For me, it’s on par with changing Twitter to X. Feels like they removed 20+ years of icon history for no reason that makes sense (at least for the consumer.) The original icons were unique, easy to see, etc, and the new ones are all the same minimal design and color scheme which would make them harder to discern. I get minimalism is cool, but if it loses its character and service for the user then it’s a bad design.
Does anyone know if there’s an option to revert the change?
They are pretty familiar to me from using the web app and i.Pad app over the last couple of years.
I found it a bit jarring at first when they appeared for me during testing, but you quicky get used to them.
If it was super easy to do then, meh. If it was a lot of work that could have been better used for actual improvements then I do feel disappointed. It seem to try to bring all of the SU apps together in appearance.
This is the third time the icons have been changed in the more than 20 years since I started using SketchUp. It’s a little surprising the first time you see it but it doesn’t take long to get used to the new ones. I’m sure the primary reason for the change is branding. The desktop icons were changed a few versions back to the current blue ones. It was inevitable that the toolbar icons would change to follow suit.
As Adam points out, they are the same as the ones in the web and iPad apps so there is consistency between them.
As far as changing them, I expect you could but it might violate the EULA. It seems like just more busywork to do that anyway.
I’m going to have to go back to 2022 anyway. Things like copy/paste aren’t working properly in this new build so I’m just gonna go back to the old version. I’m not trying to be salty but the last year of SketchUp has just been a hassle to deal with.
As others have also pointed out in various forum topics, I have trouble with the reduced contrast of the new icons making them hard to see. Sure, you quickly build eye-muscle memory for the ones you use all the time (assuming you don’t create shortcuts for them), but it can be a struggle to recognize the ones you use only seldomly.
Not really enjoying it. All of the cursor icons have been enlarged and overlap with geometry. I find it frustrating to see my snaps and it just feels inaccurate. Agreed that you get used to something that’s been around since 2013, but the size change and recolour is negatively affecting my workflow. We want precision tool tips to convey the message that Sketchup is a friendly yet accurate software. These new ones are clunky and obtrusive onscreen. The worst offenders of this change, I think, are the move and erase cursor icons. In the case of the move tool, on hover snaps are obscured by the giant cursor icon! The previous move tool icon was perhaps half as large and was black (visually recedes rather than the pop of red).
Terrible. Not only feel way less precise it also looks childish. For professional users I feel like a downgrade.
The human colour vision is selective. For foraging savanna apes like us the colour of the sky is not very important for survival, so blue is the colour that “renders” worst in our eye and brain, and the eye has difficulties maintaining focus on blue objects.
As I’ve said elsewhere – my enjoyment of SketchUp has been significantly diminished by this iconography change.
My extensive use of Curic DIO2 somewhat reduces the impact.
I use Layout more than SketchUp and fortunately for me – copying over the classic icons into the Layout images folder in the program folder allows me to keep using the classic icons in Layout.
This does not work for SketchUp though.
If this “hack” ever does not work in a future update it could be a deal breaker for me.
I got over the subscription change - getting over this icon change will be much harder.
The classic tool icons are what make SketchUp what it is just as much as the modelling experience that is SketchUp.
Why the change?
Please SU, listen to us, the designers, who really enjoy the great look of the original iconography.
Each one of those icons is a magnificent work of art. Why the change? It’s very disappointing to be forced to work with tools that just do not look appealing.
I have the same problem with the move and erase cursor icons, as stated by other users.
Why the change?
Eduardo Arteaga
To be clear, I am not against change in any form. I could be happy to welcome a new and improved set of icons for SketchUp Pro. But to receive my support, the essence of the change would need to be a clear step forward in functionality, a change that shows deep understanding and consideration for the needs of the 8 hour a day Professional user, with a design objective to optimize efficiency and clarity.
I FREAKING HATE THESE NEW ICONS! How the heck can I change them back?! all these ■■■■ little red dots drive my eyes nuts. PLEASE, PLEASE tell me how to undo this nightmare!
i bet if we could give them 1 star ratings where the public could see it they would respond a whole lot quicker! Absolutely without a doubt one of the worst redesigns Iʻve ever seen!
The thing I freaking hate about the Internet is the frequency of people freaking out publicly about ever smaller issues and expecting their outbursts to somehow interest others. It’s a couple of small images, crissake!
The only thing that annoys me is that the language design of the native tools icons and the plug-ins icons is completely different, developers created their icons based on the icons that skp used to have, it may be foolish but it’s something that’s growing everyday more in my mind maybe I have an OCD.
I pay 750 dollars a year for this software. In my currency multiplied by five. So yes, I expect perfection.
The Icon changes are a terrible idea. If consistency is an issue across platforms then the icons for the ipad/ web versions should be changed back to the original designs, not the other way around.
I can’t understand the point of this change. All previous training videos and books are now suddenly compromised.
Great point about the training videos and books. Could see a lot of confusion for new users.
<1 out of 10
There are far more pressing issues to solve than rearranging the deckchairs [Titanic allusion…]