Export SketchUp Files (.skp)

Export the following modeling objects from your TBC project to a Trimble SketchUp (.skp) file that allows you to easily create the model in SketchUp.

Points
Lines
Alignments
Surfaces
Textures
Trimble Vision images

When you export a Trimble SketchUp (.skp) file, note the following:

Points are exported as guide points.
CAD lines, linestrings, and alignments are exported as edges.
Surface triangles are exported as faces.
Features associated with points and lines are not exported.
Trimble Vision images require guide points to ensure correct modeling in SketchUp.
You can optionally select to retain the origin coordinates for an exported model in the SKP export file so that if the file is re-imported back into TBC, the model is imported at the correct location instead of 0,0,0.
If the project is configured to display meters, the SketchUp metric template (meters) is used. Otherwise, the SketchUp US template (inches) is used.

To export a SketchUp (.skp) file:

Note: For general instructions on exporting data files, see Export Data.

Select Export. The Export command pane displays.
Click the CAD tab and select SketchUp file (.skp) exporter.
If you are exporting Trimble Vision images, do the following:
1. Optionally, use Google Earth (see Export KML Earth Browser Files and Georeference an Image) to download an appropriate referenced background image to display in the Plan View to help when creating a boundary to specify images for export (step b).
2. Click the Create Boundary icon in the Export command pane tool bar to create a polygonal boundary in the Plan View around all or any part of the images you want to export. The exporter will include only the images with view angles that intersect the boundary box. (Otherwise, all images from all selected photo stations are included in the export.)
3. Click in the Boundary field. Then, in the Plan View, select the boundary you created in the previous step.
Click in the Selected objects box. Then, using a tabbed view, Project Explorer, or Selection Explorer, pick any points, lines, surfaces, and/or photo stations (Trimble Vision images) that you want to include in the export.
Alternately, you can click the Options button and choose a selection option in the list.
If you are exporting Trimble Vision images, be sure to include sufficient guide points (either tie points or manually created photo points) to complete your model within SketchUp. More about guide points...
Optionally, in the Origin point group, change the Easting, Northing, and/or Elevation values to specify the point of origin (intersection of the X and Y axis)for the model in SketchUp.
If you are exporting Trimble Vision images, you must specify an origin point for the project to ensure successful modeling in SketchUp.
Hint: If you used a boundary to specify the images you want to export (step 3b above), you might select the lower-left corner of the boundary box to use as the origin point.
In the File Name box, type a path and file name for the export file, or click the Browse button to browse for a location and specify a file name.
By default, the exported file is given the name of your project.
In the Settings section, do the following:
1. Select the version of SketchUp to which you want to export.
2. Optionally, enter a new prefix for exported surface names.
3. Select whether or not to save the coordinates for the exported model's origin point in the SKP file so that if the file is re-imported back into TBC, the model is imported at the correct location instead of 0,0,0.
Note that only SketchUp 2015 and later support the import of Trimble Vision images.
Click Export.
If you are exporting Trimble Vision images, points created from photo stations are exported to the hidden SketchUp layer "Trimble Photo Stations." You can select to display the station points by displaying this layer in SketchUp.