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3DAI

SKP to STL Converter

To convert SKP to STL, drop your SketchUp .skp file here and press Download STL. The model is read in your browser, turned into triangles with Z up, cleaned of duplicate faces and saved as a binary STL in millimetres, the unit slicers expect. Your file is never uploaded.

Free · millimetres by default · your file stays in your browser

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Not affiliated with Trimble or SketchUp.

How to convert SKP to STL

  1. 1

    Open the .skp

    Drop your SketchUp file on the converter or pick it. It is read in your browser and never uploaded.

  2. 2

    Pick the unit

    Millimetres is the default because slicers like Cura, PrusaSlicer and Bambu Studio read STL numbers as mm. You can also pick cm, m or inches.

  3. 3

    Check the report

    You see the triangle count, the size, and how many open edges the mesh has. Open edges mean it is not watertight yet.

  4. 4

    Download STL

    Press Download STL and open it in your slicer. If it has open edges, run it through the free STL repair tool first.

What happens to your SketchUp model

A .skp file holds faces, edges, groups, components, materials and scenes. An STL holds only triangles. The converter reads the faces in the model, including the ones inside groups and components, and places them where they sit in the model.

SketchUp works with Z up, and so do slicers, so the model stands the same way it does in SketchUp. Its lowest point is put on the build plate and its footprint is centred.

In SketchUp a face has a front and a back. If they have different colours, the reader returns both sides as separate triangles. A printer only needs one, so the copy is removed. Neighbouring triangles are then turned the same way, and closed shapes are turned to face outward.

STL has no colours, textures or units. The numbers are written in the unit you pick, so a 30 cm box comes out as 300 in millimetres.

Which SketchUp files work

Files saved in SketchUp 2021 or newer work best. Most files from SketchUp 2013 to 2020 work too, and some much older ones. If a file does not open, open it in SketchUp, use File > Save As and pick 2021 or newer, or export STL from SketchUp directly.

Export STL from SketchUp directly

If you have SketchUp open, it can save STL itself. This also works for files this page cannot read.

SketchUp Pro (desktop)
File > Export > 3D Model, then choose STL as the file type. Under Options, set the export unit to millimetres.
SketchUp for Web (free)
Open the folder menu and choose Download > STL.
Older SketchUp versions
Install the free SketchUp STL extension from the Extension Warehouse, then use its export command.

Common problems with SketchUp STL files

  • "This model is flat"

    A face or a drawing with no thickness gives an STL a printer cannot print. In SketchUp, use Push/Pull to give it thickness, then convert again.

  • Open edges (not watertight)

    SketchUp models often have holes, single faces and walls with no thickness. Slicers can fill small gaps; for the rest, open the STL in the free STL repair tool.

  • The model is huge or tiny

    An STL keeps the real size of the model. A house comes out metres wide. Scale it in your slicer or with the Scale STL tool.

  • Hidden parts are missing

    Faces on hidden tags (layers) or hidden objects may be left out. Make them visible in SketchUp and save before converting.

  • "We couldn't read this SketchUp file"

    Some older files and some very large ones do not open in the browser. Save the file as SketchUp 2021 or newer, or export STL from SketchUp directly.

What this SKP to STL converter does

Private

The file is read and converted on your computer. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no signup.

Ready for slicers

Binary STL, millimetres by default, Z up, model on the build plate.

Clean triangles

Duplicate front and back faces and zero-area triangles are removed; closed shapes face outward.

Honest report

Triangle count, size and open-edge count, so you know if the mesh is watertight before you slice.

Flat-model warning

Tells you when the model has no thickness on one axis and cannot be printed as it is.

Components included

Faces inside groups and components are placed where they sit in the model.

Next steps for your STL

The STL is ready for a slicer. If it is not watertight, or you want colours on it, these free tools take it from here.

Repair the STLFind and fix open edges and holes before you print.Texture it with AIDescribe a look and paint the model with AI textures.Scale the STLResize it to the size you want to print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Files saved in SketchUp 2021 or newer work best. Most files from SketchUp 2013 to 2020 work too. If yours does not open, open it in SketchUp, use File > Save As and pick 2021 or newer, or export STL from SketchUp directly.
Yes. Converting and downloading the STL is free, with no signup and no watermark.
No. The file is read and converted in your browser, on your own computer. It is not sent to our servers. Only the reader code (a small script) is downloaded when you open your first file.
SketchUp lets you draw single faces, walls with no thickness and shapes with small gaps. They look fine on screen, but they leave open edges in the STL. The converter counts them for you. Slicers can fill small gaps; for bigger ones, use the free STL repair tool, or close the holes in SketchUp and convert again.
In SketchUp Pro, use File > Export > 3D Model and choose STL. In SketchUp for Web, open the folder menu and choose Download > STL. Older versions can use the free SketchUp STL extension from the Extension Warehouse.
This page saves STL. For an OBJ, convert the STL with the free STL to OBJ converter (the shape stays, but STL has no colours or textures), or export OBJ from SketchUp Pro with File > Export > 3D Model.

More free STL tools

SketchUp is a trademark of Trimble Inc. Not affiliated with Trimble or SketchUp. The SketchUp reader is the open-source OpenSKP library (MIT).