# Layout is unworkably slow

**URL:** <https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851>\
**Category:** LayOut\
**Tags:** crash, layout\
**Created:** [August 1, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851 "2025-08-01T04:57:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/1 "2025-08-01T04:57:27Z")

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I am working at maybe 20% efficiency because Layout 2025 is so stupidly slow!  
It takes sometimes minutes simply to crop a viewport, many minutes (~10) to update model reference and frequently crashes.  
My GPU (RTX2070 Super) & CPU are not even working into double figures, I have 64 GB RAM and am in a world of pain trying to ascertain the problem.  
New/ Old graphics engine in S-Up seems to make no difference, reducing VP image quality has no effect.  
Please can anyone advise on how to improve it? TIA

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**Author:** ![francisquitof](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/francisquitof/32/191263_2.png) [@francisquitof](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/francisquitof)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 5:03am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/2 "2025-08-01T05:03:17Z")

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I bet your sketchup model is bloated with elements from the 3D warehouse. Can you share the file so we can tell you how to improve the performance?

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**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 5:13am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/3 "2025-08-01T05:13:26Z")

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It likely is, but mostly just repeated instances. Perhaps I will delete them all to test this

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**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 5:35am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/4 "2025-08-01T05:35:54Z")

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Deleting all 3DWH components reduces edges from ~11million to ~4.7 million. Sketchup is finding it easier but Layout has not improved.  
I will share the model privately if that’s possible?

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**Author:** ![nmason](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/nmason/32/185820_2.png) [@nmason](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/nmason)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 8:17am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/5 "2025-08-01T08:17:56Z")

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If you haven’t already done so, make sure all your viewports are set to Raster. It will speed up resizing viewports and updating.

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**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 8:21am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/6 "2025-08-01T08:21:47Z")

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For LO:

What are your viewports rendering? Raster is fastest. If you need hybrid or vector use the override on export.

Are you using the new engine in LayOut?

Have you tried draft mode?

How many pages is the LO file?

In SKP:

That’s a big model. Have you purged recently?

Have you used material resizer plugin to check for excessively large textures?

You can try Cleanup3 plugin to simplify some of the more complex geometry.

Do you need level of detail you are using from the warehouse (assuming components from the warehouse are part of the problem)?

Can you share the file - it will be too large to post here - so use Dropbox or something similar to share a link.

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**Author:** ![KeithBrooks](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/keithbrooks/32/247817_2.png) [@KeithBrooks](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/KeithBrooks)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 8:54am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/7 "2025-08-01T08:54:50Z")

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oh, blast, I guess I will say it, “Layout2025 is so stupidly slow” might not be a reference to the app but the workflow. Apologies for being harsh, but it’s a fact many on here can confirm.

before anyone else can say it…purge! and then…purge! Use that tool with passion. Mash it!! Get rid of the junk bloating your files. Purge components, purge edges, purge style copies, purge tags, if your project will not need it, purge it. If you don’t like the idea of losing something in a file you can also build a robust file backup system. Make a copy of your file every week and call it “archived”. Take the new one and purge it. If you need something back, open the archived version and copy/paste in place.

Clean all warehouse models before you put them in your model. That’s right, open separately and use some draino on those objects before you poison your revenue generating model with some lazily made potted plant or light fixture from 2011.

Additionally, if you use models from the warehouse, at least filter for the smallest versions with the least amount of edges.

Make sure and check applied textures on all warehouse models. Some models are notorious for riotously massive textures that make LayOut fold its arms like a 2 year old being forced to eat peas, “Nope, aint doin’ it!”

LayOut is still the weaker playmate in the partnership. Organized and clean SketchUp models are the not-so-secret recipe for getting better performance from LayOut.

And a nod to @Sonder. If it makes sense for your workflow, break up your LayOut file into multiple files that you re-assemble in your pdf software of choice. Titles and table of contents and schedules don’t need to be linked to a SketchUp file at all. Plans, elevations and sections can be one SketchUp file. Details can be a few different SketchUp files depending on type or can just be scrapbook collections that present less bulk and therefore less processing needs to LayOut.

