Around the end of February each year is when SketchUp normally has its annual update. There may be minor releases throughout the year but it’s at this time we would expect to be getting sight of SketchUp 2024. The date is not fixed and obviously this year things are running a little late. You may get to hear or even see it before the next blog is issued. It can be tempting to dive straight in. My advice is to hold off. New software always goes through several updates quickly after release. Let things calm down first. I’ll probably think about making the move during the summer sometime. NEVER update halfway through a project. You are asking for problems.

I’ll cover how to migrate templates, extensions and other things from one version to another in a few weeks.

You Tube

Need some inspiration? Take a look at Zoe Mia’s YouTube channel on SketchUp tutorials. While they were made a few years ago most of the content is still relevant.

There are some great channels for SketchUp content on YouTube here are a few to get started with. You will soon find others:

https://www.youtube.com/@SketchUp The official channel for SketchUp and they drop several videos a week

https://www.youtube.com/@Thesketchupessentials Justin Geiss is a SketchUp machine and if its new he’ll cover it

https://www.youtube.com/@TutorialsUp This channel is for advanced users and demonstrates the creation of complex objects through extensions

Do you use the SketchUp Forum?

This should be your first stop when you want to know how to….do anything. You need to sign in (please fill in the profile page and identify the computer and software version you use, it’s the first thing you will be asked if you post a question otherwise). You can read problems people have posted and see the responses from the army of SketchUp Sages. You can also post your own questions. No question is too simple, and you’ll often get a response within a day.

Free courses

SketchUp also offer a series of training courses SketchUp Campus which are free. These can give you some insight on how to approach modelling and organise your files and workflow. The downside is that it can be a bit of a leap to make the techniques applicable to garden design and specifically the things you want to create. The same is true of any course, and training that is landscape/ garden design specific can help you by-pass many of the small but potentially frustrating errors you often don’t even know you have made.

COMING SOON ……

We are working to create a new series of training courses for SketchUp that are much more focused and indexed (you will be able to see where to watch a video to catch the operation you need to review) These training modules will be made available as they are completed. In addition I am working on a long series of “How To..” videos, demonstrating ways to create garden and landscape geometry, objects and solve problems. 

If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see demonstrated, drop me a line. Until then we have our archive training courses recorded and available for immediate download.