SketchUp: Export Design Tool

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Power Tip: Land F/X SketchUp Plugin in a Few Minutes

• Export Design Tool Overview
• Exporting from SketchUp
• Related Videos
• Troubleshooting

You can use the Export Design tool to bring your 3D SketchUp model into CAD, where you can plot your design or continue to draft.

Export to CAD Tool Overview

To open your SketchUp design in CAD, you'll first need to export it from SketchUp into CAD using this tool. You can then open CAD and import your design.

Open the Export to CAD tool:

 

LandFX toolbar, Export to CAD button

 

Land-FX menu, Export Design option

Exporting from SketchUp

In our example, we'll export the SketchUp model pictured below into the 3D Connection Cloud, where we can then import it into CAD.

The units you set in your SketchUp model need to match the units you've set in the associated Land F/X project and CAD drawing. For information on matching your units between CAD and SketchUp, see our Setting the Units in SketchUp documentation.

Before you export your design, you'll need to save it. We've saved our example file under the name Example.

In our example, we'll export the SketchUp model Example into CAD. We've already saved the model, which will allow it to export.

A closer view of one area of the SketchUp model Example

To export your design, select the Export to CAD tool as described above.

The Land F/X Export dialog box will open, letting you know that you've successfully imported your design into CAD. Click OK to close this dialog box.

 

 

 

The Land F/X Export dialog box indicates that we've successfully exported a SketchUp model into CAD.

You can now import your SketchUp design into CAD using our 3D Connection tool.

Related Videos

• Browse our SketchUp Power Tips.
• Browse our SketchUp webinars.
• Twilight Highlights: Learn how Land F/X and the Twilight Render plugin for SketchUp can streamline the rendering process for your lighting plan. We'll show you how to create realistic renders, using accurate models of landscape lighting manufacturers' light fixtures, in no time. (1 hr 1 min)

Troubleshooting

Issue: When you import and export between CAD and SketchUp, your blocks (plants or site amenities) look overly large or small, or are scaled incorrectly

Issue: Our Planting F/X Plugin for SketchUp freezes or becomes unresponsive

Issue: Clicking one of the Land F/X tool buttons in SketchUp does nothing

Issue: Your SketchUp components are not lining up correctly with your CAD blocks

Issue: While using our Planting F/X Plugin for SketchUp, you attempted to click a tool and its corresponding dialog box doesn't open, but other tools' dialog boxes are opening correctly