1

HOME/USEFUL GUIDES/GUIDE TO 3D FILE FORMATS/SKP FILE FORMAT EXPLAINED

SKP File Format Explained

SKP is a native proprietary file format associated with Trimble SketchUp. It is designed for fast 3D modeling, especially in architectural workflows, and stores polygonal model data such as edges and faces.

	Icon	Extension	Original Software	Year	Primary Industry	Geometry	UV Maps	Textures	PBR	Animation	Rigging	Open Use
		.SKP	SketchUp	2000	Architecture Construction Interior Design	Mesh	✔	✔	✔	–	–	–
SKP File Format Details What It Stores It stores 3D geometry such as edges and faces, materials, textures, groups, components, and component-related attributes. It can also store scene-related data such as camera views, styles, shadow settings, section cuts, tag visibility, and geolocation information. Primary Use Cases Architectural and interior design visualization. Generating construction floor plans. Rapid 3D prototyping for woodworking and fabrication. Asset creation for geolocated site-context and location-based visualization projects. Strengths User-friendly handling of components and groups. Generally small file sizes for complex architectural layouts. Integration with Trimble's ecosystem and LayOut for 2D documentation. Limitations Proprietary format often requires plugins, import support, or conversion for use outside SketchUp workflows. Performance can degrade significantly with high-poly organic meshes. Common Software Support Native to SketchUp. Supported via plugins or direct import in Lumion, V-Ray, Enscape, Twinmotion, and Autodesk Revit.

Browse SKP Assets on RenderHub