To gain the most out of SketchUp or SketchUp Pro, there are other softwares and plugins available for free which you can use in tandem with SketchUp. These consist of:

1. Simple Plugins
2. Software within SketchUp
3. External Software

As with all popular software platforms, SketchUp plugins and associated software are many. How do you choose what to learn how to use? And how do you know you’re spending your time wisely? Downloading this and that can become a full time job!

So here’s a list of some of the must have productivity enhancements for SketchUp and your SketchUp workflow. All of these are free or near enough.

Image manipulation: textures, materials, compositing.

The GIMP

The GIMP is an open source image editing application. It rivals Photoshop in its capabilities, most importantly by handling layers and layer masks, as well as having a large number of plugins and filters available. It’s free and works almost like Photoshop so you should be able to pick it up  in no time. SketchUp now has the capability to edit textures in-situ, meaning you can open the side of your house in GIMP, make changes, and update it automatically in SketchUp.

GIMP is our no.1 toolbox item. Download it here.