SketchUp

ApplicationTrimble

Also called sketchup pro, sketchup go, google sketchup

TrimbleCreative

Push-pull 3D used in architecture and hobby models. SketchUp.exe is the process. It is not AutoCAD.

What you need to know

SketchUp is push-pull 3D. AutoCAD is DWG drafting.

SketchUp models in .skp files. AutoCAD drafts DWG. Google no longer owns SketchUp. Trimble does.

What is it?: Push-pull 3D
Still current?: Yes, see Current status
Official download?: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If SketchUp.exe is the process, that is Trimble SketchUp, not AutoCAD. I would not hunt acad.exe to explain a .skp file.

What is SketchUp?

SketchUp is a push-pull 3D modeler. Scenes live in a .skp file. The Windows desktop executable is SketchUp.exe.

If you have never used it

SketchUp is Trimble's push-pull 3D modeler. SketchUp.exe is the desktop process. It is not AutoCAD. DWG drafting is AutoCAD. Download desktop SKUs from sketchup.com. A free web editor also exists and is not this exe.

What is it used for?

Push-pull massing

Pull a floor plan into 3D. AutoCAD drafts the 2D DWG. This is not model space in acad.exe.

Warehouse components

Insert 3D Warehouse objects. Those are SketchUp components, not AutoCAD blocks.

LayOut documents

Pro includes LayOut for sheets. That sibling is not AutoCAD paper space.

Who is it for?

Architects who mass in SketchUp
Hobbyists who started on the Google-era app
Anyone who opened AutoCAD looking for push-pull

Current status

SketchUp (2000) is a current push-pull 3d from Trimble. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.sketchup.com/download.

How old is it?

SketchUp started in 2000, spent years under Google, and is now Trimble. It is younger than AutoCAD (1982). Current desktop is SketchUp Pro / Studio branding.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Current Windows build

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
SketchUp.exe	Main Windows executable

Startup components

SketchUp does not need to start with Windows.

File locations

Common SketchUp locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp <year>\

File formats

SKPDWGDXFDAE

Common problems

Web vs desktop mix-up

The free web editor is not SketchUp.exe. Desktop needs a Trimble SKU.

Huge Warehouse component froze the model

Component count, not a DWG xref. Purge unused in SketchUp.

Getting unstuck

Confirm SketchUp.exe

Program Files\SketchUp is the desktop app. acad.exe is AutoCAD.

Sign in with Trimble

A 2010 Google SketchUp box is not current licensing.

Install from sketchup.com/download

Avoid random SketchUp.exe hosts.

Alternatives

AutoCAD, Blender, and Revit overlap at the edges. AutoCAD does not replace push-pull massing.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.sketchup.com/download Official installer or vendor page
Help	help.sketchup.com/ Vendor support
Official site	www.sketchup.com/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Trimble lists current 64-bit Windows for desktop SketchUp. Large models want RAM.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

SketchUp official site · Vendor product page
SketchUp help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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