Greetings SketchUp Community,
Since joining Trimble in 2017, I’ve been fascinated by the potential of immersive technologies to revolutionize how we approach design. The inception of VR and MR applications like SketchUp Viewer for VR and Trimble Connect for HoloLens marked a pivotal moment, hinting at the transformative power of spatial design.
Building on the historic visual representation techniques that have shaped art and architecture, immersive technologies hold the promise of a paradigm shift. They offer architects, designers, and engineers a chance to reconnect with the essence of their craft — the physical space itself.
Much like how SketchUp redefined 3D back in 2000, liberating designers from the confines of 2D CAD, we’re now poised to transcend the limitations of flat screens. Our mission is to immerse you in the world of extended reality through the ongoing evolution of SketchUp Viewer for AR/VR.
Of course, a vital element in this transition is the right hardware. Fortunately, extended reality devices are now more accessible and user-friendly than ever. Meta’s Quest VR headsets stand as a testament to this technological progress, and today, I am thrilled to announce that SketchUp Viewer is available for Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 3.
With older PCVR technology, headsets had to be plugged into a personal computer, meaning the user’s experience was anchored to a point. Now, you can view SketchUp models in virtual reality (VR) completely untethered. With this release, you can now create powerful, immersive experiences on the go with new sharing features and wireless capabilities.
Highlights include:
- Presentation Mode: With simplified controls in presentation mode, you can confidently hand over the headset to a client without worrying about a steep learning curve.
- Home environment: When you power up SketchUp Viewer on a Meta Quest headset, you’ll arrive in a new home environment. A dynamic table helps you load and manipulate models while in tabletop mode.
- Navigation controls: Customized support for the Meta Quest controllers’ thumbstick and grip buttons make it more natural to scale, pan, and rotate your models in VR.
- Performance: Enjoy faster loading times and import more complex files (up to 100MB or 2.7 million faces) with this performance boost.
Check out the full details here.
SketchUp Viewer for Quest is a free viewing application for anyone with a Meta Quest headset. You can check out the sample projects we’ve included with the app or view any SketchUp models published or shared in your Trimble Connect account. You will need a SketchUp subscription to create your own 3D models on desktop, mobile, or web.
Already tested the app? We would love to hear what you think!