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We've enhanced SketchUp & LayOut: See what's new in 2019.2!

 
SketchUp 2019 updates
 
 
 

We are excited to announce the release of SketchUp 2019.2, our second desktop product update since our February release of SketchUp 2019. We've been listening to you on the forum and observing what's been working and not working at our hands-on trainings to get a better understanding of your workflows. With your feedback, we’ve worked hard to update some top features in SketchUp Pro 2019 and LayOut. We’re proud to introduce these new improvements, and see how they impact your 3D projects.

Please note that all of these features are available to active SketchUp 2019 Classic license and active subscription users with the exception of the "Large Area Imports for Add Location" feature below. This feature is only available to subscription users. 

SketchUp

The name of the game in this update is the ease of use. This release has made SketchUp more intuitive — and more fun to use. Who doesn’t love that? With more focus on improvements to imagery exports, usability, and a seamless LayOut connection — your professional workflow will thank you.

Professional output enhancements

Exporting images. Exporting 2D graphics, raster files, and animations just got better. You can now control the overall line thicknesses of exported images with our new line scale multiplier, found in the export options dialogs. Before this change, line weights stayed the same as the viewport which could make the line weight too small or too large. So, if you are experiencing line weights that are too thick, you can make those line weights thinner. Also, .png images are now exported with transparency so you can see what is behind the material while compositing. 
 

Professional output enhancements
 

Customizable unit settings. Have you ever needed to use different unit measurements for a design? Now your model can be customized to show different unit measurements for both area and volume. For example, in a model of a room, you can use inches for the wall and feet for volume. Available unit types: inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, and meters. 

 
multiple units
 
 
 

Workflow improvements

Invert Selection. Just like the title suggests, it’s the small things that help your workflow! This new feature will allow you to select anything, then invert the selection of objects. This makes it simple to select items and then perform actions on their inverse. Psst... here's a head start: the keyboard shortcut for this is CTRL + SHIFT + I (Windows)  or CMD + SHIFT + I (Mac). BOOM! Efficient.
 

Workflow improvements
 


Importing files. The days of picking out your import file format from a long list are over. You can now drag and drop ALL supported file types directly into your modeling window. By default, you’ll now see all supported file types available for import. Additionally, the DWG and DXF importers now bring in fewer duplicate and messy edges.

Eraser Tool. Have you ever accidentally erased too much in your model? To make your detailing workflow a little smoother, we added alt & cmd as modifier keys to remove any unintentionally highlighted lines that you might have accidentally captured during your in-the-zone modeling work.

Eraser Tool
 

Section Planes. Cutting a model along a plane so that you can peer inside the model? We just made this way smoother. Section planes now ask the user to name them after placing them in the model. Simply place, then name. Voilà!

Send to LayOut. Our unsung hero, LayOut, also got even better to use in this update. You can now send your models directly to LayOut from the large toolset in the left-hand toolbar. If you haven’t used LayOut before, now's the time to see what you've been missing. 
 

LayOut

The enhancements to LayOut can be summed up in a few words: improved overall interaction for construction documentation. Sounds pretty stellar, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. We focused on making the usability of LayOut more natural and consistent with SketchUp so that it’s even easier for you to use. Check out these workflow-changing updates.

Professional output enhancements

Isometric dimensioning. It is now possible to make linear dimensions align with an isometric viewpoint. This one is huge! Since an isometric drawing is a primary type of drawing in LayOut, we wanted to make it smoother and more straightforward. You can now control extension lines, gap distance, and align dimensions with isometric angles.
 

Isometric dimensioning
 

Auto-text. Similar to “smart labels”, you can now add text to dimensions without breaking the automatic measurement. For example, let's say you create a wall in your model. You can dimension a wall, add the word “height”, and the dimension measurement will still update if the measurement changes.

Pro tip: make sure your string has <> in it. For example, ‘Height <>’ will turn into ‘Height 132in’.

Isometric dimensioning
 

Workflow enhancements

Rotating dimensions. Now, when your dimensions are off-axis, the bounding box will remain aligned with the object so you can continue to scale it in the right orientation.

Quicker editing. Staying consistent with SketchUp usability, you can now hit the return key to edit SketchUp model views, groups, dimensions, or labels! Just select, press return, and start typing!
 

Subscription-only update

Large Area Imports for Add Location. Lucky news for you subscription holders! This new feature is only available for SketchUp Pro and Studio subscribers. You can now easily import large sites at full resolution.  How can you take advantage of this new feature? Simply zoom out a bit, then select the level from which you want to import. Be aware that importing very large areas with lots of imagery can adversely affect performance in your SketchUp model. Check out our help center to be sure you’re aware of how to best handle lots of data in your models. 

Phew, that’s a lot of goodness in one release! Our goal is to continuously improve SketchUp to make it more intuitive, powerful, and fun. With lots of user research and dedication, we are excited to always make the SketchUp suite of products support your workflows. So, go download the shiny new SketchUp, and get creating! 

Check out the full product release notes for 2019.2

Download the new features.

Please note that all of these features are available to all active SketchUp 2019 Classic license and active subscription users with the exception of the "Large Area Imports for Add Location" feature. This feature is only available to subscription users. If you have an expired M&S for a Classic license, you can access these new features by updating your M&S.

About the Author

Sandra is the product manager for LayOut in SketchUp Pro. After eleven years of carrying around this box, her arms are very tired.

Profile Photo of Sandra Winstead