SketchUp to Blender: import a SKP file and render the model
Short answer
A .skp file is SketchUp's native format. Blender does not open it directly: export the model from SketchUp (File, Export, 3D Model) as FBX with textures and units in metres, or as glTF, then import it into Blender through File, Import. Since Blender 5.0, the Collada (.dae) format is no longer supported. SketchUp's free plan only exports STL, without materials.
A client sends an interior plan as a .skp file, an architecture practice works in SketchUp and you work in Blender: it is a common situation. This guide explains what a SKP file contains, how to open it, and how to bring it into Blender without losing the materials or the scale, so you can light and render it.
What is a SKP file?
The .skp extension is the native format of SketchUp, the 3D modelling software published by Trimble, widely used in architecture, interior design and furniture design. The file holds the geometry (faces and edges), components and groups, materials and their textures, tags and saved scenes.
This format is specific to SketchUp: most other 3D applications, Blender included, do not open it as it is. So you need either SketchUp or an export to an exchange format.
Opening a SKP file without SketchUp
For years, the go-to tool was SketchUp Viewer, a free viewer for desktop computers. Trimble stopped offering it for download on 22 April 2025; copies already installed keep working, with no guarantee. To simply look at a model, Trimble now points users to SketchUp for Web and Trimble Connect, which open it in the browser.
Beware of the free plan of SketchUp for Web: it opens the model, but among 3D formats it only exports STL, which keeps only the geometry. The exports that are useful for Blender require a paid subscription.
Which formats can SketchUp export to Blender?
| Format | SketchUp plans | In Blender | What comes through |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBX (.fbx) | Go, Pro, Studio | File, Import, FBX | Geometry, materials, textures |
| glTF (.glb, .gltf) | Pro, Studio | File, Import, glTF 2.0 | Geometry, physically based materials, textures |
| OBJ (.obj) | Go, Pro, Studio | File, Import, Wavefront (.obj) | Geometry, simple materials |
| STL (.stl) | Free, Go, Pro, Studio | File, Import, STL | Geometry only |
| Collada (.dae) | Go, Pro, Studio | Up to Blender 4.5 LTS only | Removed from Blender 5 |
Many older tutorials recommend Collada: it was SketchUp's historical exchange format. Blender 5.0 removed it, and Blender 4.5 LTS is the last version that imports it. The Blender 5 guide lists the other changes in this series.
Exporting from SketchUp as FBX, step by step
- In SketchUp, open File, Export, 3D Model.
- Choose the FBX File (*.fbx) type, then click Options.
- Tick Export Texture Maps, to take the material images with you.
- Under Units, choose metres: Blender works in metres by default, and the wrong unit gives a model that is far too large or too small.
- Leave Swap YZ Coordinates unticked: SketchUp and Blender both have the Z axis pointing up.
- Leave Export Two-Sided Faces unticked, unless materials are painted on the back of faces: this option doubles the polygon count.
- Click Export, and keep the texture images with the FBX file.
Importing into Blender and cleaning up the model
In Blender, open File, Import, FBX and choose the file. Before you start lighting, four checks avoid most surprises:
- Scale: a door should be about 2 metres tall. If it is not, correct the scale then apply it (Ctrl+A, Scale) so that modifiers and physics behave normally.
- Reversed faces: SketchUp distinguishes the front and the back of every face. A face that is reversed in SketchUp arrives with flipped normals. Fix it before exporting (Reverse Faces in SketchUp), or in Blender in Edit Mode with Mesh, Normals, Recalculate Outside (Shift+N).
- Materials: SketchUp materials arrive as simple materials, a colour or an image. For a realistic render, rework them in the Shader Editor: roughness, reflections, glass. The guide to textures in Blender covers the method.
- Objects: a SketchUp model often arrives as many objects. Organise them in collections in the Outliner (entry in French), or group the small elements together, as explained in the guide to joining objects.
Third-party add-ons, developed by the community, import .skp files directly into Blender. Their compatibility depends on the versions of SketchUp and Blender: check it before relying on one for a project, and keep the FBX export as a fallback.
Rendering a SketchUp model in Blender
For a photorealistic render, a SketchUp model often goes through an external render engine. Blender provides two for free, Cycles for realism and EEVEE for speed. An interior imported from SketchUp mostly needs good lighting: an HDRI for daylight through the windows, lamps for artificial light sources, and materials reworked one by one. The guide on how to render in Blender then explains the output settings.
For an animated walkthrough of an architecture project, count the time for one frame multiplied by the number of frames: the render time calculator gives the order of magnitude before you launch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SKP file?
It is the native format of SketchUp, Trimble's 3D modelling software, widely used in architecture and interior design. A .skp file contains the model's geometry, components, materials, tags and scenes.
How do you open a SKP file without SketchUp installed?
The free SketchUp Viewer for desktop computers has not been available for download since 22 April 2025. Trimble now points users to SketchUp for Web and Trimble Connect, which open a model in the browser.
Can Blender open a SKP file?
Not directly: Blender has no built-in .skp importer. The reliable method is to export the model from SketchUp as FBX, OBJ or glTF, then import it into Blender. Third-party add-ons import .skp files, with compatibility that depends on the versions.
Why does a Collada (.dae) export no longer open in Blender?
Blender 5.0 removed Collada import and export. A .dae file now only opens in Blender 4.5 LTS or an earlier version; with Blender 5, use FBX or glTF instead.
Which format should you use to go from SketchUp to Blender?
FBX, with texture export ticked and units set to metres, keeps the geometry, the materials and the images. glTF, available in SketchUp Pro and Studio, gives materials closer to Blender's physically based materials. OBJ is fine for simple geometry; STL keeps neither materials nor textures.
Rendering the animation on TURNA
When a scene is already well optimised and the frame count is what takes the time, the remaining lever is rendering several frames at once. TURNA does this for Blender: an add-on (Blender 4.0 to 5.2, Cycles and Eevee) sends the scene in one click, and the frames are split across 1, 2, 4 or 8 GPUs in parallel, RTX 5090 first and RTX 4090 when none is free. The add-on shows the estimated cost before anything starts. Prices start at €2.90 per hour, billed on the time actually used, with a 30-second minimum, and new accounts get €25 of free credit. A single still image is still rendered by one machine, so the gain is on animations. Tiers and worked examples are on the Blender render farm page.
Once the model is in Blender and the scene is lit, the .blend file can be rendered on TURNA, with Cycles or EEVEE, on 1 to 8 GPU machines in parallel. TURNA does not read .skp files: the conversion in Blender is still needed.
