I, together with countless other people, use real-world coordinates. I have a DXF file that I imported into SketchUp, but the coordinates are all wrong. Other software is capable of importing this correctly. Is there an importer for SketchUp that can load the file without changing the coordinates?
SketchUp uses the WGS84 reference coordinate system for its geolocation system, but imported files must have been created (or saved) in a metric (or imperial) decimal system so that these coordinates are expressed in meters (or inches). It is then possible to import DXF, DWG, or SHP (shape) files that are correctly geolocated.
GIS software such as QGIS can be used to make these reference system changes.
Please note, however, that georeferencing the host file does not change the location where the geometry will be imported.
Working very far from the origin (0,0,0), where the equator and the Greenwich meridian meet, can cause display errors (disappearance, incorrect clipping, etc.).
No 3D modeling software supports working further than one kilometer away.
Hi Jerome,
Itâs a pity, because Iâm a surveyor and we always work with real-world coordinates. It would be very helpful if, during the first import, a dialog box appeared allowing a constant offset to be automatically subtracted so that all coordinates sit close to 0,0 internally.
This constant could then remain in place while other models are added, and be automatically reapplied during export so the coordinates return to their correct real-world positions.
As it stands right now, the software isnât very useful for surveying work if the coordinates are changed during import.
There would probably be thousands of extra customers if coordinates could be handled a little better.
Did you check the âPreserve original coordinatesâ box in the import options dialog?
The other thing is that 3D modelling applications do not work well with coordinates that are very large, like in map files where the origin generally lies thousands of kilometers away from the actual site, so the best workflow is to place the model at or near the SketchUp model origin, and document the placement of the âproject originâ in the real world.
I think if the software canât handle these coordinates, itâs unlikely that I â and the other surveyors â would ever use it. It seems like such an easy issue to fix in the software.
I think if that was true, the SketchUp developers would allready have done it a long time ago..
Just to clarify â when you say âreal-world coordinates,â are you referring to WGS84, UTM, British National Grid, or something more exotic like ECEF or Lambert Conformal Conic? Iâve even seen people use Mars Transverse Mercator for funâŚ
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Itâs simply software processing numbers, so it should be easy to accommodate this within the system. Thatâs why I find it rather odd. It would be good if one of the software developers was able to give the full reason why.
It is not that. SketchUp can store large coordinates, but the display engines (OpenGL, DirectX) used by 3D modellers cannot handle them satisfactorily so the display falls apart and shows all kinds of artifacts. SketchUp is not alone in this. For instance, Archicad and Revit have recommended limits to model extents. AutoCad is agnostic about large dimensions but I havenât tested how well its more advanced display modes (not 2D wireframe) cope.
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Even with such an option to chose a system, the origin of Sketchup will stay 0,0,0 (where ever that may be (NewYork, Amsterdam, Sydney, You name it)
So if you import your cad files to its correct location, the distance to the origin might be a world apart, which wil make the program su p e r s l o w!
It aint that big of a hassel to first set the geo location in sketchup, import a cad file, and move/rotate it to the corresponding location in the model.
Proposed Fix
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On first import, the software should prompt the user for a base offset (e.g., subtract 620000 E and 295000 N).
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That offset remains persistent for the entire workspace â all subsequent models are automatically adjusted using the same constant.
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When exporting, the software adds the constant back, restoring the true global coordinates.
This approach keeps the internal model positioned close to 0,0 while maintaining geospatial accuracy for all external references.
In essence, it creates a temporary local origin that is completely transparent to the user.
Rationale
No one is suggesting that large real-world coordinates be used directly for calculations, rendering, or processing.
The coordinates can (and should) remain close to zero internally â but the software must remember their original global location.
As soon as georeferencing is lost, all kinds of errors and alignment issues begin to appear.
Ik just copy-pasted this section of the release notes of SketchUp 2026:
âScan Essentials â Scan Essentials includes two new point cloud modeling workflows, the Texture Projection and Mesh Generation tools. The new Scene Manager better controls the visibility of point clouds in both SketchUp and Layout. With this update, you can also easily revert to the original georeferenced coordinate system when exporting.â
BIM applications use a âSurvey Pointâ system where you insert an object into your model and input its real-world coordinates and rotation. Then, when exporting to formats like DWG or IFC, the exporter can use the survey point as a multiplier to place the model to the map coordinates.
I wonder if a âsurvey pointâ system might be implemented as a Ruby extension.
Rotating or moving a model â even slightly â can easily lead to something being positioned incorrectly in the real world. Itâs better to avoid having to move or rotate the model at all. Just think about this: if some holes needed to be predrilled into a concrete slab, and steelwork was to be added later, even a 15 mm discrepancy could cause major alignment issues.
Do know the feeling and also had this thought. But each time i set a geo location in my sketchup models, i see a rotation of appr. 2 degrees, which i used to change to 0 degrees. But i was told that north was not exactly at 0 degrees and the small rotation would be more realistic? 
One potential solution would be to create an extension that automatically adds gridlines to every model or DXF file that is imported. The model would then be created close to the 0,0,0 origin, but it would include these vital gridlines that record the coordinate shift or subtraction that has occurred. Any additional content that is imported can then align precisely with these gridlines, which have effectively been relocated from their original real-world position.
These gridlines could represent easting, northing, and elevation values. They would then be used during any export process to ensure that the modelâor whatever is being exportedâis correctly placed back into real-world coordinates.
The key is to automate this process completely, as performing it manually can easily lead to costly errors.
Iâm currently working on a project that feels like a bit of a free-for-all. Multiple designers are modeling different parts of the project independently, and nothing aligns properly right out of the box.
Years ago, I was told that modeling and BIM would eventually allow us to accurately represent a building or facility in digital form. What I didnât anticipate was that so many people would still be working in silos â resulting in models that donât align and a workflow thatâs far from the seamless integration BIM was meant to achieve.
I think this extension was designed to handle large coordinate systems:
But not sure if it goes both ways âŚ.
Perhaps something like this from over a decade ago ?
https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=coordstexttagtoolfromdatum
https://sketchucation.com/plugin/777-coordstexttagtoolfromdatum
There is an extension available that allows you to move the project datum (eg, move 0,0,0 to a faraway location) and then restore it back to 0,0,0.
Ive used it but it didnt always work for me. It seems to shift the 0,0,0 marker, but doesnt actually shift the models true origin. Perhaps it does what you need in your workflow?
Theres a common technique that works if you import site information (eg boundaries) from DWG.. You create two sketchup models.
One model with the DWG boundaries imported WITH the drawing origin preserved, and one model with the boundaries imported WITHOUT the drawing origin preserved.
The model WITHOUT origin is the one you work on - adding geometry and components etc.
The model WITH the correct origin is used when you want to export your project to other people. To do this, your model WITH the correct origin needs to have a Component in it (your boundaries).
This component is then replaced (using the component browser and âreloadâ) by the model WITHOUT origin. After reloading it, you can import new info and save out that component, or you can export the model to DWG or other formats.
But This is a workaround and means maintaining two models.
It would be nice if the âcalculationâ of modelling geometry was 0,0,0, but the import / export reference was a different thing.
We only really need to use true coordinates when importing or exporting information to other programs or users.
Iâll need to test this further in 2025/26 but there has been ways that a sketchup file can have a 0,0,0 point that is 100,000 kilometers from the model geometry- and when the geometery is viewed, it warps all over the place, as youâd expect. But, when the geometry (component) is edited, it doesnt warp -because the component is referencing the 0,0,0 point of the component, not the whole model).
If i can understand this and make it work reliably, thatâs a good workaround - thought i doesnt lead to some issues with layout, shadows, etc.