SketchUp 2021 Files Don't Display as Thumbnails

SketchUp
21

I had the same issue and solved it. I hope this may help others.

The issue is related to the operative system not being able to extract existing data.

In my case, Windows 10 simply refused displaying individiual thumbnails for Sketchup 2021 files. I had hundreds of Sketchup files whose thumbnails showed only the generic blue Sketchup logotype. All other Sketchup year versions’ file thumbnails worked well, even if saved from Sketchup 2021. Up till now, I had never seen a Sketchup 2021 file thumbnail. I tried repairing my Sketchup 2021 installation, to no avail.

Not seeing individualized Sketchup file thumbnails brings the realisation that thumbnails are indispensable as an aid for quickly finding the right Sketchup file among thousands, no matter how well organized and named they are.

In my case, I solved the issue by:

• opening Windows’ Registry editor;

• selecting the root (Computer) and then searching for “ThumbsUp.dll” (this is Sketchup’s helper library that enables thumbnails);

• modifying a few existing registry entries’ value data (I do not remember exactly which entries), replacing their link to an older version of ThumbsUp.dll for a link to the most current version instead – in my case located at “C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp 2021\ThumbsUp.dll”;

• restarting the computer.

After that, Windows 10 immediately recognized and started displaying Sketchup 2021 file thumbnails. The thumbnail data is embedded. There is no need to resave any Sketchup file.

– Bear in mind that tinkering with the Windows registry is frought with the possibility of terminal mishap.

4 Likes
22

Good job. I think you found the bug’s den :wink:

23

Hello I do what you recommended but I don know what to do exactly here

z
z1920×1080 101 KB

thank you :relaxed: :relaxed:
can you pls help me :pray:

24

Hello @zuzka.ninaj –

To be clear, I have not “recommended” the method I used. I recommend that Trimble releases an official fix. End users should not need to go wild in the registry to make Sketchup fly. But it worked for me.

Your attached screenshot shows the Windows registry. The link in your screenshot appears to be correct. However, strings containing “ThumbsUp.dll” can exist in several different places in the registry.

If no entries link to the 2021 version of the ThumbsUp.dll, this may explain why thumbnails are not working for Sketchup 2021 files. I cannot find any official documentation as to exactly which registry entries are used to extract the thumbnail.

You may need to go through all occurrences to find the culprit.

Note that each registry search starts from the current view and then searches only downwards in the lefthand navigation pane. So when you start, to search the entire space, you may need to first select the uppermost level in the lefthand navigation pane, “Computer”.

Use Ctrl + F to search (the menu command “Edit → Find…”). Edit if you need.

Click key F3 to go to the next occurrence. Check and repeat until it finds the last hit.

Bear in mind that tinkering with the Windows registry is frought with the possibility of terminal mishap.

I hope this helps.

1 Like
25

As @Matheron warned, if you are in the Registry and don’t know what to do, it is best not to do anything. Thumbnails are not so an important feature as to be worth the risk of an inoperative computer.

27

Sketchup - please fix this issue. We need to be able to see previews of our past work to avoid disruptions to our workflow.

1 Like
28

i fixed the issue XD i just downloaded and installed sketchup 2020 and now the thumbnails run with 2020 and i open the files in 2021… not a good fix but it does the job lol.

edit: nevermind… now when i save the files in 2021 the thumbnails break and go to the blue logo… at least it tried…

29

Hey Folks, I tried that suggestion from Matheron and it worked. I typed in regedit got to the registry editor then went to file find typed in ThumbsUp.dll and hit find. When it found the first instance of it, it was from:

C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp 2021\ThumbsUp.dll

So I hit find next and that one was ok too (that is it referenced the ThumbsUp.dll as coming from Sketchup 2021

So I hit find next, and this one was referenced as follows:
C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp 2020\ThumbsUp.dll

So I think I did right click and it said modify, so I went there and changed 2020 to 2021 and hit enter.

Then I hit find next again and this time it was referenced to:
C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp 2019\ThumbsUp.dll

So I did the change again. Then I hit find next and it said something along the lines of “No more found”

So I got out of regedit and opened SketchupPro 2021 and the files now have a thumbnail. Ha!
It is always a little spooky when one is in the regeditor. And I also add the caveat, DO NOT DO THIS if you are not prepared to totally wreck both Sketchup and your Windows 10. (I guess I should add my desktop is Win10 with auto update enabled). Because if you feel you can’t wreck your operating system and Sketchup by making changes in your registry, then you are in for a looooong nite at some point. And the gnashing of the teeth, that too.
Dr. Gray

1 Like
30

J’ai eu ce problème quand j’ai installé la version 2020.
Et idem avec la version 2021.
J’ai supprimé la version 2020 de mon PC, et j’ai lancé une réparation de la version 2021, et mes miniatures sont revenues! Je n’ai pas eu besoin de redémarrer mon pc.

31

Trimble should not expect their customers to edit registry entries so their software can work properly.

C’mon Trimble, lets have a proper response and solution via a patch please …

Keep the thread alive is what I think… this thread (and the other sister thread) was opened in November 2020 and still no word? Not a response from the Sketchup Team since Dec '20 … It’s pretty annoying if you ask me, and I normally don’t get annoyed easily.

Edit: For what it’s worth when I double click on a thumbnail I get me PC trying to open Google Sketchup 7.1 … wtf is that about Trimble? seems to me the fix that made for improvements is working exactly in the opposite it’s supposed to - I would think the latest version of SU would open, not the oldest… I know I have Google SU models from back in the 7.1 days, but the idea that my PC tries to open version 7.1?

33

Hi Ian. Things are pretty good here. Are you right clicking on the downloaded installer or on the executable to run the program? It needs to be the installer.

34

Thanks Dave yes it was the installer - thought I’d try it again and repair appeared the second time (shrug)

However, like many here in this thread, nothing was repaired though from what I can see… :confused:

35

Well, the at least the repair couldn’t hurt. It’s like chicken soup. :wink:

Although I agree that users shouldn’t have to edit the Registry, it isn’t difficult and shouldn’t take more than a minute or two to get things working.

1 Like
36

Thanks I’ll take a closer look at that option another day … beer o’clock for me tho! Have a good one sir.

1 Like
37

It’s a holiday today and beer o’clock here, too. Enjoy.

1 Like
38

Works for me…

piece of cake.

I even had to restart software or windows afterr chance the entry in regedit

39

For me, installing the latest maintenance upgrade (21.1.279) fixed the thumbnail issue. You might have to restart your computer.

1 Like
40

To date, the problem has not been resolved. Developers pay attention to us!

41

Have you installed the latest maintenance update to version 2021?

42

It works for me.

Your profile says you are using 2021 Make which does not exist.