I decided to fantasize about what SketchUp 2026 might look like, and created an interface concept using generative AI. This is an unofficial design, just my vision for the future — a cleaner, more intuitive and modern SketchUp.
I would like to hear your opinion.:
How do you like this style?
What would you keep and what would you change?
Are such changes even necessary?
I will be glad for constructive criticism and ideas!
P.S. It’s just a visualization. There is no official information from Trimble yet — I’m just sharing an idea
I sincerely thank you for your answers, dear friends.
Well it’s more than just a ‘style’ for starters. It would help more to consider UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) as directly related to one another and therefore (re)designed at the same time and intentionally. The problem with asking AI to come up with a ‘visual style’ is that it makes up functionality and then displays that. For example, are you (via AI) recommending multi-viewport cameras (ala Rhino)? And whilst SU has recently introduced some advanced materials capabilities, this mock appears to include a nodal-based rendering engine (ala Blender). Would that level of rendering ability be realistic for Trimble to provide given they have and continue to rely on 3rd party extension developers rather than own the functionality native (think round corner, skatter, etc).
Other than those two big functionality changes, the toolbar on the left (ie Large Tool Set), File menu at the top, and toolbar Icons along the top bar are all standard/similar to today’s SU version. The dark UI has been requested about a billion times now and for some reason Trimble can’t/won’t provide that (or tell us why they can’t/won’t since 99% of all other software has either it’s own dark mode or responds to the Operating System appearance settings) - meaning I wouldn’t waste time or energy requesting a dark mode any more.
My problem with the initial question is whether you fully thought through, and therefore prompted the AI, to get this specific result? Or if AI just gave you something that looks plausible but isn’t really what you’d want or is realistic to recommend to meet users needs with a wholesale UX/UI overhaul.
Early versions of Sketchup had multiple view ports if memory serves me correctly. Three orthographic and one ISO. Scenes made that obsolete. Im wondering if there would be any advantage of a “Picture in Picture” type interface to have a scene to reference while modeling in another. Nothing comes to mind. Nice job taking the time to wonder whats possible.
Maybe you are remembering Alias Upfront. That was an application that had a somewhat SketchUp-like feel, about 10 years before SketchUp. I think it had four viewports. I think the screenshots I have seen from SketchUp 1 had the same single viewport as today.
I don’t like it either. If you want SketchUp to be a Blender or 3D Studio Max clone, why don’t you go on to use them instead? SU has the unique hands-on approach to modelling which is why we love it.
