Welcome to the Studio family, V-Ray 5 and Scan Essentials!

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The Studio subscription is evolving! Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to incorporate features that make this subscription even more robust than ever before. With that, we’re excited to announce that V-Ray 5 and Scan Essentials are now included in a SketchUp Studio subscription — at a great price of $699* for one term.

Scan Essentials

(Windows-only)

Last year we announced the integration of Trimble’s Scan Essentials with SketchUp — and with such a positive response, we decided to make it official. Bringing point clouds into SketchUp has never been easier.

Never heard of Scan Essentials? Buckle up, you’re in for a ride! Scan Essentials is an extension that works great early on in your workflow as it lets you import, view, and model directly on point cloud data in SketchUp, allowing you to capture existing contextual details such as topography. There’s also a direct integration with LayOut! Don’t need to model on all of your point cloud data? No worries. Export point cloud data straight into LayOut to create professional 2D documentation quickly and easily. With Scan Essentials, the need to start a project from scratch is eliminated. Supporting the import of a wide range of file formats (E57, RWP, LAZ, TZF, LAS, PLY), Scan Essentials truly unlocks point cloud data for everyone.

The rich point cloud data brings bountiful benefits to your workflow including increasing modeling accuracy and efficiency. With Scan Essentials, you can better integrate project stages, from site surveys to design, construction, and then post-construction, enabling greater success on complex projects. Learn more about it here.

V-Ray 5

We know how valuable visualization is to your workflow. So much so, that we decided to partner with Chaos to bring V-Ray into the Studio subscription!

With V-Ray 5 for SketchUp, you can now take your design from 3D model to photorealistic render in a matter of minutes. V-Ray enables you to tweak lighting, add shadows, touch-up reflective coatings, select global illumination settings — and so much more. Even better, you also have access to real-time rendering capabilities with V-Ray Vision so you can tweak conditions on the fly.

Whether you’re prepping for design reviews with your team or client, or presenting your design for final approvals, V-Ray will help get your project across the finish line. Learn more about V-Ray 5 here.

The inclusion of these two valuable products in the Studio subscription created a great opportunity to better serve a wide range of AEC professionals. With that, Sefaira will no longer form a part of the Studio offering but will now be offered as a stand-alone purchase for professionals who require it as a vital part of their workflow. Contact sales to purchase.

You can subscribe to the all-new, feature-packed Studio for the limited price of $699* for one term (offer ends July 30, 2021). Now, that’s something to be excited about. Interested in seeing the new Studio workflow in action? Sign up for our webinar.

To learn more about Studio, check out our product page.

Please note that SketchUp Studio is a Windows-only offering and includes only a Windows installer for V-Ray and Scan Essentials.

Terms & Conditions

*SketchUp Studio pricing offer is valid through July 30, 2021 11:59 PM MST. Discount only applies to one term of a SketchUp Studio subscription. If you are a current SketchUp Studio subscriber, you can renew at this price for one term only. Not valid on subsequent terms. Offer not valid in Mainland China, Israel, and South Africa. Does not apply to previously placed orders. May not be combined with other offers. Other restrictions may apply.

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Olivia, congratulations on this release!

(to be honest, I thought that maybe some “basic” version of Trimble RealWorks could be included in Studio. But V-Ray - definitely not bad!)

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This is definetely an interesting move.

But what about Sefaira? It used to be included in Studio, but I don’t see it anymore.

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Hi thanks for your feedback. What is it about this new Studio you find interesting? Sefaira has been removed from the Studio subscription offering but you can still buy it as a standalone product. Check out the Sefaira on Sketchup page for more info :slight_smile:

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I find it interesting that you are trying to make Sketchup Studio a more compelling product for your users. It’s more bang for the buck and I think it justifies that Studio subscription tier for the majority of users: in AEC, at least, Sketchup is mainly seen as a sidekick for 3D modeling and mostly for presentation purposes.

It also looks like you have been betting on more things that interest me like parametrics with mattermachine and pen and touch input with tablets. These are not AEC exclusive and might be useful for a lot of users in a lot of industries and might give Sketchup Studio a wider scope, inline with what will happen with Vray.

Sketchup is pushing it’s higher subscription plan to more people.

