Geolocation Sketchup 2021 – Trusted

Unlike the completely rebuilt "Trimble Connect" geolocation system in SketchUp 2023 and beyond, SketchUp 2021 relies on the classic tool powered by legacy Google Maps and USGS topography data.

Step-by-step: add geolocation

Let’s walk through an actual workflow to ensure your model is perfectly geo-located. geolocation sketchup 2021

A web dialog box will appear. Type the address or coordinates of your project site into the search bar.

You can access the Geolocation tool through two primary methods: Type the address or coordinates of your project

The technical core of geolocation in SketchUp 2021 lies in its ability to assign latitude, longitude, and elevation data to a model. By navigating through the menu or accessing it via the Model Info window , users can select a specific region of the Earth to import. Once a location is "grabbed," SketchUp aligns the model’s axes with the cardinal directions—where the solid green axis points North and the solid red axis points East—ensuring that geographical orientation is handled automatically. This precision is vital for accurate shadow analysis, as the software uses these coordinates to approximate the time zone and calculate the exact position of the sun throughout the year.

: Imports 3D topography to handle slope changes easily. Once a location is "grabbed," SketchUp aligns the

: Once geolocated, SketchUp uses the exact latitude and longitude to simulate realistic sun positions and shadows for any time of day or year.

Don’t worry. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about , including how to import terrain, satellite imagery, and why the workflow is different from older versions.

: If you need to reset the site, go to Model Info > Geo-location and select Clear Location to remove all site data from the file. Pro Tip: Solar North