Import SketchUp, FBX, DWG and DXF files into PoolSketch

Short answer. PoolSketch reads 3D models directly as GLB, glTF, OBJ, FBX, DAE (Collada) or STL files, and CAD drawings as DXF files. It does not read SketchUp (SKP) or DWG files, because no free reader for those exists: export a DAE, STL or glTF from SketchUp, and save DWG as DXF in your CAD program.

Which files can PoolSketch open?

File	Works directly?	What to do
GLB, glTF (single .glb file)	Yes	More menu, Add a 3D model. Set the real size, turn it and place it on the plan.
OBJ	Yes	Same as above. Textures in separate files are not picked up, so colours may be plain.
FBX	Yes	Same as above. Pictures stored inside the file are kept and shrunk to fit your device; pictures in separate files are dropped and the sheet says so. FBX does not store its unit, so check it.
DAE (Collada)	Yes	Same as above. The file's own unit and up direction are used. Separate picture files are dropped.
STL	Yes	Same as above. STL has no colours or unit (usually millimetres), so confirm the unit and the finish is plain grey.
SketchUp (SKP)	No, convert first	Export a 3D model as DAE, STL or glTF, see below. No free reader for the SKP format exists.
DXF	Yes, as a scaled underlay	Survey sheet, Import a DXF drawing. Pick layers, confirm the units, place it like a survey.
DWG	No, convert first	In your CAD program use Save As or Export to DXF, then import the DXF.

Models stay on the device you imported them on. If you open the design on another device it shows a box labelled that the model is not on this device.

How do I get a SketchUp model in?

In SketchUp choose File, Export, 3D Model and pick DAE (Collada), STL or glTF, whichever your version offers. Some versions need the free glTF exporter extension, and SketchUp for the web offers fewer formats than the desktop program.
In PoolSketch open More, Add a 3D model and choose the file.
Type the longest side of the piece in real units. DAE and glTF files carry a unit and PoolSketch uses it, so check the size shown.

How do I bring in an FBX, DAE or STL model?

Open More, Add a 3D model and choose the file. FBX and STL are read in the background so the screen keeps working.
Check the unit. FBX files are usually in centimetres and STL files in millimetres, but the files do not say, so PoolSketch guesses and asks you to confirm. Then type the real length of the longest side.
Turn it, switch the Z-up setting if it lies on its back, and place it on the plan.

Very detailed models slow a phone down. PoolSketch warns above 150,000 triangles and refuses above 500,000 on a computer, with lower limits on phones and older devices, and it shows an estimated waiting time before it reads a large file. Files over about 8 MB can take a while on a slow phone. Models using Draco or Meshopt compression are not supported yet. If a file will not open, Blender (free) can import it and export a single GLB.

How do I use a DXF or DWG drawing?

Export DXF from your CAD program. In PoolSketch open the survey sheet and choose Import a DXF drawing. Choose the layers to show, confirm the drawing units (inches, feet, millimetres, centimetres or metres), and it is placed as a scaled underlay you can trace over. You can also export your plan as a DXF with layers for pool, deck, house, fence, dimensions and text, from the Send sheet.

Common questions

Can PoolSketch open DWG files?

Not directly. Save or export the drawing as DXF in your CAD program first.

Can PoolSketch open SketchUp files?

Not the SKP file itself, because no free reader for that format exists. Export a DAE (Collada), STL or glTF file from SketchUp, then add it with Add a 3D model.

Can PoolSketch open FBX files?

Yes, along with GLB, glTF, OBJ, DAE and STL. Pictures stored inside an FBX are kept and shrunk to fit your device; pictures in separate files are dropped.

Do imported models sync to my other devices?

No. The model file stays on the device where you imported it. The design remembers where it was placed.