With the latest release of SketchUp 2016 we’re integrating Trimble Connect directly into SketchUp. 
As a refresher, Connect is Trimble’s platform for storing, syncing, referencing, sharing, and collaborating on design/build projects. Sign up for a free account, then start uploading .skp, .pdf, .dxf, .ifc. files. With this integration, we’re packaging the current Trimble Connect Extension into the installer. The TC integration is accessible from the File menu, and will allow users to upload, pull down, and update SKP’s from Trimble Connect project folders. As you’re modelling you can even pull in and update reference SketchUp models as if they were locally hosted components. Learn more about Trimble Connect…
In SketchUp 2016, a context click on a component gives you the opportunity to reload (or swap out) a new component directly from 3D Warehouse. This action will reload every instance of that component in your model (similar to the same action in the Components Browser), so it’s a helpful method for working with proxy models. And if your component was downloaded from 3D Warehouse, you can also use the context-click to quickly access its 3DWH details page.
With this release, LayOut’s reference objects are now web friendly. That means your LayOut projects can reference and update files that are stored and synced with services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Trimble Connect Sync. When you reference a file from any of these services (.skp or otherwise), LayOut will notify you when an update is available for your ‘web reference.’ Say goodbye to missing references when different people are working on the same .layout document within a cloud sync folder that also contains the referenced files.
We’re proud to announce our first step towards an extension ecosystem for LayOut. Using this new API, developers can now create and customise .layout files from SketchUp models. Practically, this means that other applications can import or export the *.layout file format using the C API. (This includes creating a .layout file from SketchUp.). We have several sample scripts for developers to try out at release, along with a blog post where they can learn more.
Learning & utilising SketchUp’s inference engine makes for fast & precise modelling. In this release, we’ve oiled that engine to provide slicker inferencing and locking across the board. This improvement is actually an entire set of smart tweaks we’ve made to inferencing and locking.
You can download SketchUp Pro 2016 for free on a 30 day trial. After this time, the software will revert to SketchUp Make.
Elmtec is the distribution partner for SketchUp in the UK. Contact us for more information on 01844 263750 or visit: www.elmtec.co.uk/sketchup