Upgrade is even smarter and more efficient

The year has begun with a new upgrade for SketchUp's 3D design program. Dutch distributor Design8 BV talks about SketchUp 2022 and the included documentation application LayOut. With this, according to the company, it is possible to work smarter and more efficiently.

Jack de Moel, Training and Support at Design8: "SketchUp always had the name that not much changed. With this upgrade this has changed, new tools have been added and a number of improvements have been made. We can conclude that the subscription model is now paying off. Developer Trimble listens to user feedback and comes up with solutions." According to De Moel, this was exactly the idea behind the subscription model. "This was supposed to lead to improvements. We are now seeing substantial things change and that is positive."

User input important

SketchUp is now opting for several smaller releases instead of one big upgrade. De Moel: "With software, the question is always when to install a new tool or feature. SketchUp chooses to do this early on, to see which way the user wants to go. The feedback can immediately be used again in the next update." 

This version of SketchUp can no longer be used without a subscription. Marketing and Communications Manager Robert van Dee: "There are always skeptics, but the regular user group has completely switched to the subscription model. Those who don't use the program often, or don't want to for other reasons, can keep working with the older version as long as the system requirements allow. In fact, users with a subscription always have access to the latest version, which will be optimized for new operating systems." 

Nevertheless, there are many new features in SketchUp 2022. The new search function is perhaps the most important newcomer in SketchUp 2022. With this feature, it is possible to execute commands and activate Extensions in a quick and easy way. This saves considerable time. There is also the new Lasso Select Tool, a selection tool to draw custom selection boundaries without having to orient the camera. With one drag multiple entities can be selected while redundant objects are just left out of the selection. Stamp Copy allows the user to quickly spread objects naturally across an area. Then the Tag Tool provides the objects with the appropriate Tag by clicking on them. 

In addition, SketchUp 2022 also includes some improvements. The Freehand Tool now draws even better and smoother. Zooming in on the project works better and the Measurement Tool remembers the value just measured when moving the cursor. And the Scene Search tab makes it easy to find a specific scene in the model. 

New features LayOut

The documentation application LayOut, included with a SketchUp Pro subscription, has also gained some valuable features. The Auto-Text tag makes it possible to place labels with text. For example, for directions and pages by numbering or displaying the name of a window or page. It is also quick to create an automatic index of the document. Another handy feature is the new Find & Replace function, which makes changing text in a document easier. With Find & Replace, changing text in a selection, page or entire document succeeds much faster. Finally, LayOut now includes Zoom Selection, to zoom in on a particular selection of the design. This reduces the risk of delays when zooming in or out and thus works faster.