Newbie here… I saw a plug-in ‘SketchThis’ for SketchUp that concentrated on design layouts for kitchen cabinets. I have a 7th generation iPad with 15.7.1 system update. Will it support a plug-in type like the one I described? Thx in advance… for any help
SketchUp for iPad does not support the use of extensions. You would need to be using SketchUp Pro on a Mac or PC to use extensions.
What sketchup license do you have? Your profile says Go or Pro? If you have a pro license you’ll be able to use sketchup on a PC, windows or Mac, in case you have one.
Thx to both of y’all. I thought there was something I was missing…
But, alas… I just need to buy a desktop! Nothin’s easy…
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Or just learn to model the cabinets yourself. Kitchen cabinets really aren’t all that difficult to model with native tools.
I’ll second that. just like Trusses, stairs, and many things, the hard part is not modelling them but knowing how to actually make them.
once you know what to design, it’s mostly a set of thin slabs, either vertical or horizontal
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It has taken me about 10 hours - between watching YouTube and the SketchUp tutorials - to model a small kitchen for our next job. It came out at about a ‘C’ in my opinion… not ready for prime time - and surely not good enough to show a client. She can get the idea but it’s not something I would print out and give to her. I guess what ur telling me is that it’s pretty basic once u get the hang of it.
Yes. It’s just like anything else. If you learn how to use the tools you’ve got, it’s not difficult to do anything. I’ve designed a number of kitchens for clients without ever using a cabinet extension.
I guess it’s just learning to use the SketchUp tools…. We do high end cabinetry and all I have been able to show the client has been 2 D sketches…not really up to par with our work. We also do some pretty badass curved stairs if I say so myself 
. I know how to build the stuff but I’m just behind the learning curve on the program. So I guess what ur telling me is that I’ve got half the battle won.
Yup. Just like anything else… u gotta put the time in. Thx
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Yes. I bet you could build your kitchen cabinets or your badass curved stairs the first week you stepped into the shop. 
You might find it worth getting yourself a decent notebook or desktop computer so you can use SketchUp Pro. That would give you access to LayOut and a lot of options you don’t get with SketchUp for iPad.
Also, I’m trying to do this on an iPad with a pencil. Most of the YouTube content is done on a desktop…. Not much for the iPad. The SketchUp tutorials are for the iPad but not really cabinet specific
. Yup. . Thx for putting it in perspective. I’m not very patient . Like the rest of society, I want it right now:joy:
No. There’s not as many tutorials out there for SketchUp for iPad. It hasn’t been around that long. I recently got a Logitech mouse to use with SketchUp for iPad and it works very well. I find ergonomically it’s much easier but then I’ve been using SketchUp since the beginning of 2003 with a mouse so …
I know. Instant gratification. Anything worth having takes time to get.
Ok… so… could I get by with a laptop & mouse? Or for about the same money go for the desktop?
U have more time in than I do… but ur saying the Logitech and iPad is close to the desktop in user friendliness?
You sould use a laptop and a mouse or get a desktop. The benefit of the laptop is it’s portable.
Not sure I do. There’s the same 24 hours in the day for both of us. 
Well, having used SketchUp for more than 20 years using a three-button mouse muscle memory is a driving factor for me. I’m also left handed except for using a mouse (and scissors because I didn’t have access to lefty scissors in kindergarten scissors class). I find it difficult to work in SketchUp with my left hand and with my hand covering a large part of the screen. So for me, the mouse does make it more user friendly on the iPad.
Having said that, personally I would still do most of my modeling on my PC using SketchUp Pro. For me the iPad is great for on-site work and for sharing with others.
If you are looking for design layout, thats a whole different deal from construction details.
The cabinet box(es) can simply be a solid cube. The door can be a thin cube. Countertop another thin cube. The cabinet shop most often will redraw everything anyway.
Whether you are working with an architect or customer simplicity is all you need to produce.
I use a PC for sketchup. But if you are using an Ipad keep at it.
It depends on your needs and preferences, if you prefer windows, a desktop will give your more performance per buck than with a laptop but you need to get peripherals like a monitor and a keyboard, some people use a trackpad for modeling but I strongly recommend to get a 3 button mouse to do it. If you prefer Mac the performance between desktops and laptops is almost the same, for example an M2 pro Mac mini performs like an M2 MacBook Pro, the Mac mini is cheaper but you’ll have to get peripherals to be able to use it. If you are planning to do rendering, you should get a windows machine with an Nvidia RTX gpu.
What you need to consider is, What is the purpose of the model?
- Is it an overall fancy ‘skin’ that shows the client what they will get visually?
- Is it a structural layout for you to correctly sort out the sizes needed for the carcasses and benchtops etc?
- Is it a full blown ‘CAD’ model including the details of the underlying carpentry and hardware used?
Each of these can be done, but you need to work to a version that you need not a version that is overblown and bloated.
If it’s for the client, stand in one of your kitchens and look at what can be seen and only model that.
Modeling for a structural layout can be done with a collection of blocks.
The third option is one I doubt you would ever need. We often see bloated unworkable models that have been filled with warehouse appliances that have every detail right down to screw threads when you only need a face and top.
So the Ipad can be well used for doing a client view/design visual, that would normally be developed further in Pro on a desk/laptop depending on your needs.
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