How to use CAD files in your SketchUp workflow

CAD files (specifically .dwg files) are ubiquitous in the design/build world. If you don’t make them yourself, it’s pretty much guaranteed you still need to work with them. 

So what happens when you bring those CAD files into SketchUp? If you’ve tried it, you likely know there are some frustrations in store. Dozens of new layers, mismatched origin points, stray geometry and broken edges on a microscopic level are just some of the “fun” you can look forward to dealing with. 

Guess what? It doesn’t have to be this way, and we are here to help. We’ve just published a brand new set of courses on SketchUp Campus to walk you through the best practices for working with CAD files. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find: 

• Tips for optimizing those .dwg files before you bring them over to SketchUp 
• Taking an optimized 2D floor plan and creating a detailed 3D model from it with just a few clicks and extensions 
• Workflows that use just the native SketchUp tools or that leverage extensions (you can use the method that’s best for you) 
• Taking those pesky .dwg files that are full of errors and still creating fast and accurate 3D models by using them as reference 
• Lots of efficiency tips and tricks along the way

From 2D CAD to 3D in SketchUp.

You can’t always control the files you are given or need to work with, but you can make the best of them. Check out this new CAD track and all our in-depth learning over at SketchUp Campus today. Your boss will thank you. ;)