How Do I Export SketchUp Components to Revit?

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How Do I Export SketchUp Components to Revit?

SketchUp and Revit are both powerful tools in the field of architecture and design. While SketchUp is known for its ease of use and intuitive interface, Revit offers advanced features for building information modeling (BIM).

If you’re working on a project that requires collaboration between SketchUp and Revit users, you may need to export your SketchUp components to Revit. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the process step by step.

Step 1: Prepare Your SketchUp Model

The first step is to ensure that your SketchUp model is clean and organized. This will make the export process much smoother.

Here are a few tips:

  • Group or Componentize: Make sure your model is divided into logical groups or components. This will help maintain the structure when exporting to Revit.
  • Clean Up Geometry: Remove any unnecessary lines, faces, or stray geometry that might interfere with the export.
  • Check for Errors: Use SketchUp’s “Entity Info” panel to check for any errors or issues in your model. Fixing them beforehand can save a lot of time later.

Step 2: Install the “SketchUp to Revit” Plugin

In order to export your SketchUp components to Revit, you’ll need to install a plugin called “SketchUp to Revit”. This plugin enables direct compatibility between the two software programs.

Here’s how to install it:

  1. Visit the Extension Warehouse: Open SketchUp and go to Window > Extension Warehouse.
  2. Search for “SketchUp to Revit”: In the Extension Warehouse, search for “SketchUp to Revit” using the search bar.
  3. Install the Plugin: Once you’ve found the plugin, click on it and then click the “Install” button. SketchUp will automatically install the plugin for you.

Step 3: Export Your SketchUp Model

Now that your SketchUp model is ready and the plugin is installed, it’s time to export it to Revit. Follow these steps:

  1. Select Components: In SketchUp, select the components or groups you want to export. You can use the Select tool or a selection window to choose multiple components.
  2. Open the Plugin: Go to Extensions > Export > SketchUp to Revit.

    The plugin window will open with several options.

  3. Choose Export Settings: In the plugin window, you can customize various export settings such as units, materials, layers, and more. Adjust these settings according to your project requirements.
  4. Select Revit Version: Choose the appropriate version of Revit that you’ll be importing your model into.
  5. Export: Click on the “Export” button in the plugin window. The selected components will be converted into a compatible file format for Revit (.rvt).

Step 4: Import Your Model into Revit

You’ve successfully exported your SketchUp components! Now let’s import them into Revit:

  1. Create a New Project in Revit: Open Revit and create a new project or open an existing one where you want to import the SketchUp components.
  2. Import the SketchUp Model: Go to Insert > Import CAD.

    Browse for the exported .rvt file and click “Open”.

  3. Adjust Import Settings: In the import settings dialog box, make sure to select “Merge into current view” if you want to add the SketchUp components to your existing project.
  4. Position and Scale: Revit will import the SketchUp components into your project. Use the available tools in Revit to position and scale them as needed.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully exported your SketchUp components to Revit. Now you can continue working on your project in Revit with the added benefit of collaborating with other users who prefer using SketchUp.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we’ve explored the process of exporting SketchUp components to Revit. We covered how to prepare your model, install the necessary plugin, export your model, and import it into Revit.

By following these steps, you can seamlessly collaborate between SketchUp and Revit users on a shared project. Remember to always keep your models clean and organized for a smoother export process.

Happy exporting!