This tutorial will teach you how to download and install SketchUp on your computer. This is a completely free process where you can download the full working version of the software. You will be given the option to purchase SketchUp Pro, which comes with some additional software and tools. However, SketchUp will function just fine in its free, stand-alone version.
Follow the steps below to download and install SketchUp.
1. Visit www.sketchup.com. You’ll see a page that looks something like this.
2. Click the red button that says “Download SketchUp.”
3. This will bring you to a page that asks why you’re downloading SketchUp. Unless you’re planning on using SketchUp for a professional or commercial application, just select the “Personal Projects” option. It really doesn’t matter which option you select, because in either case, you get an eight hour trial of SketchUp Pro’s features and a permanent copy of the free version of SketchUp.
4. Select your operating system – Windows if you have a PC and Mac if you have a Mac.
5. Take a moment to read through the license agreement, then check the box indicating that you agree to the license agreement. After you do this, the button labeled “Download SketchUp Make” should turn red, as shown below.
6. (Optional) – You can either check or uncheck the box labeled “Send me SketchUp news and tips.” This will add you to the SketchUp newsletter, which occasionally goes out with SketchUp news and other cool stuff. They don’t send out a lot of email, so you can opt in to this without worrying about a lot of spam.
7. Click the “Download SketchUp Make” button. This will download the installation program to your computer.
8. Open the file that downloads. Follow the instructions to install SketchUp on your computer. Click finish to exit the set-up wizard.
Congratulations! SketchUp has now been installed on your computer! For instructions on where to go from here, check out the “Getting Started with SketchUp” post.
For more SketchUp Tutorials, check out our SketchUp Tutorials section.
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About Justin Geis
Hi, I'm Justin Geis, and I'm the founder of The SketchUp Essentials. I started using SketchUp as part of my work as a general contractor in 2008. I quickly realized the power of the software and started using it for personal projects. I started The SketchUp Essentials as a place to share easy to follow SketchUp tutorials and tips to help everyone harness the power of 3D Modeling in their lives. When not working with SketchUp, I enjoy playing soccer and spending time with my wife and our two dogs.
