Make sketchup model faster

Hello,
I sell Hi End Outdoor Furniture to designers and architects. To do this I provide detail Sketchup Models for the clients. I import (mostly 3Ds. files) from the furniture vendors I represent and import their fabrics to put on the furniture. This processes is very detailed, I import different fabrics for all the decorative pillows too.

My problem is that I am creating many different types of furniture with all different finishes and once I put a lot of this furniture into place is is slowing down my model significantly. So much it is freezing and I can do anything. I have make all the furniture groups so I can move them around easily and placed them on layers so I can turn them off when I am working on other things but it does not help.

I also don’t think making these groups into components will make it quicker because I am not using that furniture more than one in a model. I would like to eventually get a full layout done (like image attached) then some how reduce the file size so that I can open the model when I have a client and show them the layout with it freezing every time.

SUGGESTIONS???

You could probably use a better graphics card with more GPU RAM. BTW, “Large” doesn’t cut it for telling us what your graphics card is.

While you are working in SketchUp navigating around, use a face style that doesn’t include textures. Monochrome is good for that. Turn on the textures for your image exports but not for modeling.

You could also upgrade SketchUp to SU2016. There were a number of improvements to speed that came after SketchUp 2013. SketchUp 8 is considered obsolete.

Dave R,
Thank you. I checked my computer and this is what is says about my graphics card:

Chip Type: GeForce GT 630
DAC Type: Intergrated RAMDAC
Approx. Total Memory: 4043 MB
Current Display Mode: 190 x 290 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Not sure what all of that means. Do you think that the graphic card is one of the issues? Or do you think that upgrading to SketchUP SU2016 would improve the modeling better? Thanks for your help, this is really slowing down my work day and I need to fix it asap! Thank you!

I expect improving your graphics card will help some. That’s not much memory by today’s standards. With the card you have, you won’t see as much of an improvement getting to the current version of SketchUp as you could. But I doubt you’d see that much improvement by changing the card only. SketchUp 8 was just plain old slow with textures displayed.

Not sure it will help with the speed issue, but you might reconsider keeping the furniture as groups and go to components instead. Why?

  • You could quickly change all similar pieces for something completely different. So if a client wants to compare the look between say, chaise lounges and Adirondack chairs, you could use the Adirondack component to replace every instance of chaise lounges in nearly real time.

  • This next one uses Dynamic Components - which requires SketchUp Pro for creation:
    You could make things a bit more natural - take, for instance, the chaise lounges. The backs raise, probably to 4-6 discrete angles. You could make this a random function of the component so that, when you either redraw (or Interact using OnClick), each chaise lounge would randomly pick the angle of the back.

You may try simple things like Purging unused information from your model (Window>Model Info>Statistics>Purge Unused), working in Hidden Line or Shaded view, rather than in a textured view, or placing items that you don’t need to see onto separate layers that you can turn off ( in this example, then entire house could be turned off while placing chairs by the pool).

What’s the model stats for this file?

This furniture models consist are high-polys? Any way you can reduce them? I often had to clean up imported models because they had too much geometry. Often they’d be modelled to be the centerpiece of an illustration - not auxiliary.

Bunch of tips How to make SketchUp Run Faster. There are some poly reducer plugins, but the results can look a bit choppy. In the Extension Warehouse, look for Whaat’s Poly Reducer and Artisan.