I’m using SketchUp 2023 Pro, and we heavily rely on OneDrive for file storage. However, we face a crucial issue: OneDrive/ OneDrive folders doesn’t generate thumbnails for .skp files. I believe this is happening because SharePoint lacks support for .skp files.
This omission greatly impacts our productivity, as identifying files becomes a time-consuming task. We urgently request SketchUp to enable thumbnail generation for .skp files in OneDrive, enhancing usability for all users.
Your attention to this request is highly appreciated.
Thank you for putting this feature request forward, I also use OneDrive and cannot see thumbnails for .skp files.
When I purchased a new laptop recently and installed Pro 2022, I held back from activating OneDrive because I had determined, after trying many fixes for missing thumbnails proposed here and elsewhere online, that it was likely OneDrive that was causing the problem. I used SU for a couple of weeks and had no problems with thumbnails. Then, I synced the laptop with OneDrive and watched them all turn into blue SU icons. I un-synced the laptop from OneDrive and thumbnails are back.
While OneDrive may be a contributing factor, I believe this issue requires collaboration between SketchUp and Microsoft. Since .skp is a proprietary extension, resolving it effectively would benefit both platforms. I’ve already submitted a similar feature request in the OneDrive forum as well:
Thanks for submitting a request to Microsoft on this issue—maybe that will prove fruitful.
I suggested that OneDrive is the problem only because Windows doesn’t appear to have a problem with .skp thumbnails until I sync using OneDrive. All of this goes well beyond my very limited understanding of computer tech. I appreciate your efforts to resolve this.
A SketchUp Team Member will sometimes weigh in on a feature request. @colin ……is this on your radar….any thoughts?
I also am about to un-sync from OneDrive which is a pretty scary step in that OneDrive has saved me from computer crashes twice in the last year. The problem is that I often save variations of models or points during the creation process where I can explore differing ideas and identifying those points at a later time without seeing the Thumnails is a time consuming and overwhelming process at best. I’m guessing that my only other option at this point is to return to backing up on an external hard drive.
I have also shared this on the feedback portal mentioned above by IngenioStudio
By the way, please fix your forum profile. Add the SketchUp version, operating system version, and graphics card model. You answered ‘design home renovations’ for that last one which isn’t even close to answering the question.
Some of us are old, retired, are happy to amuse ourselves with SketchUp Pro Desktop and don’t miss the extreme irritation that comes of ‘Connecting’ with people, don’t want to get involved with Trimble Connect, and are also very happy with the 1TB free storage we get from our Microsoft 365 subscription which allows us to backup/sync our massive accumulation of mostly useless digital stuff using OneDrive. Given that Trimble/Microsoft have a relationship for web services, you’d think Trimble could dash off a quick email to Microsoft letting them know that OneDrive users aren’t whatsoever happy with the thumbnail situation with .skp files.
A comment suggesting that a solution to the Microsoft OneDrive/SKP thumbnail problem is to use Trimble Connect has been removed. I would like that information to remain in the thread, so please, use Trimble Connect if you are so inclined.
While I understand that I am not required to connect with anyone if I use Trimble Connect, I’m just not interested in getting familiar with a new online app. I use Desktop Pro, I am happy with coordinating my digital life, including my SketchUp models, on my own hardware and syncing my files using my preferred syncing method. It seems that users like me are being told to use Trimble Connect or give up OneDrive if we want to see thumbnails.
The apparent lack of interest in solving the problem makes me wonder whether sooner or later we will all be using Trimble Connect whether we like it or not.
I’ve found a workaround to address this issue we’ve been facing concerning .skp (SketchUp) file thumbnail generation in OneDrive.
In a nutshell, the workaround involves creating hardlinks of desired OneDrive folders to locations outside of OneDrive. This tricks Windows into generating thumbnails for these folders, eliminating the need to rely on SharePoint’s thumbnail generation.
This solution is working fine for me except some minor hiccups, like pinning the subfolders to quick access is not working as expected, but you can pin the master folder instead of the shortcut folder.
I request you all to upvote the post on the OneDrive forum, through which we can collectively communicate to the OneDrive team our interest in a permanent resolution.
Good to know, thanks! I accidentally found my own workaround (for Windows 10, I don’t know if it works for Windows 11) but it is not something I would recommend as sooner or later it will likely stop working. If I designate Firefox, the web browser, as the ‘open with’ program for SU files, I see thumbnails galore—and they stick, they don’t turn back into blue SU logos as soon as you do a model ‘save.’ I’ve tried associating SKP’s with other programs to trick Microsoft into showing me thumbnails, but as soon as I do a ‘save’ the thumbnail reverts to the blue SU logo.
It is a bit of a bother to ‘right click open with SketchUp Application’ every time I want to open a file, but it’s better than having no thumbnails. The thumbnails generated all have the Firefox logo in the lower right corner instead of the SU blue logo, but I can live with that. I’ll stick with this until I can do the file reorganization that will be necessary to implement your method.
Again, good work figuring out this workaround. I upvoted your comment/request on the Microsoft>OneDrive site. Let’s hope for the best!
I don’t think this is the main reason why people tell you to use Trimble Connect…
Lots of people who use cloud storage or external drives as their main storage for SketchUp files have some files corrupted beyond repair! (including backup files!) Trimble Connect is somehow optimized for CAD files like .skp and .skb, so it is a much safer way to store your files.
Please continue as you please, but then don’t come here crying that you lost weeks of work when it happens to you…
After all we are just volunteers trying to help others in our spare time…
I have never come here crying for anything. I’m sure the comment moderators have ways to review all my submissions and can determine that for themselves.
I use both OneDrive and Google Drive to sync files to the cloud and to a separate computer. I recently offered some sound advice to a user who has trouble using Google Drive to sync – using cloud storage is fraught with potential problems, care is needed, and I am very careful about what I do. All my work is backed up; I absolutely do not rely on .skb files for backup. It makes no sense to me to do that.
I would like to view SketchUp thumbnails without having to go through gyrations to do so. I would like to see them without having to use an online app like Trimble Connect. I dislike that Trimble Connect is being thrust at us as the solution. Many of us are not likely to use Trimble Connect. Many of us are likely to be using OneDrive.
I don’t know how you have OneDrive set up, but I see thumbnails if I have the file view set to either medium or large icons rather than to list or small icons.
Any official mention from Trimble on this issue?
We support dozens of SKP Pro users and this has been an ongoing problem.
Only setting OneDrive to disable files on-demand or moving the files away from OneDrive synced folders seems to work.
Reinstalling, uninstalling, re-registering DLL files not working.
This happens (from our testing) when an older Sketchup version is uninstalled while a newer one is still installed - eg. you have SKP 2022 and 2020 installed - and you use SKP 2022 mostly. - if you decide to uninstall 2020 it will break OneDrive SKP thumbnails and previews. repairing, reinstalling 2022 does not fix it.
Uninstalling OneDrive does fix it.
any other workarounds other than creating hardlinks/junctions from other folders?
Trimble should have a tool by now to fix this - only SKP files are affected by this. nothing else.
There’s also an ongoing issue where in other forums where Sketchup installations also break Dell Command Update + previously some Evernote functionality - both times Dell + Evernote blames something to do with Trimble/Sketchup application.
