Can SaunaDesignPro open a .skp file directly?
Not currently. Export the SketchUp model as a GLTF Binary File (.glb), then import that GLB into SaunaDesignPro.
Bring your SketchUp sauna design
Bring your SketchUp sauna design into SaunaDesignPro
Already modeled the room, cabin, or whole sauna building in SketchUp? Export one standard GLB file and SaunaDesignPro will inspect it, map its materials, and rebuild it as an editable native sauna design.
Import my SketchUp saunaRead SketchUp GLB export help
SaunaDesignPro does not open the native .skp file and does not require a SketchUp extension. The workflow uses SketchUp's standard GLTF Binary File (.glb) export. SDP validates the container, embedded images, geometry bounds, and complexity before using those signals to create a normal editable SDP project.
The conversion replaces the current working sauna instead of loading a second model on top of it. Embedded material and texture names are mapped to the closest stocked sauna wood. Recognized package files use source-controlled layout rules; other files receive a conservative inferred room and bench layout with review notes.
Step 1: prepare the sauna model
Keep the sauna near the SketchUp drawing origin, leave it at real-world scale, and remove geometry that is not useful for planning. A smaller, focused model loads faster and is easier to align with the SDP room.
- Purge unused or hidden components, distant site entourage, and duplicate geometry.
- Avoid resizing the sauna just for export; real-world scale improves room and package inference.
- Reduce oversized texture images when a visually simple model has become unexpectedly large.
- Export a self-contained GLB. SDP rejects files that depend on external buffer or texture URLs.
Step 2: export GLB from SketchUp
In SketchUp, choose File → Export → 3D Model. In the format list, select GLTF Binary File (*.glb), choose a file name and location, then export. SketchUp documents this same GLB workflow in its official help center at https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/working-gltf-files.
Step 3: import the SketchUp sauna into SDP
Open the SaunaDesignPro project menu and choose Import SketchUp GLB. Select the exported file. SDP first inspects the GLB in the browser, then uploads it to private storage and repeats the authoritative validation on the server. Files with external resources, malformed image payloads, invalid bounds, unsupported compression, or abusive complexity are rejected before conversion.
Step 4: open and review the native SDP design
SDP maps the embedded wood imagery to its closest stocked material, resolves recognized package layouts, and creates editable room, opening, bench, heater, pricing, and BOM data. The completed conversion opens through a durable ?share= design URL that works on another browser or device.
- Review the inferred room dimensions, opening locations, bench program, and heater clearances before ordering or building.
- Continue editing the native SDP walls, openings, benches, cladding, heater, ventilation, wall assembly, material list, and handoff documents.
Important: review automated construction inferences
A SketchUp mesh does not carry the same product and construction intent as an SDP object. Recognized packages use source-controlled rules and other files use conservative inference, with assumptions recorded in the project notes. Verify field dimensions, openings, bench geometry, material mapping, heater sizing, clearances, and code requirements before ordering or building.
What happens when the design is shared?
The original GLB is retained privately for import review and support and is not exposed by the public design URL. The share link contains the native SDP design data, including its material mapping and conversion notes, so another device can open and edit the build without relinking the source file. Source-file deletion can be requested under the privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install a SketchUp extension?
No. The workflow uses SketchUp's standard GLB export and SaunaDesignPro's browser-based importer. There is no SDP extension to install in SketchUp.
Does the importer turn SketchUp geometry into editable SDP walls and benches?
Yes. Recognized package files use source-controlled layout rules, while other files use a conservative room-and-layout inference. The output is a native SDP design with editable walls, openings, benches, heater, materials, pricing, and BOM data. Review every automated inference before ordering or building.
What comes across in the GLB?
The inspector reads model geometry, relative positions, embedded materials and textures, and overall bounds. The converter uses those signals and known package rules to create native SDP objects; it does not price or execute the raw mesh.
Where is my SketchUp sauna model stored?
The original GLB is retained in private SaunaDesignPro storage for import review and support. It is not publicly served or included in the share link. The converted native design is stored behind a durable SDP share URL. You can request source-file deletion under the privacy policy.
How large can the imported SketchUp file be?
The secure importer accepts self-contained GLB files up to 50 MB. Removing unused components, hidden geometry, and oversized textures makes a file easier to inspect and convert.
How does SaunaDesignPro inspect an uploaded GLB?
SDP validates the GLB 2.0 container and exact lengths, rejects external resources and unsupported image payloads, verifies embedded image signatures and geometry bounds, and enforces limits on nodes, meshes, vertices, triangles, textures, and dimensions. The file remains private and is never executed.