Trimble SketchUp Unveils Powerful New Visualization and Interoperability Capabilities

Rhea-AI Summary

Trimble (TRMB) has announced significant updates to its SketchUp 3D modeling software, introducing advanced visualization and interoperability features. The 2025 release includes photorealistic materials and environment lighting options that update in real-time, eliminating the need for separate rendering processes.

Key improvements include:

• 360-degree HDRI/EXR image files for environment lighting
• Dynamic photoreal materials that accurately reflect real-world properties
• Enhanced ambient occlusion for increased depth and realism
• Advanced interoperability with Revit and IFC files
• Improved support for USD and glTF file formats

The update also features improvements to LayOut for document creation and enhanced 3D Warehouse functionality, offering curated photoreal materials and configurable 3D assets. The visualization updates are accessible across all SketchUp platforms, including Web, iPad, and Desktop versions.

Positive

• Enhanced product capabilities with real-time visualization features
• Improved interoperability with industry-standard software
• Expanded functionality across multiple platforms
• Streamlined workflow efficiency reducing design time

Negative

• None.

Insights

Technology Analyst

Trimble's latest SketchUp release represents a significant competitive advancement in the architecture and design software market by integrating real-time visualization capabilities directly into its modeling environment. This strategic update eliminates the traditional separation between modeling and rendering workflows that has long been an efficiency bottleneck for designers.

The introduction of photoreal materials with dynamic light interaction, environment lighting via HDRI/EXR files, and ambient occlusion brings SketchUp closer to the visualization capabilities of dedicated rendering platforms while maintaining its ease-of-use advantage. This positions Trimble to potentially capture market share from competitors who still require separate rendering solutions or more complex visualization workflows.

Perhaps more strategically significant is the enhanced interoperability with Autodesk's Revit and industry-standard IFC files. This improved cross-platform compatibility addresses a critical pain point in the AEC industry where projects typically involve multiple software ecosystems. By strengthening these connections while maintaining SketchUp's accessibility, Trimble is positioning its product as both a standalone solution and a complementary tool within larger technology stacks.

The expansion of 3D Warehouse with configurable assets and materials creates additional value for subscribers while potentially reducing design time—addressing the industry-wide challenge of efficiency in the face of compressed project timelines. These improvements align with the broader industry shift toward integrated, real-time design workflows and could strengthen Trimble's position in the architecture and design segment of its business, which has been a consistent growth area among its diverse portfolio of solutions.

Latest Software Release Provides Advanced Visualization and Interoperability Workflows, Enhancing How Designers Create, Ideate, Present and Share Design Ideas

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble^® (Nasdaq: TRMB) announced today new visualization and interoperability capabilities in its latest software release for SketchUp^®. The 3D modeling software now provides designers with photorealistic materials and environment lighting options, along with smoother transitions between SketchUp and other industry tools. With enhanced visualization features and improved interoperability, the release helps designers create, manage and share complex projects more effectively, enabling them to do better work faster, with less effort and rework.

"SketchUp's 2025 release introduces a new generation of visualization," said Sandra Winstead, senior director of product management, architecture and design at Trimble. "These accessible yet powerful tools help designers visualize and understand their projects using more realistic materials, enabling them to make better informed material decisions and produce outstanding visuals — all without leaving SketchUp. In addition, designers can now more easily move in and out of SketchUp thanks to advanced interoperability updates with Revit and IFC files for streamlined design workflows, improved collaboration and greater accuracy in project execution."

The new visualization features enable designers to apply photorealistic materials, turn on environment lighting and see how they interact in real time without hitting a 'render' button or waiting to see changes. From whitebox massing studies and stylized images to photorealistic visuals, environment lighting conditions and new background imagery, the capabilities create a richer picture of a project's materiality. The latest visualization features include:

• Environments: 360-degree HDRI or EXR image files act as a light source, reflecting off photoreal materials.
  
  
• Photoreal Materials: Dynamic materials more accurately convey texture and represent how real-world materials absorb and reflect light, producing richer, more realistic visuals within SketchUp.
  
  
• Ambient Occlusion: Adds visual emphasis to corners and edges, increasing perceived depth and realism with or without having materials applied.

"Accessing high-quality, realistic materials directly within the platform has made it so much easier to quickly present designs that resonate with clients," said Kate Hatherell, director of The Interior Designers Hub. "This feature is a game changer for accelerating workflows, and I'm excited to see how it continues to evolve."

The new release also has more advanced interoperability with Revit and IFC files, including more predictable IFC roundtrips, greater control over which Revit elements and 3D views are imported, and improved support for photorealistic materials when exporting USD and glTF file formats. From initial design to final construction, more robust interoperability ensures a seamless roundtrip data exchange between different software platforms and between different collaborators across various stages of project development.

"The IFC import feature is incredible," said Lucas Grolla, architect and owner of Grolla Arquitetura. "It has greatly improved the coordination of different project models with the architectural design. Plus, the new material editor and HDRI styles open up countless possibilities for the visual representation of projects."

In addition, LayOut, a tool for creating documents from your SketchUp model, has been updated to provide a user experience more consistent with SketchUp. 3D Warehouse, one of the world's largest libraries of 3D models, also now offers curated photoreal materials, environments and configurable 3D assets in the SketchUp content library, which can support a wide range of use cases and workflows. With 3D Warehouse, designers can model more efficiently with pre-built, configurable objects that better accommodate their design needs without the time investment typically required to produce tailored 3D assets.

Availability
Visualization updates are viewable across the SketchUp ecosystem, offering consistency regardless of platform: SketchUp for Web, iPad, and Desktop, LayOut, 3DW, and viewers. Those interested in subscribing to SketchUp can select a plan here or start a free trial by visiting https://www.sketchup.com/try-sketchup. SketchUp's new capabilities will also be explored via three webinars that will take place on March 11, 18 and 25th. More details are available here. 

About Trimble AECO
Trimble is empowering stakeholders through planning, design, construction and the entire asset lifecycle. The company's innovative and connected ecosystem of solutions improves coordination and collaboration between teams, phases and processes. Automating work and transforming workflows, Trimble is enabling teams to deliver with confidence at every turn. For more information, visit: construction.trimble.com.

About Trimble
Trimble is transforming the ways people move, build and live. Core technologies in positioning, modeling and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve our customers' productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. For more information about Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com.

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SOURCE Trimble

FAQ

What new visualization features are included in Trimble's SketchUp 2025 release?

The 2025 release includes real-time photorealistic materials, environment lighting with 360-degree HDRI/EXR files, and enhanced ambient occlusion for better depth and realism.

How does the new TRMB SketchUp update improve workflow efficiency?

It enables real-time visualization without rendering wait times and provides improved interoperability with Revit and IFC files, streamlining design workflows and collaboration.

What platforms will support SketchUp's new visualization features?

The features are available across SketchUp for Web, iPad, Desktop, LayOut, 3D Warehouse, and viewers.

How does the new material system in TRMB's SketchUp enhance design presentation?

It offers dynamic photoreal materials that accurately reflect light and texture, allowing designers to create more realistic visuals directly within SketchUp.