that program, if anyone’s interested (in another thread at another time).
We’ll continue to improve this, but have you played around at all on advanced search? If I search for chair, low poly (< 100,000 polygons), in a catalog, sorted by popularity, I get a reasonable set of stand-in generic chairs.
Look at the bottom of those results, and see the collections that contain this model, and someone’s probably already created a collection of similar models.
Lastly, we really try not to get in the way of a user community. Each person on this list would curate a unique collection of models. If you’re reasonably saavy, you’ll find others in the community with similar tastes and interests that will speed you along your way.
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Hi Barry, how do I find the advanced search feature?
either https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/advancedsearch.html or type something in the search bar, wait for the auto-suggest to populate, and it’ll be at the bottom:
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For how long has this advanced search existed? I’ve never seen it before 
.
Btw, the radio buttons are buggy. They have the look of checkboxes but unlike checkboxes cannot be unticked. Since they are really radio buttons it would be less confusing if they also looked like radio buttons.
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Well, you’ll be happy to discover that Google also has an advanced search that people don’t find very often either: https://www.google.com/advanced_search
I’m bumping this thread because I’m concerned that the 3d Warehouse is STILL crappy.
And its 2020, so the poor quality of some the models is even more noticeable now 3 years later!
There are so many amazing models on there, and it’s this potentially epic resource…but finding good models is really time consuming in a professional workflow. I get that it’s free (but really we pay for it since it’s advertised as a sketchup feature).
To demonstrate, I did a basic seach for Park Bench models.
I would expect to see a range of realistic, correctly-scaled and well-modelled park benches…like the type you would find in a typical park.
What do we get instead?
- Dozens of very amateur models (created by kids, I assume).
- Lots of unrelated models (models of entire parks, or fountains, or slides)
- A few really good models buried way, way down the list
Maybe if we could filter models created by Shop or Pro users, that would be an easy way improve the general quality? Or filter OUT models created by SketchUp for Schools?
Or popularity could be categorised into “popular with professionals” “popular with Schools”? Upvoting could be another idea (shop or pro users can upvote).
…Or if SketchUp staff (or volunteers?) could curate (some of the main topics; furniture, landscape items, architectural components, plant & equipment, etc?
And frankly, while I’m ranting, the default SketchUp components libraries could use an overhaul…most have been around for about 10 years and look very dated! I think a Pro user should have access to Pro-quality components. I dont use them, but I can’t seem to get rid of them from the component browser either!! :S
Surely there’s a worthwhile project here to address both?
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Don’t look for ‘models’, look for ‘products’
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Speaking only as a SketchUp newbie hobbyist…
I’ve been struggling for about 3 years in various softwares trying to find models that I can import and work with. It’s been a very frustrating experience to say the least.
I’m now working on my first SketchUp house and it’s been amazing to have instant free access to a zillion models that all work in SketchUp. I’ve been easily dropping furniture, cars, swimming pools, plants, all kinds of stuff in to my SketchUp house without any concern about file conversions, missing textures, and other such problems which seem chronic elsewhere.
I’m admittedly not too fussy about models at this point, but it hasn’t seemed hard to find models that I’m perfectly happy to have in my SketchUp house.
I’ve had a few issues when trying to move SketchUp models in to Hitfilm (video editor) but after whining a bit, I now realize such problems are the exception not the rule.
Just wanted to give a thumbs up for the Warehouse and say that, for hobbyists at least, it seems a pretty awesome resource.
The models in the 3D Warehouse are created mostly by users. If those models are not up to your standard, you could either contact the authors and make suggestions or you could model them yourself.
Who is charging you monthly for access to the 3D Warehouse?
The 3D Warehouse is not considered part of the subscription or the classic license. That is provided for free to all users. And all users, regardless of their skill and experience with SketchUp, can upload their models to it. If you don’t like their models you don’t have to use them. Or instead of complaining about them, you might offer to share your extensive knowledge and teach them how to make good models.
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There are model services that you have to pay for. I have not seen anyone praising them for their superior quality control. Some even sell things that they have downloaded from the Warehouse.
One person’s garbage is another’s treasure. I have no use for the available million-polygon trees but I can well see one used by a skilled persion with unlimited time and patience to jazz up his/her ultrarealistic render. Quality is at least partly a subjective thing.
I have not looked at it for years, but FormFonts used to be the best provider of quality low polygon entourage elements for use with SketchUp.
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