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10 Useful SketchUp Plugins You Need to Know

The basic SketchUp tools are in many cases inadequate. It is difficult to use them to perform complicated geometric operations, to texture organic surfaces or to control a complicated model. In this text, I will present you 10 plugins that will save you a lot of time and transfer your skills to a higher level.

1. 1001bitTools

It is a collection of many useful tools dedicated to architects. Thanks to them, we can easily create windows, doors, stairs and roofs only on the basis of the data entered. Even without basic modeling skills, we can easily create, for example, the construction of a gable roof.

The plugin is also available in the Pro version, which includes more functions and enables the creation of truly complex architectural constructions. For these functionalities, however, you have to pay 48 $, meanwhile the basic version is available absolutely free: the free version 1001bitTools.

2. Artisan

This is one of the best solutions available on the market for organic modeling. Without this extension, it is virtually impossible to create upholstered furniture or advanced terrain. Artisan introduces a completely different way of working than the one that SketchUp accustomed us to. It depends more on carving and smoothing the geometry through additional divisions of the grid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=8W0bLWYgifM

3. CleanUp³

It's a free plugin that helps you keep your scene in order. It will remove unused geometry, reduce the number of polygons to the necessary minimum and fix all errors in the file. If you have problems with SketchUp's performance, please read the article: Optimization of ready models - discussion of the CleanUp plugin.

4. ClothWorks

It is a total breakthrough in fabric creation. Thanks to this extension, you will be able to imitate the behavior of a variety of materials as if it were in reality. You can, for example, throw a blanket on the couch, open the curtains in the windows or set up a tent. It's not everything. ClothWorks works not only on planes, but also on lines. This means that you can also create advanced rope structures.

5. Curviloft

This extension allows you to create complex shells based on curves. You can, for example, create a skeleton of a sacrum and ribbed vault, and then fill it with geometry. You can also indicate the next elements of the tunnel construction, and Curviloft will connect them in turn. It's an intuitive tool that will help you model non-specific grids.

Curviloft is a free extension that you can download from here: the free Curviloft version.

6. Floor Generator

It's a plugin that allows you to create advanced patterns of tiles, boards and blocks in just a few seconds. You can easily arrange a regular parquet or a completely random natural stone on a flat surface.

Floor Generator for SketchUp

7. RoundCorner

This extension allows you to quickly round the sharp edges of the models. Although it sounds obvious, it opens the way to many advanced transformations. Moreover, it is this seemingly insignificant solution that ultimately contributes to the photorealistic effect.

If you care about the precise mapping of geometries with smooth corners, you must look at the RoundCorner extension.

8. Skatter

Skatter! This name perfectly illustrates the possibilities of the plugin. It serves for the placement of objects: in the form of full geometry or in the form of proxy files on any terrain. It also allows advanced transformations regarding disappearing with increasing distance, limiting the field of scattering or creating iterations of source models.

Skatter also has its own vegetation library, thanks to which you can instantly create basic ecosystems.

9. SketchyFFD

This is certainly the least popular plugin in this list, but not less useful. It allows you to create an editable "frame" around the object and modify its individual nodes, which directly affect the geometry closed in the box. Thanks to the additional layer of transformation they are more proportional, and you have more control over the mesh and its final shape.

SketchyFFD is a free extension that you can download from here: the free version of SketchyFFD.

10. SketchUV

If you want to precisely pbr texture, you need this extension. SketchUp's default tools do not allow you to control maps of complex surfaces. Hence, it is difficult to evenly distribute the material on irregular objects. Meanwhile, SketchUV allows projection of various types of geometry: planes, wheels, cylinders, prisms, etc. Additionally, it works great with external programs for advanced texture control.

Free Download SketchUV

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  • person Sharetextures
  • date_range 15 February 2019 (2 years ago)
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