4.1.4 Preparing SketchUp Files for cmBuilder

Amir Talachian

Updated October 06, 2026 20:04

In this tutorial, you will learn best practices to export a 3D model from SketchUp for use in cmBuilder. The process involves filtering and organizing model elements in Sketchup, before selecting a format and exporting with the recommended settings.

This article contains the following sections:

Setup in SketchUp
Export Options
- Export to IFC4 (recommended for most models)
- Export to .FBX (use only for textured models)
FAQs

Setup in SketchUp

It is recommended to remove nonessential objects from your model like Furniture, Fixtures, Fasteners and so on. By not importing these into cmBuilder, you may see better performance or at least less visual clutter.

1. Use Tags (previously Layers) to filter elements and remove nonessential objects from your model like Furniture, Fixtures, Fasteners and so on.

2. Some elements may need to be split apart to be sorted/filtered. Right click on the object and select Explode to split objects into constituent parts to delete or Tag nonessential elements.

3. Consider creating Groups and using the Outliner tool, to organize elements in a logical arrangement.

4. Save As a a new file to keep original file intact, without any changes from the above steps.

3. To Export, select File > Export > 3D Model

Export Options

Exported SketchUp models can have varied results depending on how the model was created and what you want to see in cmBuilder. Make sure to apply the correct settings and follow the procedures described below.

Export to IFC4 (recommended for most models)

1. Click on Save as type and select IFC4. cmBuilder also supports IFC2x3, but IFC4 will have better results.

2. Click on Export.

Export to .FBX (use only for textured models)

1. Click on Save as Type and select FBX

2. Apply the following settings under Options:

Select Triangulate all faces
Select Swap YZ coordinates (defines orientation of model upon import)
Set the export Units to Centimeters. Exporting to Centimeters works best in most of cases.

3. Click on OK/Export

FAQs:

Q1: The BIM Model tree structure in cmBuilder looks different than in Sketchup. How can I fix this?

Within cmBuilder, at the top of the Scenario Tree, above the Search bar is a Group By dropdown. Expand the dropdown menu and select Original File Tree. The hierarchy of the BIM Model as seen in the Scenario Tree should now better resemble the Groups setup in the Outliner in Sketchup as described in the Setup in SketchUp section above.

Q2: Some parts or faces in my FBX import are missing. How can I fix this?

When exporting FBX, the faces are visible from one direction but transparent or invisible from the other. The direction the face is visible from is called the face normal. Normals determine the direction a face is oriented, and when exporting to formats like FBX, sometimes the normal can flip, causing one side of the face to be transparent or not rendered properly.
This can be easily fixed in cmBuilder by right clicking on your BIM Model, selecting Edit BIM Model (1), and turning on Show material on both sides (2) as seen in the image below.

Further Reading:

Import 3D models