Update: Trimble discontinued SketchUp Pro’s Statewide License Grant program as of July 1, 2022. As an alternative, Trimble recommends that schools explore SketchUp for Schools, a web-based 3D modeling app available through Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) and Microsoft education platforms.
Texas public school districts once had (no longer available) free access to an expensive design program known as SketchUp Pro (and the companion browser-based alternative, MySketchUp) through TCEA. As schools start the school year, you may be looking for ways to introduce students and staff to SketchUp Pro. Why not use this multimedia text set (MMTS) to get you started?
You can view the online, click-friendly version or get a copy you can customize.
How to Get Your Own Copy
To get your own copy of the MMTS shared above, follow these simple instructions:
- Login in to your Google account.
- Click on this link Sketch Up Pro Multimedia Text Set (MMTS).
- When prompted, click the button “Make a copy.”
- That’s it! You’ll have your own copy.
Wait, you want the Adobe PDF version? Find it here, along with the Microsoft Word version.
Get SketchUp
With a Google account, you can do the interior design work using the newly-released My.SketchUp.com. And if you want the full power of SketchUp Pro (a $695 value), fill out a short form through TCEA. Private schools can obtain SketchUp Pro EDU licenses for as low as $15 per seat per year.
Use SketchUp on Chromebooks, Windows, and Macs
Available for Mac and Windows computers, SketchUp Pro now comes as a web version usable on Chromebooks. What’s more, SketchUp Mobile Viewer ($13.99) allows SketchUp models to be viewed on the iPad.
As my colleague put it, “SketchUp is 3D modeling software that lets you create anything you can imagine. It’s powerful enough to build complex projects, yet is easy to learn and use.” Their work appears in SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse, which houses millions of models. Simple enough to use that grade 3 through adult learners rely on SketchUp for a variety of tasks. SketchUp can be integrated into a wide variety of classes.
