SKP to KML Converter
Upload your SketchUp (SKP) model, check its location and get a KML file to view in Google Earth or load into map apps.
SKP and KML explained
SKP
SketchUp's 3D model file. It holds faces, edges, layers (tags), materials, components and groups, but no coordinate system: a location exists only when the model was placed with Add Location (Google Earth) or set by hand in SketchUp.
KML
An XML file for geographic data, opened in Google Earth and many map apps.
When to use SKP to KML
- The server reads SketchUp files from version 2021 onward, so you do not need SketchUp installed. Verified on files saved by SketchUp 2021 and 2026.
- See a building model on Google Earth's satellite imagery, at the position set with Add Location.
- Check the model's position, orientation and height against the site before presenting or submitting it.
- Switch the model's layers (tags) on and off in Google Earth.
What carries over and what changes
| Aspect | In the KML result |
|---|---|
| Layers | Each SketchUp layer (tag) is kept as the organising unit. The Location Snapshot and Location Terrain layers (Google Earth terrain and satellite imagery created by Add Location) are always left out. Hidden layers and hidden objects are not exported. |
| Geometry types | Each face is one polygon with its outer boundary and its holes (windows, openings) kept, not split into triangles. Loose edges (edges no face uses, such as cables) become lines (LineString). A face's boundary edges are not exported separately. A face smaller than about 1 cm can be dropped. |
| Curves and arcs | SketchUp stores arcs and circles as straight segments; the tool exports exactly those segments and does not smooth them further. |
| Text and components | Components and groups are flattened into geometry (their placement is baked in) and the nesting is not kept. Text, dimensions, section planes, scenes and styles are not exported. |
| Attributes | Attributes are not carried: the layer is the Folder name and the material name is in the Placemark name. Choose Shapefile if you need an attribute table. |
| Colours and styles | Each face's material colour with its opacity; a face without a material gets a default light grey. Textures (images) are not carried: a textured face only takes the material's colour. |
| Z / elevation | Heights are kept: Z in metres above the model origin, written with altitudeMode relativeToGround (the model stands on the ground at its anchor), no extrude. |
| CRS and location | A SketchUp model has no coordinate system. The location comes from the Add Location data stored in the file, or from the latitude and longitude you enter for the model origin; the north angle rotates the model. Choose "Ignore the file's north angle" to skip the angle stored in the file. |
| Format specifics | Each Folder splits into one Placemark per material, at most 2,000 shapes each; coordinates are rounded to 7 decimals of a degree and Z to 3 decimals of a metre. |
Why is my model in the wrong place?
- A SketchUp model has no coordinate system. It only lands in the right place when it has an anchor: the Add Location (Google Earth) position stored in the file, or the latitude and longitude you enter.
- The anchor is where the model's origin (the point 0,0,0) sits, not the centre or a corner of the building. A building drawn some distance from the origin lands that distance from the anchor.
- A model made from a default template carries a template location that is not a real one; the tool ignores it and asks you for the latitude and longitude.
- Orientation: the model's green axis (Y) points north only when the north angle is 0. The file's north angle is applied as "the bearing of the Y axis, measured clockwise from true north"; if the model looks rotated, try "Ignore the file's north angle" or enter the north angle.
- Height: Z is measured from the model origin (metres). In Google Earth the model stands on the ground at its anchor, so anything below the origin (negative Z) is under the ground.
What's in the download
- One .kml file (UTF-8), named like <model name>_iQuyHoach_KML.kml.
- The KML document is named after your model and its description gives the origin, the rotation and how Z is measured.
- The page shows a summary when it finishes: counts of polygons (faces), lines and materials, the layer list, the model size (metres), the location used and the layers that were left out.
- One .skp file at a time; ZIP batches are not available for SketchUp.
Security and retention
- Your file is uploaded to our server over HTTPS and processed on the server.
- The model and results of a finished conversion are deleted automatically after 7 days. A file rejected for a problem you can fix (old version, missing location) is also deleted after 7 days.
- The download link is a long random ID; no account is needed, but anyone with the link can download for 7 days, so do not post it publicly if the model is sensitive.
- The model is read in a separate process with limits on memory and processing time (at most 120 seconds for reading the file) and network access blocked.
- If a conversion fails unexpectedly we keep the file so we can fix the cause and run it again.
- Each IP address runs one conversion at a time.
- Email is optional and is used to send the download link when the conversion finishes (and to tell you if processing fails unexpectedly). For problems you can fix yourself, such as an old version or a missing location, the message appears on the page.
- Limits: 100 MB per upload; at most 2,000,000 triangles, 500,000 faces and 1,000,000 loose-edge segments.
FAQ
Is SKP to KML free?
Yes, convert SketchUp to KML online without installing SketchUp.
Where does the model's location come from?
From the Add Location (Google Earth) data stored in the .skp. If the file has no real location you enter the latitude and longitude of the model origin; those fields can also place the model somewhere else.
Which SketchUp versions work?
SketchUp 2021 or newer; verified on files saved by SketchUp 2021 and 2026. Files from SketchUp 2020 or older are rejected with a message: re-save them in SketchUp 2021 or newer.
Why is the Location Terrain layer left out?
Location Snapshot and Location Terrain are the Google Earth terrain and satellite imagery created by Add Location, not your model; the tool always leaves these two layers out and reports it in the summary.
What are the limits?
Up to 100 MB per upload, 2,000,000 triangles, 500,000 faces, 1,000,000 loose-edge segments and 120 seconds of reading the file; one .skp at a time; one conversion at a time per IP address; files are deleted automatically after 7 days.
Are textures carried over?
No, textures are not carried; each face takes its material's colour.
Does it open in Google Earth?
Yes, the KML file opens directly in Google Earth; the model stands on the ground at its anchor (relativeToGround).