I’m writing to express my growing frustration with the compatibility issues I’m experiencing with SketchUp 2026, particularly regarding the 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Pro and several essential plugins such as Enscape and other pre-2024 tools that are vital to my daily workflow.
Once again, as with the 2025 release, the new version does not properly support these critical components. This is not a minor inconvenience — the lack of support for the SpaceMouse Pro alone is like introducing a new car but changing how the wheels mount and removing the steering wheel. When key plugins like Enscape and others also break or become unusable, it severely impacts the usability of the software. I understand that these are all 3rd party companies that produce these plugins, and hardware and are not controlled by Trimble, however you are causing the problems with each new release.
With the 2025 release, these issues delayed my ability to adopt the new version for over six months. Because I rely on older plugins just to maintain my workflow — resulting in frequent crashes and instability, it is extremely frustrating. Now, with 2026, I find myself wasting countless hours trying to troubleshoot, only to discover (again, the hard way) that core tools simply aren’t supported.
I understand that each new version brings important improvements “under the hood” and introduces features users request. However, when basic functionality and long-standing integrations are disrupted, it causes real and measurable losses of time and productivity which impacts profitability.
I strongly urge your team to prioritize restoring compatibility with essential hardware and plugins — at a minimum ensuring that SketchUp 2026 functions as reliably as 2024. Please consider the user impact when making these wholesale changes, and be kind with your next release so that the transition doesn’t wreak havoc on what was already working well.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I hope to see fix updates or clear guidance that will allow me (and many other users in similar positions) to confidently use the latest version of SketchUp without sacrificing key functionality.
Then you install and test in a non production environment - and keep your working version installed - you don’t need to immediately update everything all at once.
It’s the same every major release. You have to transfer your plugins. 3dConnexion (usually) needs an update or some copying of files. VRay and Enscape and others are often not far behind in updating their plugins…
You DO NOT have to update. I skipped 23. Stuck with 22 because:
I depend on SKP for my day to day work. It is 90% of what I do.
I was in the middle of 2 major projects that required VRay. I did not want to risk my renders getting messed up or needing to waste time trying to make the new stuff work… when the old stuff was perfectly fine.
If it works, it works.
Is there something in 26 that you can’t live without that would be a game changer to your workflow? If yes, upgrade and test and get going.
If your current version is working fine, everything it stable and your system is dialed in… then why upgrade? Your clients don’t know and won’t care what version you are running.
I’m baffled at how hard people make this. When I worked in the field I didn’t change my hammer and my saw every time I saw a new one. I found one that worked and have kept using it… and I only upgraded tools / systems when I had a compelling reason to do so.
FWIW I have had no issues with the transition to 26 on macOS - I downloaded the updated driver from 3dConnexion, migrated my plugins, updated my templates and I’ve been happily working. I will need VRay next week - so I’ll hopefully have an update to install, if not I’ll use 25 and get my renders done and patiently wait… but I’ll still get paid, I won’t have much stress nor forum posts to write.
I have still installed sketchup 2025, there’s no law that forces you to use the latest version as soon as it’s released, you should check first if all your plugins are compatible with the newer version before uninstalling the previous version.
I’m running all my extensions on sketchup 2026 without any issue, I had to download the updated installers for Vray, enscape and 3D Connexion on pc and Mac. Then restart your machine and all the plugins should be working. If not, it’s not a sketchup or plugins issue, it must be some error on your side.
The latest Enscape release 4.12.0.204 is working with su2026 on windows 11…
Of course there are issues with every new full version to start with, so like others, we keep the previous two versions installed for a while until the majority of issues are sorted by patches…
After installing SketchUp 2026 and restarting my computer I downloaded 3DxWare64_v10-9-8_b715.exe from the 3DConnexion website and installed it. After that, my old wired device works with SketchUp 2026.
I’m not sure it’s a SketchUp’s issue; it sounds like the developers.
We build plugins and have months of Sketchup beta testing to prepare for a release. All www.plusspec.com products, includinge PlusSpec Pro, PlusArchitect and PlusDesignBuild function as intended in the latest versions of SketchUp 26. I would assume that other developers have the same opportunity.
