What if SketchUp introduced a Pro+ version with the most commonly used plugins already built in? Think of it like Photoshop, but for SketchUp—everything you need, fully integrated and ready to go right out of the box.
Maybe it costs a little more, maybe not. But it’s streamlined from day one—no setup, no plugin hunt, just start creating.
Would this make your creative life easier?
Or do you prefer building your setup from scratch?
Curious to hear what others think!
For example, I bought a roofing plugin the other day—and it got me thinking: what happens if the developer stops updating it? Or worse, disappears altogether? How would I get a new license next year, or if I switch computers? There’s no other plugin like it right now. That’s the risk with third-party tools.
But if essential plugins were officially integrated, they’d be reliable, maintained, and here for the long haul.
Big difference.
I have a folder with all the plugins I use, there are 14, all downloaded in a plugins 2025 folder, then I install Sketchup on the machine and I just go there and install it, until I save my files
For architecture?
For rendering?
For organic modeling?
For urban planning?
For 3d printing?
For BIM / IFC integration?
For cabinet making?
For energy analysis?
For dealing with point clouds and Lidar scanning?
IMHO it would be better to build the Extension Warehouse into something like the Apple / Android App Store so it could manage subscriptions, renewals, etc. all under one account.
And then it would be great to have UI / UX guidelines for how they interact with the overall UI. For instance - I love Fredo’s tools and I love OpenCutList. One of them gets the job done. One of them brings me joy when I use it.
You do know that 2025 has a migration plugin that works really well, so if you have extensions that you already use you don’t need to ‘build it from scratch’ when you update.
You’re right—I completely forgot to consider other fields beyond architecture.
It’s just that SketchUp is so often promoted as an architectural tool, it felt natural to think in that direction first. That said, you’re absolutely correct—users from other areas like 3D printing, cabinet making, etc., all rely on different tools.
Still, I do think if SketchUp ever explored a Pro+ version, it would make sense to start with architecture-focused plugins, simply because that seems to be the biggest user base.
But lately, a lot of plugins are starting to use monthly/yearly subscriptions. And if the person behind the plugin disappears, the plugin might disappear too.
That’s kind of risky—especially if you depend on it for your work or portfolio. If it suddenly stops working, you’re stuck.
That’s why I think having important plugins built into SketchUp itself (like in a Pro+ version) would be a safer, more reliable option.
I think it’s a good idea, that way instead of automatically migrating the extensions I used in the past, I would simply have to spend time turning off and uninstalling all the new ones I don’t need.
I understand the plugin market could be affected, but setting up a yearly subscription and then offsetting into the sunset isn’t the way to go.
SketchUp should offer users some kind of fallback—whether that means integrating essential tools or providing official support—so we’re not left stranded mid-project with no solution.
What’s essential to you, isn’t essential to me or others.
I’ve never used any roofing extension. I don’t need it.
Moreover, I don’t need the PBR materials in the new SU 2025. I’ll turn them off or use (fallback to) the old SU versions.
Why would you have to switch to another SU version - in the middle of a project - that, perhaps doesn’t support your essential extension? You can have multiple SU versions installed independently.
Look, everyone has an expiration date. If the person behind a plugin disappears—or worse, passes away—then the plugin might vanish too.
That’s especially risky with yearly subscriptions, where users need to go back to the developer’s website, pay again, and wait for a new activation code or license key. If no one’s there to respond, you’re out of luck—and possibly locked out of your own workflow.
You are not using Archicad then? That pretty much sums up why I am here. Egotistical subscription increases, broken tools and an inability to open drawings more than 10 years old without jumping through high hoops. The risk you describe applies at all levels of software.
I’m all for SU developing, but Pre-Installed Plugins… I prefer to pick my own.
Quite frankly I think your idea would destroy the beauty of SketchUp. The idea of having your version would make SketchUp bloated and more costly. I and many others use the software for different uses.
