SketchUp Modeling Tool Feature Requests (Modeling Tools Only!)

SketchUp Pro
1

With the new features announced at Basecamp this year that (I assume) are coming in SketchUp 2025, I got to thinking about the new features I’d like to see added to SketchUp. That led to the creation of this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u91n9U4rVKE , but one of the BIG things I kept coming back to was that I’d REALLY like to see some additional modeling tools added to SketchUp.

I wanted to throw out some of the modeling functions I’d like to see added to SketchUp and also hear which tools you’d like to see added. I’d like to keep this topic specific to tools for modeling - while things like “Dark Mode” and “Make Layout Faster” are great goals, there’s probably another topic for that.

Also, I know some of these are available as extensions, but I do feel like moving forward SketchUp should be looking at adding more tools to the base modeling toolset to stay competitive, especially if the Ipad and Web versions don’t support extensions.

Two things I am NOT trying to do are:

  1. Criticize the current development of SketchUp. I’ve actually been really happy with the Ambient Occlusion and performance upgrades made in 2024, and am excited to see rendering added (hopefully) in SketchUp 2025. There’s some interesting stuff coming up I think, and I know my vision doesn’t always align with everyone else’s.
  2. Turn SketchUp into another software - I find SketchUp unique in the way it works and don’t want to change that base approachable functionality, but I don’t believe that adding additional tools really takes that away from SketchUp. If programs like Blender or Rhino do something well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with learning from that and improving accordingly.

I do think having discussions like this is healthy, as the SketchUp team doesn’t always have visibility to the way users are using the program - the only way to make desires known is to bring them up!

All that said, here’s some of my top modeling tool requests!

  1. Dedicated beveling and rounding tool - I think this one speaks for itself
  2. Complex curve and spline editing tool - something like FredoSpline, where multi point curves can both be drawn and edited. I’d say having the curves created be adjustable after the fact is extremely important for a tool like this.
  3. Live modifiers - similar to modifiers in Blender, these would be things you can add to geometry to “modify” that geometry in a non-destructive way - like an “Array” modifier, where you could create an array, and go back and adjust the number of entities in the array, spacing, etc later.
  4. Lofting / Skinning function - a tool designed to create skins based on some sort of lines, frames, or other input
  5. Sandbox Tools 2.0 - An improved toolset for grading and creating civil/landscape surfaces. This might actually be a good place for the lofting / skinning tool to live, but could also incorporate a 2D grid within a shape function, a surface creation function similar to soap skin and bubble, maybe a smart selection tool, and more. I also think an improved falloff editing function that works in all 3 dimensions would be good here too. I think the Landshape tool that’s currently in beta has some REALLY good ideas in this department
  6. Vertex Editing Functions - One of the functions I really like in Blender is the ability to toggle between vertex select, edge select, and face select. It would be nice to toggle to a vertex selection mode that makes editing and moving endpoints, extruding vertices, changing lines etc easier
  7. Live Booleans - While solid tools does allow the interaction of solid geometry, it’s destructive in nature and can be problematic if you ever need to make adjustments. It would be nice to have a feature where you could use solid editing in a way where the cuts would update if you move the cutting object. This could be especially helpful for creating and moving door and window openings.
  8. UV Mapping Improvements - I’m not sure this is “technically” a modeling tool, but it’s my topic, so I’m gonna let it slide :stuck_out_tongue: The position texture tool only works on a single, coplanar raw surface, and there are zero real built-in options for doing any kind of live texture editing on groups of surfaces or really curved surfaces in general. ThruPaint has a great example of how this could work, and I think a function like this should be included in the base version of SketchUp.
  9. Architectural Modeling Toolset - This is a toolset that I think could be an extension if it needed to be. Very common uses of SketchUp include the creation of walls, doors, windows, etc, as well as associated openings, etc. Having a toolset optimized to create dedicated doors, windows, storefront systems, stairs, railings, and more (preferably in a way that can be adjusted and interact with each other) could cater to a large portion of the SketchUp user base. I do NOT think Live Components in their current form are the answer to this request, as (A) they are web based, and (B) they don’t really interact with other objects inside of SketchUp in a smart way (i.e. cutting openings, etc).
  10. More Complex Bending and Deforming Tools - It would be nice to have some tools for bending and deforming built in. This would be a toolset for bending objects in one direction or multiple directions, and possibly also something like Shape Bender where you take an object and a base path and a target path, and use that to bend the object along the path. Bonus points if this could be live the same way you can create a curve and live bend objects along a curve the way you can with the curve modifier in Blender.

I’ve got more ideas, but I’d be interested to see what modeling tools you’d like to see added to SketchUp too!

4 Likes
2

Thanks for the post JustinTSE! I agree that many of your suggestions are great ideas. As I am not a developer though I can’t actually tell you how hard they would be to do or if they are even possible without a large amount of effort. I personally would love to see many of these added either as extensions that ship with SketchUp or even better as native tools!

Out of your suggestions, my personal top three picks that I would love to see as native tools are 4, 8 and 10. I hope other users feel compelled to add to this thread as understanding the limitations of SketchUp and how we can improve are all critical to long term success of the program.

1 Like
3

I agree to most in your list. The competitor software with the name starting with an R already incorporates three 3D modelling systems (face, quad, and NURBS) under one (clunky) interface, and I would love to see something similar done in the elegant SketchUp way.

3 Likes
4

Agreed on this piece - I find that one MUCH less intuitive to work with

5

I like the idea of ‘Live Modifiers’. At first thought no go as a base code re-write aint in the cards…SU’s had 20 years to do so and hasn’t touched legacy code for a reason. That’s why ‘new features’ tend to be ‘add ons’ that exist outside of native functionality (think Live Components, Trimble Connect, Diffusion, etc).

But thinking about the way components create instances, perhaps you could ‘package’ geometry within an ‘Array’ container…essentially defining it as an array that can then be edited later. A good example of how this works with an extension is ThomThom’s 3D text editor. You place 3D text just like the native version…then right click and ‘edit’, bringing up the original settings and dialog box…make a change…save and bam! Totally doable.

Finger’s crossed. Keep the good suggestions coming. I want to say the squeaky wheel gets oiled but as you called out with the ‘dark mode’ comment, perhaps that’s not the case.

1 Like
6

Oh yes - I forgot to mention Fat Faces (faces with thickness). The team demoed them in the first ever Basecamp event but they never got released. Been waiting - what- almost 20 years? It would solve about all problems with walls, holes, etc.

1 Like
7

This is also why I never get too fired up about these requests - I know some things just aren’t technologically feasible for reasons I’m not fully aware of, and that’s fine. I do like including them anyway, just as kind of a “these are cool things that are out there” that might spark some other ideas.

Well this was what I was wondering about - tools like SubD, Artisan, and Bevel show geometry in a way that can be reverted and changed, and I’m wondering if something like that might be feasible. Probably would take someone smarter than me to know though :rofl:

8

We would like to see the orbit tool control improved. It is bliss in 2022. Its not as accurate and as responsive when working on crazy deadlines we are finding.

Then. The huge wish list of many other ideas :bulb:

9

an architectural modelling tool set would be fantastic.

2 Likes
10

Are you saying the orbit tool works worse for you in the 2024 version than it did in 2022? That shouldn’t be the case I don’t think. Have you disabled the new graphics engine and seen if that makes a difference?