3D house design software is well-established as a means for everybody involved in a new design – from the architect themselves to builders, owners, and even their friends and family – to preview renovations and new houses before they're even started.

Available to download in a free 3D house design software version for homeowners and hobbyists and also two paid versions for industry professionals, SketchUp is one of the most popular 3D House Design app on the market. With its advance 3D modelling functionality, it really makes you feel like you are moving through an actual home. Its main features include simple click-and-release mouse control, preloaded templates, and images, and CAD files.

Along with features like its intuitive toolbar and the fact that it can be used by not just architects but all sorts of creatives, one of the key reasons for the success of this product is that it is designed to work much like a pencil in a designer's hand. It minimizes complications and it allows talent and imagination to simply do its thing. Add to that functionality designed to facilitate presentation of designs with animations, images, videos and so forth, and it really is the complete package.

As the saying goes however, nothing is perfect. Most things can always be improved and the same applies to SketchUp. As a quick Google search reveals, there are several Sketchup addons available to improve SketchUp and help individual designers customize it to their requirements.

With this in mind, here is a selection of what we believe are the best SketchUp plugins available in 2021. Just what you need to feel like the technology is in the background and it is just you, your imagination, and your pencil-like tool doing all the work. Note that these selections of Sketchup addons have been made specifically with architects in mind.

The 9 best Sketchup plugins

selection toys

1. Selection Toys

This plugin Is used to filter out faces, edges, and so on. It comes with several selection modifiers and it makes it possible to select the same layer orientation, material, and so forth where appropriate. Similarly, it allows users to choose similar instances of the same dynamic.

Click here for more information.

1001bit tools

2. 1001Bit Tools

You can rely on 1001Bit Tools to facilitate the fast and simple creation of a large range of architectural elements like spiral staircases, windows and doors, rafters and purlins, customized stairs, and more. On top of that, these Sketchup extensions has some extra editing tools for general use.

Click here for more information.

curviloft

3. Curviloft Sketchup plugin

A great tool for furniture design, Curviloft generates parameterized volumes when selecting a series of curves on a 3D model. It provides designers with a means to tweak their curves in nine different ways. For example, it allows them to measure and choose the final thickness of the curves.

Click here for more information.

sandbox bonus tools

4. Sandbox bonus tools

This plugin actually includes a whole group of Sketchup extensions, namely the Project Mesh tool, the Foam Core tool, the Hoola Hoop tool, the Drop Downward tool, and the Set to Elevation tool. Together, these tools extend the functionality of the existing sandbox tools.

Click here for more information

toposhaper

5. TopoShaper Sketchup plugin

This tool takes iso-contours (i.e., contours which have a constant or quasi-constant altitude) and generates terrains from them. This invariably results in perfect, even terrains to accompany your designs.

Click here for more information.

artisan sketchup

6. Artisan Sketchup extension

Suitable for architects, designers, landscape architects, and also artists, the artisan plugin involves subdivision, sculpting, and soft selection functionality. It is the perfect way to create terrain and landscapes, furniture, characters, abstract sculptures, decorative objects, fabric, curtains, pillows, rocks, trees, plants, and more.

Click here for more information.

3dtreemaker

7. 3D Tree Maker Sketchup extension

3D Tree Maker provides a means to create 3D trees as well as grass, flowers, and other vegetation quickly and simply. Trees can be customized or alternatively designers can choose from a range of predefined templates. From there, they can save their work and use them as templates in future work and even generate random new trees whenever they please. A great way to make your design look good with a minimum of fuss.

Click here for more information.

angular dimension

8. Angular Dimension

An invaluable tool for all who use SketchUp, angular dimension allows designers to calculate and draw an angle on the surface of volumes. A winner with all who use it, this tool is a real must have. Comes with detailed information on how to use it.

Click here for more information.

sketchyffd

9. Sketchy FFD

Using the Sketchy FFD plugin users are able to create an invisible control cage – that is a mesh defined by a series of control points in its vertices and edges – around an object in their designs. The point of this is that it allows the architect to alter the dimensions of those objects.

Click here for more information.

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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