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# What SketchUp LayOut is and how to send a model to it
- URL: https://sketchupguide.net/sketchup-layout/
- Published: 2026-11-01T14:05:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-05T13:03:07.000Z
- Description: LayOut turns a saved SketchUp scene into a scaled drawing sheet. Choose Pro for the desktop workflow, set the viewport scene and scale, attach dimensions and labels, then update the model reference before export.
- Author: Oliver Grant
- Tags: Drawings, LayOut & export

SketchUp LayOut is the drawing-sheet app included with Pro and Studio. SketchUp holds the model's edges and faces at real size; LayOut places views of that model on pages with a chosen scale, dimensions, labels and title blocks. To start a sheet, save a scene in SketchUp, choose File > Send to LayOut, pick a template, then select the scene and scale in the SketchUp Model panel.

I'd start with one plan viewport because it makes the first size check straightforward. Once that view has the correct scale and a dimension that reads the model, copy the viewport for elevations or details. You can export the finished pages as a PDF or hand them over as DWG/DXF files.

## What LayOut adds to a SketchUp model

A 4 m wall remains 4 m in SketchUp. On a sheet at 1:50, its projected length is 80 mm: the model keeps its real size while the viewport controls its size on paper. That is the useful difference between SketchUp and LayOut. One model can supply a plan, an elevation and a perspective on the same page, each framed separately.

LayOut inserts the SKP as a [linked SketchUp model entity](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/importing-sketchup-model?ref=sketchupguide.net). Copying that entity makes another viewport using the same model file. Edit the geometry in SketchUp, save it and update the reference in LayOut; the sheet can then reflect the changed model. A pasted image has no equivalent model connection.

Around those viewports, [LayOut provides drawing and annotation tools](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/products/layout?ref=sketchupguide.net), templates, title blocks, reusable scrapbook elements and references such as images, DWG files and spreadsheets. It can also draw 2D geometry of its own. In LayOut 2027, [Draw Mode in the Scaled Drawing panel](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/creating-scaled-drawing?ref=sketchupguide.net) opens a paperless canvas at real-world 1:1 coordinates; exiting converts the drawing into a scaled group. That group's scale and a SketchUp viewport's scale are separate settings.

## Which plan and computer you need

[Pro includes desktop SketchUp and LayOut](https://help.sketchup.com/en/admin/sketchup-pro?ref=sketchupguide.net); Studio includes them too. Go supplies web and iPad modeling, and Free supplies the browser modeler, so neither is the route to LayOut sheets. [Trimble's plan comparison](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/plans-and-pricing?ref=sketchupguide.net) separates those products. For drawing sheets alone, Pro is the lowest core plan to choose.

LayOut runs on desktop Windows and Mac. Studio's bundle is [Windows only](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-studio?ref=sketchupguide.net), so choose Pro for LayOut on a Mac. Check the computer before downloading: [the 2027.0 release requires Apple silicon on macOS](https://help.sketchup.com/en/release-notes/sketchup-desktop-20270?ref=sketchupguide.net) and brings the same dockable interface to Windows and Mac. Older Mac tutorials can therefore show different menu and panel arrangements.

The [7-day Pro trial includes LayOut and needs no credit card](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/try-sketchup?ref=sketchupguide.net). Start it when the model is ready for sheets so the trial time goes into the drawing set. Subscription prices and billing terms belong in the [SketchUp cost guide](https://sketchupguide.net/sketchup-cost/).

## Prepare a saved scene for each view

Finish the model's size and keep its parts in groups or components before preparing the sheet. Tags control which parts appear; they don't separate touching loose geometry. For a floor plan, set the camera and a section cut in SketchUp, then save that view as a scene.

