Free online SKP to GLTF converter

GLTF is required by many web viewers, game engines, AR applications, and real-time 3D pipelines, while SketchUp projects are stored as SKP files. Converting the model makes SketchUp geometry available outside SketchUp without requiring the recipient to install the original application.

What the SKP format is

SKP is SketchUp’s native 3D project format. It stores architectural and product models, including faces, edges, groups, components, materials, scenes, layers or tags, and SketchUp-specific construction data. SketchUp creates SKP files, and they are commonly encountered in architectural design, interior design, construction documentation, and 3D warehouse asset workflows.

An SKP file is a design document rather than a general-purpose exchange format. Some SketchUp features, such as section cuts, scenes, styles, dynamic components, and construction guides, may not have equivalent representations in GLTF.

What the GLTF format is

GLTF is an open format designed for efficient delivery and rendering of 3D scenes. It stores meshes, node hierarchies, cameras, materials, textures, and animation data in a form supported by web browsers, game engines, AR viewers, and applications such as Blender and three.js.

A .gltf file usually references a binary .bin file and separate image textures. A .glb file packages the JSON scene, binary geometry, and textures into one binary container, which is usually easier to share. GLTF commonly uses physically based rendering materials, but it cannot preserve every SketchUp material property or viewport style.

How to actually convert SKP to GLTF

Use 101convert.com

1. Open the SKP-to-GLTF converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the .skp file and start the conversion.
3. Download the generated .gltf file or .glb file, if that output option is provided.
4. If the result is a .gltf package, keep its .bin file and texture folder together when moving or publishing it.

This method requires no installed 3D software. For confidential projects, check the service’s file-handling terms before uploading the model.

Use SketchUp and Blender for manual control

1. Open the model in SketchUp and remove hidden geometry, unused components, construction guides, and unnecessary high-resolution details.
2. Export an interchange file through File → Export → 3D Model. Collada .dae is a practical choice when available; .obj or .fbx can also work, depending on the SketchUp edition and installed exporters.
3. In Blender, choose File → Import → Collada (.dae), Wavefront (.obj), or FBX (.fbx), then select the exported file.
4. Check the imported scene for incorrect scale, reversed faces, missing textures, disconnected components, and unwanted cameras or lights. Apply transforms with Object → Apply → Rotation & Scale when the target application expects normalized transforms.
5. Export through File → Export → glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). Choose GLB for a self-contained file, or glTF Separate when separate JSON, binary, and texture files are preferable.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

SketchUp models often contain reversed face orientations, nested groups, coplanar faces, and very dense geometry. Correct face normals before export; a back face may render invisible in a real-time GLTF viewer. Reduce polygon counts and texture dimensions when the destination is a browser or mobile device.

Materials may require manual adjustment after conversion. SketchUp’s colors, photographic textures, transparency, bump settings, and reflection settings do not always map directly to GLTF’s metallic-roughness material model. Verify texture paths and use common image formats such as .jpg or .png.

Unit handling also varies: SketchUp commonly models in inches, feet, or millimeters, while GLTF defines distances in meters. Confirm the imported dimensions and set the exporter’s scale when necessary. GLTF preserves renderable scene data, not SketchUp editing features such as parametric components, dimensions, section planes, or native scene behavior.