All that to say, organization is key.  
As my brother used to say and I altered for this post, “A clean Model is a happy LayOut.”  
MLHA - Make LayOut Happy Again. @mikebrightman you should use that one.

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**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 12:28am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/9 "2025-08-04T00:28:13Z")

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Thank you all for your time & knowledge in offering advice.  
I have been using SketchUp & Layout professionally for a decade but there is much I don’t know.  
Large files like these i save locally to work on.  
All my viewports are always in Raster.  
I use only a handful of Styles. I don’t use Environments.  
Obviously Shadows slow things down so I avoid these until final stages.  
I have purged unused in Model Info\>Statistics  
I have tried New SUp engine but now reverted back to previous and tweaked the settings a bit  
I have reduced all Materials to \< ~600 (New knowledge - thanks).  
the Layout has ~ 25 pages with 1 or 2 VPs each then other pages with small images and text  
The model is pretty large for us: 12 x shoptop housing units- three stories, but 3 x 3 are components and only 3 are unique.  
I generally use only small, clean components from the Warehouse. I have kept these in the model for now and …  
It is running pretty well so far this morning!  
I still have a few things from your list of offerings to try if things deteriorate again.  
So once again, many thanks

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**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 5:11am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/10 "2025-08-04T05:11:02Z")

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> [@kiri](#):
>
> I have tried New SUp engine but now reverted back to previous and tweaked the settings a bit

Yes but are you using the new / experimental engine in LayOut? You can change it in LayOut preferences.

> [@kiri](#):
>
> The model is pretty large for us: 12 x shoptop housing units- three stories, but 3 x 3 are components and only 3 are unique.

This tells us nothing about how large your model is. In SKP go to Model Info\>Statistics - it’s all about how many edges and surfaces you have. Be sure to toggle the box to include components (I don’t remember what that is called).

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**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 6:28am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/11 "2025-08-04T06:28:34Z")

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I am trying the new engine in LO now - thanks - previously have been on Classic.  
I reduced WH components and have had some improvement but far from frisky.  
Model info attached  
I ran CleanUp^3 (lost some detail but will learn how to control it better next time…)

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/8/c/8c8a82caee58169ee90b41a2f18e825e6765c8c9.png)

Given the \<10% GPU/CPU action i am thinking very poor optimization but I am at a loss how to improve.  
Anyway, thanks again for advice - I will continue tomorrow…

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**Author:** ![ateliernab](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ateliernab/32/198399_2.png) [@ateliernab](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ateliernab)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 6:55am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/12 "2025-08-04T06:55:46Z")

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10 million edges and 6 million faces is a lot of geometry to process.

> [@kiri](#):
>
> Given the \<10% GPU/CPU action i am thinking very poor optimization but I am at a loss how to improve.

sketchup, like all the other CAD software, is monothread. depending on how your computer gives you the performance percentage, it can look quite low  
on my PC, I get the global performance, counting all cores of my CPU as one, and SU is low.  
on my mac, I get separate graphs, each for one core, and I can see one core spiking almost to 100% when working on big files.

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**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 8:49am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/13 "2025-08-04T08:49:03Z")

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> [@kiri](#):
>
> thinking very poor optimization but I am at a loss how to improve

Share you LO file if you can. Post a public link from Dropbox or similar services as it will be too large for the forum.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 6:28am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/14 "2025-08-05T06:28:50Z")

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Thanks, this is good to know. I realise it’s a large model and I expect a degree of lag but it was completely untenable. Have changed to new Layout engine and it has improved fivefold or more.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@kiri](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/kiri)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 6:30am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/15 "2025-08-05T06:30:59Z")

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Thanks loads for your advice @bmike - new Layout engine is a lifesaver and I had no idea it existed. So. Much. Faster.  
Will share if I come up against it down the track

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/f/2/f2a121500b085ed60806607a82720b092d800bb3.png) [@system](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-is-unworkably-slow/336851/16 "2026-01-28T04:58:24Z")

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Closed on January 28, 2026, 4:58am UTC

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