How to convert SketchUp (SKP) to OBJ
SKP is a closed format, so no browser can read it. SketchUp itself exports OBJ — but which version you have decides the route, and there is a free path either way.
Short answer: SketchUp Pro: File → Export → 3D Model, choose OBJ, and in Options tick 'Export texture maps' and 'Triangulate all faces'. SketchUp faces are single-sided; renderers often show them black until you flip normals or enable double-sided materials.
| Converts in this browser | No — SKP needs the CAD app that owns it |
|---|---|
| Cost | Guide is free; CAD application or plan terms may apply |
| From | SKP — SketchUp model |
| To | OBJ — Wavefront OBJ |
| Steps | 5 |
Why there is no uploader on this page
SKP is a closed format that no browser can read, so an in-page converter would have to send your file to a server. The procedure below does the job properly in the application that owns the format — and where a browser-side route exists, it is linked underneath.
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Converting SKP to OBJ, step by step
- 1SketchUp Pro: File → Export → 3D Model, choose OBJ, and in Options tick 'Export texture maps' and 'Triangulate all faces'.
- 2SketchUp Free (web): export COLLADA (DAE), then convert the DAE to OBJ in Blender (File → Import → COLLADA, then File → Export → Wavefront).
- 3Before exporting, purge unused components (Window → Model Info → Statistics → Purge Unused) — SketchUp models carry a lot of dead geometry.
- 4Select just the geometry you need and use 'Export selection only' if the model is large.
- 5Keep the exported .mtl file next to the .obj, or materials will be missing on import.
What to watch out for
- SketchUp faces are single-sided; renderers often show them black until you flip normals or enable double-sided materials.
- Curves are already segmented in SketchUp, so nothing arrives as a true arc.
- Component instances are flattened into plain meshes on export.
SketchUp's native 3D model format.
A plain-text mesh format listing vertices and faces — openly documented, which is why it can be read and rewritten in the browser.
Questions
Can I convert SKP to OBJ without SketchUp installed?
Only through the free web version's DAE export, or by asking whoever authored the model to export for you. There is no reliable offline reader for the closed SKP format.
Why is my OBJ enormous?
Imported terrain, high-segment curves and unpurged components. Purge and simplify before exporting.
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