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SketchUp to GIS: place a SKP model on the map
A SketchUp model has no coordinate system. To land in the right place on Google Earth or in QGIS it needs an anchor. Here is how to set it, which versions work and why some layers are left out.
Where does the model's location come from?
When you use Add Location in SketchUp (the File menu, Geo-location; the menu name can differ a little between versions), SketchUp stores the latitude and longitude of the model origin and the location source (Google Earth) in the .skp. The tool reads exactly those values.
The anchor is the model's origin (the point 0,0,0), not the building's centre. A model made from a default template carries a template location that is not a real one; the tool recognises it and ignores it.
| Case | What the tool does | You provide |
|---|---|---|
| The model has an Add Location position | Uses that position | Nothing |
| The model has no real location | Reports an error until you give a position | The latitude and longitude of the model origin |
| You want to place the model somewhere else | Uses your position instead of the one in the file | A new latitude and longitude |
Which SketchUp versions are supported?
| Version | Status |
|---|---|
| SketchUp 2021 and 2026 | Supported, verified on real files |
| SketchUp 2022 to 2025 | Same file format, so accepted, but not tried on real files; the result page says "not verified" |
| SketchUp 2020 and older | Rejected: re-save the model in SketchUp 2021 or newer |
The file must be a valid .skp of at most 100 MB, at most 2,000,000 triangles, 500,000 faces and 1,000,000 loose-edge segments, read within 120 seconds. One file per conversion.
Why are the terrain layers left out?
Add Location imports Google Earth terrain and satellite imagery as two layers: Location Snapshot and Location Terrain. That is Google Earth data, not your model. The tool always leaves both layers out (geometry and imagery) and reports it in the result summary. The geometry you drew is not affected.
Hidden layers and hidden objects are not exported either: hide what you do not want exported before uploading.
Units and axes
- Units: SketchUp stores everything in inches internally; the output is always in metres. The display units in Model Info do not change the result.
- Axes: Z points up. When the north angle is 0, the red axis (X) points east and the green axis (Y) points north.
- Height: Z is in metres above the model origin. In KML the model stands on the ground at its anchor (relativeToGround); in a Shapefile, Z is metres above the origin, not elevation above sea level.
- Components and groups are flattened; textures, text, dimensions, section planes, scenes and styles are not carried. Each face keeps its outer boundary and its holes.
North angle
If the file stores a north angle the tool applies it: the model is rotated so that its Y axis points away from true north by exactly that angle, measured clockwise. An angle of 0 means the Y axis points due north.
This convention agrees with the only real model with a non-zero angle that we checked, but it is not independently confirmed. If the model looks rotated, choose "Ignore the file's north angle" or enter the north angle you want.
Symptoms and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A missing-location error | The file never had Add Location, or only carries the template position | Enter the latitude and longitude of the model origin, or run Add Location in SketchUp and save |
| The model is off by tens to hundreds of metres | The model's origin is not where you think it is | Check where the origin (0,0,0) sits in SketchUp; enter the exact latitude and longitude of that point |
| The model is rotated | The north angle in the file differs from the building's real orientation | Choose "Ignore the file's north angle" or enter the north angle |
| The model sinks into the ground or floats | Z is measured from the model origin, not from the real ground | Put the origin at ground level in SketchUp |
| A version-not-supported error | The file was saved by SketchUp 2020 or older | Open it and save it again in SketchUp 2021 or newer |
| A model-too-large or too-complex error | Over 2,000,000 triangles, 500,000 faces, 1,000,000 loose-edge segments or 120 seconds of reading the file | Split the model, remove detail you do not need, hide what should not be exported |
Choosing the output
- KML or KMZ: view and share the model on Google Earth; each layer is a Folder.
- SHP (ZIP): load faces and loose edges into QGIS or ArcGIS, with Z and an attribute table (layer, material, obj).
- GLB: view in 3D in glTF viewers, Blender or web apps; metres, Y-up; the placement is in asset.extras.georef.
Checklist before you convert
- Save the model in SketchUp 2021 or newer.
- Run Add Location, or have the latitude and longitude of the model origin ready.
- Put the origin at ground level and at the point you want as the anchor.
- Hide layers and objects you do not want exported.
- Pick the right output: KML or KMZ to view, SHP for GIS, GLB for 3D.
- Open the result and compare it with the site; if the orientation is off, try ignoring the file's north angle.
Try it
Pick an output and convert your drawing.
SketchUp 2021+ models on Google Earth, at the Add Location position.
SKP → KMZLike KML but zipped into one compact file for a SketchUp model.
SKP → SHPFaces become PolygonZ and loose edges PolyLineZ in a Shapefile ZIP for GIS.
SKP → GLBA standard glTF 3D model (metres, Y-up), with latitude, longitude and rotation.