So, I find it interesting that you stroke this deal with one of the major players in Sketchup world. People, sometimes only use Sketchup as a bridge for rendering and Vray is the heaviest player in that scope. Many of your clients are also vray clients and I think this is good news for them, and therefore, for you.

Of course, for other smaller players in the render market, this is not welcome, I guess. For me that’s a concern as I’ve seen render engines that were serious alternatives to vray, coming and going from the Sketchup world. This will facilitate their going but won’t facilitate their coming. That is unfortunate and I think it could eventually lead to a poorer Sketchup world for all of us.

Moving away from that feeling I also find it interesting that it seemed to me that Trimble was clearly aiming at better Sketchup integration with AEC industry over the years with Trimble Connect, Sefaira, Scan Essentials and some of your other developments.

Now, I’m unsure where the growth is pointing because of the Sefaira move.

I know most people were stating that it was a useless piece of software that didn’t justify the cost of Studio as only a few would use it.

If clients are unhappy, you have to make them happy.

I think Sefaira had great value, but even if I’m in AEC it seems I might be a niche use.

I think having access to Sefaira on our subscription was a good thing. I loved that Sketchup offering included something conscious and forward looking and in line with one of the World’s major needs.

For us Architects energy efficiency is a top concern. However, for clients, the concern is only there until they are faced with costs. Cost issues start with fees and integrating energy efficiency processes into design it’s not fit for most client’s culture as most want environmentally conscious solutions but don’t want to support the costs of developing them. As this kind of software and studies are either expensive or complex we become kind of limited.

With it I could help clients understand the usefulness of investing some time and money on this kind of studies. I was closer to getting there, I could feel it. I had Sefaira as one of my studying subject priorities for this year.

My opinion about Sefaira is that it was introduced in Sketchup ahead of it’s time.

Sketchup is widely used by architects but it’s not central to most of them. I believe architects that use Sketchup as the main architectural software are a few. As said before, it’s mostly for presentations.

For Sefaira in Sketchup to be reaching it’s full potential, Sketchup would have to assume itself as the central software for developing projects and Sefaira integration should be even more streamlined in the architectural workflow with Sketchup.

For this better workflow to occur in Sketchup we would need better BIM tools like IFCx4 seamless integration, better Layout, better section management, data tagging and report generation from a 3D model, etc… As this is not fully developed Sketchup doesn’t make the full statement it could make in the process and Sefaira can’t take advantage of Sketchup as Sketchup isn’t used at the stage Sefaira becomes useful.

Betting in Vray, is betting on what Sketchup is already strong with. Betting on what still lacks so it becomes excellent is what Sketchup should do to become a serious contender.

I’d really like you to reconsider integrating Sefaira again and I’d really want you to consider what should be done to Sketchup for it to become a much more valid and central tool for Architecture.

If I compare Sefaira with Vray, I’d say that Sefaira could allow us architects to do a better service to the world and that’s much more that can be said about rendering sofware.

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Yea I agree with @JQL on this. I am an HVAC specialist and when this news came out along with the reduced upgrade? I went and discussed the upgrade with my wife and the main driving argument was #1 the opportunity to learn more about point cloud and the possible use and Sefaira. As a load calc piece of software I am extremely interested and also completely ignorant on how to use it but I like what I see on the YouTube videos and what I have read.
Now sadly you have taken away half of my argument. And the value went away as well. On top of everything else? There isn’t even a price for Sefaira on the website. I have to contact sales?
Come on guys, you can do better than the old “bait and switch” routine with this. If someone is willing to pony up $1200 a year for top level software there should be all the perks.
I for one? Am disappointed…

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Nice analysis JQL,
Immediately improving LayOut should be Trimble’s number one priority, but inexplicably, it isn’t!

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I don’t know if it isn’t. Even if it would be a major priority, if it would be easy to solve Layout’s issues, they would do it yesterday. I guess it’s very hard because we’ve seen several proof that Trimble aknowledged Layout’s issues and are concerned about it.

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Yes, I concur that it must not be “easy”, or they would have made more progress by now!
And yes, I guess they are “concerned”, but somehow I’m not convinced Trimble really understands just how much their poor performing LayOut is hurting their otherwise excellent SketchUp package.
There is such a huge opportunity here, why can’t they do the hard (and perhaps expensive?) thing and make this SU/LO combination achieve it’s real potential?
It’s really a shame …

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I’m convinced they do understand and want to change Layout for the better. Layout has been changing. Not at the pace we need but it’s going forward.

