# SketchUp

Application: Trimble

Also called sketchup pro, sketchup go, google sketchup

Trimble, Creative

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

| 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.

| SketchUp.exe | Main Windows executable |
| ------------ | ----------------------- |

## Startup components

SketchUp does not need to start with Windows.

## File locations

| Typical install | C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp \<year>\\ |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------- |

## File formats

SKP, DWG, DXF, DAE

## 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.

| Download      | [www.sketchup.com/download ](https://www.sketchup.com/download)Official installer or vendor page |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Help          | [help.sketchup.com/ ](https://help.sketchup.com/)Vendor support                                  |
| Official site | [www.sketchup.com/ ](https://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

Technical details

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

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[AutoCAD: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/autocad)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [SketchUp official site ](https://www.sketchup.com/)· Vendor product page
- [SketchUp help ](https://help.sketchup.com/)· Vendor support
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: Trimble

  **Category**: Push-pull 3D

  **Process**: SketchUp.exe

  **License**: Trimble subscription SKUs plus a web free tier

  **First released**: 2000

  **Official site**: [sketchup.com](https://www.sketchup.com/)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/sketchup/)

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