1. **Set the plan view.** Choose **Camera > Standard Views > Top** and **Camera > Parallel Projection**. If the roof or upper walls hide the room, use a horizontal section plane to expose the floor. [Trimble's floor-plan workflow](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/blog/article/creating-plan-your-sketchup-model-layout?ref=sketchupguide.net) prepares the view this way before sending it to LayOut.
2. **Set visibility.** Show the tags needed in that drawing and choose its style and active section cut. A furnished plan and a structural plan can use separate scenes of the same geometry.
3. **Save the scene.** Open **Scenes**, click **Add Scenes**, then **Show Details**. Name the example view `Plan`. Keep Camera Location, Visible Tags and Active Section Planes selected when those properties define the view; include Style and Fog for its appearance. The [saved scene properties](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/creating-scenes?ref=sketchupguide.net) determine what returns when you select the scene.
4. **Check and save the SKP.** Orbit away, choose the Plan scene and confirm the camera, cut and visible objects return. Save the model to a stable file location.

A scene saves view properties, not an earlier copy of the geometry. Moving a wall changes the model seen by its scenes. Use **Update Scene** when you want to change a scene's saved camera, visibility or other selected properties, then save the SKP so LayOut can read the changes.

In a [forum explanation of a floor-plan handoff](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/layout-floor-plan/203998/2?ref=sketchupguide.net), DaveR recommends a named scene over Last saved SketchUp View when adding annotations. A named scene gives the viewport a deliberate view to return to; the last saved view can change as you work elsewhere in the model.

## Send the model and choose the sheet

1. In desktop SketchUp, choose **File > Send to LayOut**. [Send to LayOut also appears in the Getting Started toolbar and Large Tool Set](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/sending-sketchup-model-layout?ref=sketchupguide.net). Save the model when prompted.
2. Choose a template when LayOut opens. Use a Titleblock template if you want a border and title block already placed; use Paper for a plain or graph-paper sheet. **More Templates** opens [the full template categories](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/creating-and-saving-layout-document?ref=sketchupguide.net).
3. Check the paper under **Window > Document Setup > Paper** in the 2027 interface. Set its size and orientation for the intended output. [Document Setup controls paper size, margins and rendering resolution](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/document-setup?ref=sketchupguide.net).
4. Click the model on the page. A blue selection border identifies the viewport; its model settings apply to that selection.

If the LayOut document already exists, go to the required page and use **File > Insert**, select the SKP and click **Open**. You don't need to start another document. Copy and paste the viewport when the sheet needs another view of the same model.

## Set the viewport's scene, Ortho and scale

Select the viewport and open the **SketchUp Model** panel. If it is hidden, use the Window menu's panel options. In 2027, Windows and Mac share the dockable workspace; a tutorial showing the older Mac stack of separate windows isn't a guide to the new arrangement.

1. **Choose the scene first.** Under Viewport, open **Scene** and select `Plan`. You can also context-click the viewport and use **Scenes**, as the [scene-selection instructions](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/selecting-scenes?ref=sketchupguide.net) show. Check that the intended plan appears.
2. **Enable Ortho.** Under Camera, select **Ortho** and choose the drawing scale from the dropdown beside it. Select **Custom** if you need a scale outside the presets. [LayOut's scale controls require an orthographic view](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/perspective-and-scale?ref=sketchupguide.net); a perspective has no single drawing scale.
3. **Preserve the scale while framing.** Enable **Preserve Scale** before dragging the viewport boundary. With this option on, the frame can show more or less of the model while retaining the chosen scale. Check the scale field after resizing.
4. **Check one known length.** For the example 4 m wall at 1:50, the projected wall length on paper is `4000 mm ÷ 50 = 80 mm`. Keep the dimension attached to the model and the paper-size check separate: the dimension should report the real 4 m length.

![SketchUp Model panel with Plan selected, Ortho enabled, an example scale of 1:50 and Preserve Scale checked](https://storage.ghost.io/c/91/44/91442afd-0c5c-4b43-a595-8db40125cd56/content/images/2026/11/a07-layout-viewport-scale.webp)

Choose the named scene, enable Ortho, set the drawing scale and preserve it before resizing the viewport. 1:50 is the example scale. [Open the viewport controls at full size](https://storage.ghost.io/c/91/44/91442afd-0c5c-4b43-a595-8db40125cd56/content/images/2026/11/a07-layout-viewport-scale.webp?ref=sketchupguide.net).

