SketchUp 2023.1 makes modeling easier with UI updates and custom controls

New release SketchUp 2023.1

New to the SketchUp desktop interface are updated icon designs and customizable handles called anchors (smart anchors or custom anchors) that help you easily connect groups or components in predefined ways.

Customizable rendering controls in LayOut, as well as tools for quick callouts and adding 2D elements that speed up the documentation process; Designers will appreciate the productivity boost with the new feature.

Trimble has also added a style feature to expand your color horizons and has developed several versatile tool updates.

What's new in SketchUp 2023.1?

Updating icons in the SketchUp user interface.

New icon designs in the desktop and LayOut UI will delight designers.

Quickly recognizing the Push-Pull, Paint Bucket, Follow Me tools and their keyboard shortcuts is one of the keys to powerful and efficient modeling in SketchUp.

The updated icons won't change the size or layout of your toolbar, so you'll still have plenty of room for styling and the ability to reorder tools based on your preferences. The interface has acquired a modern appearance that retains the functionality you are already familiar with.

Some quick reference guides for SketchUp for Desktop and LayOut to help you become familiar with the new icons and learn keyboard shortcuts you might not know about. If you don't notice the icon right away or don't know what to look for, just use Help > Search to find it.

Model quickly in SketchUp with Snaps tools

Snaps are new smart SketchUp objects that let you place and rotate objects in a single operatio

Moving project objects relative to each other becomes an ongoing task. Bindings make it easy to switch between different tools to perform multiple object transformation operations. Now you can create simulation systems designed to communicate efficiently and predictably in your project, with predefined movement logic.

For example, let's say you're designing a school and you need to plan and place special lighting fixtures that don't have clear output points. Snaps allow you to determine the position of a light source relative to the ceiling or wall and save that position every time you place it. You can repeat the action in all classes and install the lamp in the project in one operation, without thinking about how it is located each time. Use Snaps in a lighting system using groups and components to arrange all fixtures at once.

Where to use Snaps

1. Place objects in existing spaces. Align common objects to walls, floors, or ceilings without creating new output points. Moving counters, shelves, and furniture with Snaps makes it easy to move objects around until you find the perfect location.
2. Develop custom component modeling systems for complex configurations. Create pre-configured or easily customizable modeling systems that help you efficiently plan complex networks of objects such as façade panels, landscaping, furniture, roads, tiles and more. Snaps are especially useful for components with end-to-end connections, such as racking in logistics warehouses.
3. Learn spatial concepts. Larger shapes can be created and explored using repeating modular building blocks. Snaps make it easy to plan and explore options quickly.

Snaps help you create models that can be placed and reconfigured faster.

Add personality to your design process with Horizon Color

Horizon Color lets you customize your sky in SketchUp, adding dark or colored effects to your own background to capture the perfect mood. Convey a moody sky or the feeling of clear sunshine, evoking emotion through the play of color using this new style feature. On iPad, Horizon Color allows users to create styles that better complement dark mode.

What's improved in SketchUp 2023.1?

Trimble has introduced two new LayOut updates.

LayOut: Custom Rendering Controls

Improved rendering controls will improve documentation workflows. In the new Document Settings tab called Rendering, set the viewport resolution to low or medium and keep your export quality high without having to switch between working and exporting assets. A lower editing resolution allows for faster editing of a lighter file when working with a complex LayOut page. Without changing the settings, you can increase the resolution when exporting.

LayOut: automatic label linking

Trimble has added more automation for callouts derived from 2D annotation libraries, so you don't have to manually update annotations such as titles or scales—a huge time saver when serving large document sets. This update ensures that after dragging elements into a specific viewport on a LayOut page, annotation elements will remain associated with the viewport and changes to the viewport will cause automatic updates

Additionally, 2D annotation libraries now use scalable groups and can be easily resized to a specific scale. All of these improvements reduce the likelihood of leader and viewport mismatches and the number of manual updates required, speeding up document creation in LayOut.

Other requested tool improvements in SketchUp 2023.1

Other requested tool improvements in SketchUp 2023.1Trimble is constantly working to improve its design processes by listening to customer feedback and creating the necessary tools. A long-awaited update to the Flip tool, Custom Flip Plane, allows you to select a custom plane (outside the X, Y, and Z axes) around which to flip an object. Mirroring in any direction, not just 90 degrees, gives you more control and creative freedom when modeling.

Lasso tool improvements. The Polygonal Lasso tool lets you create selection boundaries with one click, giving you greater precision when selecting with your mouse or trackpad.

Softprom is a distributor of SketchUp.