What's new for Live Components in SketchUp 2025

In SketchUp, Live Components are dynamic, parametric objects that allow for more flexibility and interaction within your 3D models. Live Components can be configured in SketchUp for Desktop, SketchUp Web, and SketchUp for iPad.

Unlike standard SketchUp components, which are static, Live Components can adapt based on user inputs and conditions. They are built with parameters that let you modify aspects of the component, such as size, shape, material, and configuration, without having to redraw or replace the component. For 2025, Live Components is only accessible to SketchUp Pro or SketchUp Studio subscribers with 200+ new and refreshed components available in 3D Warehouse,

You can find Live Components by searching for them using the advanced search filter in 3D Warehouse .

1. On the 3D Warehouse home page, click the search icon on the search bar to open the search results page.

2. Click Filters. Select the checkbox next to Live Components from the list and click Apply. 

Key Features of Live Components:

1. Interactivity: Live Components come with adjustable parameters, allowing users to make real-time changes to their appearance and functionality. For example, you can adjust the length of a beam, the number of shelves in a bookcase, or the diameter of a pipe, and the component updates accordingly.

2. Parametric Design: These components are based on rules or formulas that govern their behavior, making them more flexible than traditional components. For example, you can set up a window component with adjustable width, height, and style, where changing one parameter automatically adjusts the others.

3. Smart Behavior: Live Components can automatically adjust to fit within certain constraints. For instance, a door component may automatically adjust to the size of the opening in a wall, or furniture may snap to floor levels depending on the terrain.

4. Integration with SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse: Many Live Components are available through the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, allowing you to download and incorporate these dynamic components into your models. Some may require you to install special plug-ins or extensions.

5. Customization: As a designer, you can create your own Live Components, defining custom parameters and rules using the SketchUp Ruby API, making them adaptable to specific needs in your projects.

6. Efficiency: Live Components help streamline workflows by enabling real-time modifications without needing to replace or re-model components manually, making it a powerful tool for rapid prototyping and design adjustments.

What's New and Updated for SketchUp 2025

• Live Components can now be painted if nothing is selected.

• Live Components saved in SketchUp before the 2025 release will need to be configured once to enable the painting functionality. All newly downloaded Live Components will immediately be paintable.

• Previously, reconfiguring a Live Component with color or material panels would add many auto-created, unused materials to your In-model library. Now, these auto-created materials are only temporarily seen during a configuration session and are removed when you’re done configuring the component.

• Improvements to the auto naming of materials used in Live Components.

• Improvements to Live Component connectivity.