For one viewport's visibility exception, expand **Tags** in SketchUp Model and click the eye beside the relevant tag or folder. [LayOut can control tag visibility per viewport](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/managing-model-references?ref=sketchupguide.net). Put a visibility choice shared across the drawing set into the SketchUp scene so you can maintain it there.

## Choose how the viewport renders

The rendering dropdown under Viewport offers [Raster, Vector and Hybrid](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/rendering-models?ref=sketchupguide.net). Raster keeps the SketchUp appearance and materials. Vector produces scalable linework, though some textures disappear and complex models can take longer. Hybrid combines raster appearance with vector lines and can take longer to redraw.

Keep **Auto** on for automatic redraws. With Auto off, click **Render** after changes; **Rendered** means the current changes have been drawn. Updating the SKP reference and rendering a viewport are separate operations: Render cannot find a moved SKP or replace an outdated reference.

Under **Document Setup > Rendering**, Display Resolution controls working quality and Output Resolution controls export and print quality. Output Override is enabled for raster viewports by default and set to Hybrid, so it can change the rendering mode at export. Check that option before diagnosing a PDF that looks different from the working page.

For a busy sheet, start with Raster and Low or Medium display resolution, then assess the exported detail at the output resolution you need. [Anssi recommends that working setup](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/what-is-the-one-thing-you-learned-about-layout-that-everyone-should-know/313339/13?ref=sketchupguide.net) in the SketchUp forum and keeps output resolution High.

## Add dimensions, labels and title-block text

### Dimensions that read the model

Open **Arrange** and confirm it displays **Object Snap On**. [Attached dimensions update with their objects when Object Snap is enabled](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/marking-dimensions?ref=sketchupguide.net). Place both endpoints on the model features you intend to measure.

1. Choose **Tools > Dimensions > Linear**, or Linear Dimension from the default toolbar's Dimensions menu.
2. Check the length format, units and precision in **Dimension Style**. Leave Auto Scale enabled for automatic interpretation of the model or paper space.
3. Click the first model point, click the second, move the cursor to offset the dimension line and click to finish. Check the displayed value against a known model length.

A dimension inside a SketchUp model viewport reads model space. One that starts on the model and ends on an object in paper space reads the paper distance. In an orthographic view, the dimension is a projected distance, so the known wall must lie in the plane of the plan or elevation you're dimensioning. Don't force a convenient number into the text to conceal a wrong connection or scale.

### Labels with a leader

Choose **Tools > Label**. Click the feature, click for the leader's elbow, then click its end and type the label. Double-click the endpoint instead if you want no elbow. A label connected to a SketchUp entity offers a blue dropdown for model Auto-Text, including scene information or component properties. [That Auto-Text can update when the model reference is updated](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/labeling-items-your-document?ref=sketchupguide.net).

### Auto-Text in the title block

Use **Tools > Text**, click the title-block position and choose **Text > Insert Auto-Text**. Select the required tag, or type a known tag such as `<PageNumber>` and press Enter. Click outside the text area to display its value.

Open **Text > Customize Auto-Text** to set values such as Company or Address and create custom tags. [LayOut's Auto-Text options](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/automate-titleblocks?ref=sketchupguide.net) include page names and counts, file names and several distinct dates. Choose Date Published for the last print/export date; Current Date changes with the day and does not identify a drawing revision.

![Room plan on a LayOut page with a linear dimension across the top wall, its two attach points in red, a label pointing at the door and a title block in the corner, numbered 1 to 3](https://storage.ghost.io/c/91/44/91442afd-0c5c-4b43-a595-8db40125cd56/content/images/2026/11/a07-layout-annotated-sheet-provenance-20261105T130300802702Z.webp)

Keep Arrange > Object Snap On while dimensioning so both endpoints attach to the model and can follow later changes. [Open the sheet annotations at full size](https://storage.ghost.io/c/91/44/91442afd-0c5c-4b43-a595-8db40125cd56/content/images/2026/11/a07-layout-annotated-sheet-provenance-20261105T130300802702Z.webp?ref=sketchupguide.net).

