SOME PEOPLE SAY that launching a new version of your software is a lot like giving birth: anticipation, excitement, labor, a little bit of yelling, and a good result. With that introduction, I’m proud to announce that, after months of hard work, it’s a…SketchUp 7.1. Break out the cigars!

Large Model Handling
We overhauled SketchUp’s rendering engine to make it easier to work with big models. With the right setup, operations like orbiting, zooming and drawing are quicker and smoother.

Modeling in Context
Get Photo Texture gives you direct access to Google Maps Street View imagery from right inside SketchUp, and Nearby Models lets you use the Component Browser to search the Google 3D Warehouse for buildings located near the one you’re working on. Watch a video (1:48) >>

Better File Exchange
COLLADA is a 3D file format based on open standards; it makes it easier to move your models between different pieces of software. KMZ is the standard file format for packaging 3D models together with information about their geographic locations. SketchUp 7.1 can import and export both types of files, which should go a long way toward letting you do whatever you like with your data.

Dimensioned Drawings in Google SketchUp Pro
We’ve given SketchUp Pro a big upgrade in this release; it’s specially targeted at those of you who need to make professional design documents to communicate your work to clients and partners. LayOut 2.1 (included in SketchUp Pro 7.1) now includes a simple but surprisingly powerful tool for dimensioning models and creating dimensioned drawings. Watch a video (1:13) >>

Check out our announcement blog post for lots more details about the release. You can download SketchUp 7.1 from right inside SketchUp; choose Help > Check for Update from the menu (SketchUp > Check Web for Update on a Mac), then follow the instructions.

SPEAKING OF LAUNCHES, we also just released SketchUp 7 in French, Spanish, Italian and German. Scroll down a bit to read all about it.

Happy sketching,