Here are all the extensions you need to know, as recommended by architectural designer Kyle Burns. He spent over 10 years as a designer at architecture firms across the US, but it was not until he started working at SketchUp that he truly understood the power of extensions.
You don’t know what you don’t know.
SketchUp users tend to think they are using the program efficiently. Often, we are modeling the same way we did when first introduced to the program. Don’t be embarrassed, I was in the same boat. Architects often dedicate more of their time and effort to Revit or CAD when thinking about project milestone deliverables; they may not know they can do it with extensions in SketchUp.
Every year, SketchUp adds new features and functionalities based on user feedback, as well as our core beliefs about what software should be: intuitive, simple, productive, and fun. It is critical for architects to adapt how they model within SketchUp, as the product evolves. Independent developers can and do create free and paid extensions for a wide range of basic and niche tasks. Learning a few quick extensions can save many billable hours when used correctly.
The following are some extensions that I wish I knew when working at commercial architecture firms. Now, as a Customer Success Manager at SketchUp, I often work with design firms that want to improve their workflow. I’ve recommended these extensions with success, and they are free to download from Extension Warehouse or SketchUcation.