## Bring model changes into the sheet

From LayOut, context-click the viewport and choose **Open with SketchUp**. Make the geometry change, save the SKP and return to LayOut. [Opening the model through its viewport keeps the update workflow connected](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/managing-model-references?ref=sketchupguide.net).

If the SKP changed elsewhere, use **Window > Document Setup > References**. Select the outdated reference, click **Update**, then close the dialog. Use **Relink** for a moved or renamed file. **Unlink** breaks the connection; it is not a repair for a missing reference.

[![LayOut References controls with an example Out of Date SKP selected and Update highlighted beside Relink and Unlink](https://storage.ghost.io/c/91/44/91442afd-0c5c-4b43-a595-8db40125cd56/content/images/2026/11/a07-layout-reference-update-relink.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/91/44/91442afd-0c5c-4b43-a595-8db40125cd56/content/images/2026/11/a07-layout-reference-update-relink.webp?ref=sketchupguide.net)

In Document Setup > References, use Update for an outdated model and Relink for a moved or renamed file. Unlink breaks the connection.

Read the affected dimensions after every revision. A red dimension is an alert that LayOut may have lost a reliable connection. Double-click its red text and drag each red endpoint away and back onto the correct model point, or use **Reconnect to Model** from its context menu. Check the value against the changed geometry before accepting the reconnection. Hiding warning symbols only hides the alert.

## Export the sheet and verify the output size

Check Paper and Rendering in Document Setup before export. A page that fits on screen can still leave at the wrong paper size, and the Output Override can change viewport rendering.

- **PDF for a drawing set.** Choose **File > Export** with PDF selected, name the file and save. [PDF export options](https://help.sketchup.com/en/create-pdf?ref=sketchupguide.net) include all pages or a range, JPEG compression for images, PDF layers and opening the result in a viewer. On macOS, an Options button in the export dialog exposes these settings. Compression trades image quality for file size; inspect fine linework and images in the exported PDF.
- **DWG or DXF for a CAD handoff.** Choose that format under **File > Export** and select the AutoCAD version the receiver needs. [The DWG/DXF options](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/exporting-cad-data-layout?ref=sketchupguide.net) include per-page files, layer handling and Export All to Model Space. That last option exports entities at the current paper size, so it needs an explicit scale agreement with the recipient. Confirm one known length in the receiving CAD app; exporting DWG for CAD users is a separate handoff task.

Open the PDF, confirm its page size and inspect the title block and dimensions. For a scaled print, use the viewer's actual-size/100% output setting rather than fitting the page to the printer's margins, then measure the example wall on paper. At 1:50, the 4 m projected wall should occupy 80 mm. A title that says 1:50 cannot correct a print that was reduced to fit.

## Which recent changes matter when following a tutorial

[LayOut 2025 changed Move, Rotate and Scale](https://help.sketchup.com/en/release-notes/sketchup-desktop-20250?ref=sketchupguide.net) to work more like their SketchUp counterparts and let Join and Split operate on selected entities. [LayOut 2026 added Trim, Extend, Fillet and Chamfer](https://help.sketchup.com/en/release-notes/sketchup-desktop-20260?ref=sketchupguide.net), a new Windows tray interface and per-page DWG export. Those changes explain why older tutorials can show different drafting tools.

2027 brings the shared Windows/Mac interface, tabs for multiple documents, Image Adjustments for raster/hybrid viewports and the paperless Draw Mode described above. Keep those version differences separate from the basic sheet workflow: choose a saved scene, set the viewport scale, attach annotations, then update its model reference when geometry changes.

Once the sheet's paper, text and viewport arrangement suit the work, use **File > Save As Template**, give the template a name and folder and save it. [The saved template appears under My Templates](https://help.sketchup.com/en/layout/creating-template-layout?ref=sketchupguide.net) when you start another document. Templates retain their existing entities and pages, so remove job-specific content before saving one for reuse. Finish by returning to the Plan scene in SketchUp and saving both files; [draw a floor plan](https://sketchupguide.net/sketchup-floor-plan/) at real size before building the next sheet around it.