I know we need a jump forward, not small steps, but… who knows?

Striking a deal with VRay doesn’t mean everything else stopped and I don’t believe it did.

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Fair enough!

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Do existing Scan Essentials subscription users have to switch to a Studio subscription?
Or is there any way to continue ScanEssentials only subscription?

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@olivia_feng I have a sense of the right answer for this question, but could you post what your answer would be?

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Hi no, you do not have to switch to a Studio subscription if you do not use V-Ray as part of your workflow. You can continue to be on the stand-alone Scan Essentials license :slight_smile:

On the side note, if you work with other folks who also might use Scan Essentials and Sketchup, take advantage of the promo pricing of Studio at $699 than to buy Pro + Scan Ess seperately for $849 :stuck_out_tongue:

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Hi, yes the Sketchup team keeps monitoring the user feedback across places such as the forum here. We are aware of feedback on the LO performance issues. And the team is working on improving LO for the better. So keep your feedback coming and they are helpful to guild the development.
We hope you will find value in the new Studio offering and with the V-Ray render, we hope to offer a premium rendering solution in our top tier offering. I hope you will find that the entire Sketchup product portfolio is improving at a faster pace, so this V-Ray partnership is just the beginning :slight_smile:

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@JQL @olivia_feng OK guys just got the quote for a single seat for Sefaira is $1598??? Are you kidding me?

Well so much for that experiment. The opportunity to integrate Sefaira into my HVAC workflow with a reduced Studio subscription AND Scan Essentials was too good to be true I guess. While Scan Essentials MIGHT be an experiment that would prove fruitful?..It would still be an experiment for us. The Sefaira sounds more promising and I was actually considering moving up to Studio even at full price for a year to experiment with Sephaira. I was extremely optimistic even with that scenario. V-Ray isn’t really a temptation for my industry.

Honestly I was hoping to use the Scan Essentials to model existing buildings that are requesting retrofit equipment. We could show up onsite with the building already modeled and just have to do the interior real quick with Medeek Wall? Input equipment models already done in SketchUp (which I am currently modeling as a side gig and uploading into 3D warehouse) and then run a load calc or scenario in Sefaira…BOOM…client is floored and job is sold!

But $1600? For a single seat? I will just stick with the clunky old Energy Pro I guess. Even though it sucks it is still a heck of a lot less expensive than Sephaira.

I hope this isn’t the pricing structure they are going to pursue because if it is? I guess I will never be able to take that gamble much less afford it on a year to year basis.

Total swing and miss guys…stick Sefaira back in there and it’s a “win win”…taking a gamble on just Scan Essentials even with V-Ray added in is a solid “pass”…

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I agree. It’s steep. Is that $1600 a subscription or a one time payment?

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Not completely sure because they lost me at $1595 for a single seat…I didn’t hear a thing after that honestly…

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Hi @JQL I really appreciate your detailed feedback. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I am sure you understand that the decision of removing a product from an offering is not taken lightly for a company sized like Sketchup. We have launched Studio in 2018 and we have been monitoring the customer and market feedback closely. We have captured many data points and learned great lessons from the last few years. The evolution of Studio offering is shaped by the overall strength of Sketchup portfolio and driven by the demands of the main user base.
Have you tried out Pre-design that is part of the Pro and Studio subscription? It carries the same mission as Sefaira and developed by the same team. They will continue to enhance of capabilities of Pre-Design.
It is challenging and impossible to satisfy all users we accept that. By strategically including products that help to capture a significant share of our target market segments, Studio hopes to serve more AEC users and become a valuable part of their professional workflow.

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I have tried Pre-Design, yes. It’s not the same thing as Sefaira. It’s good at what it does and it can be helpful, but it’s not even close.

I have shared my thoughts about it before.

The way I see it, you’ve given up shaping AEC mainstream and got with the flow. I understand that, though I liked your former attitude more. I was actually proud of it whenI was discussing software with my Architect colleagues.

I think I will have to learn other tools I have on the radar instead, even if I’m a Sketchup fan.

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