Trimble SketchUp MCP Server

The SketchUp Connector for Claude is Trimble's official Model Context Protocol service that allows Anthropic's Claude to generate native SketchUp (.skp) files directly from a chat conversation. It is the first MCP connector built by Trimble, launched in late April 2026, and links the SketchUp design environment to Claude so users can describe 3D geometry in natural language and receive a downloadable .skp file compatible with SketchUp Desktop, Web, iPad, and iPhone.

Under the hood the connector exposes three tools: get_docs loads the SketchUp Ruby/Python SDK context, evaluate_py runs Python code against a live cloud SketchUp session to construct geometry incrementally, and save_model finalizes the model and returns a download URL plus a 2D thumbnail preview. Users can iterate within a single chat thread by describing changes, pasting screenshots of the in-progress model, or supplying floor plans, sketches, photos, and explicit metric or imperial dimensions.

The connector is targeted at AEC professionals, designers, and hobbyists who want conversational 3D modeling for building massing, furniture, site plans, and sculptural forms. Version 1 only supports creating new files, not editing or rendering existing .skp files, and Claude is currently the only supported AI provider. A free SketchUp entitlement allows up to 30 saved models, after which a paid SketchUp subscription is required.

Tools

The SketchUp Connector is a provider-hosted MCP service. There is no repo to install or config JSON to edit. It is enabled directly inside the Claude app.

Prerequisites:

• A Claude account (Anthropic)
• A Trimble ID account (free to create at trimble.com)
• A SketchUp entitlement (free tier allows saving up to 30 models, paid subscription required beyond that)

Enable in Claude:

• Open Claude (web or desktop)
• Click Customize in the left navigation pane
• Select Connectors
• Click Connect Your Apps
• Search the directory for SketchUp and click Add
• On the SketchUp Connector details screen click Connect
• Complete the Trimble ID OAuth flow when prompted

Once authorized, the connector appears in Claude's tool list and you can begin generating .skp files in any new chat. Remember to download each .skp during the session, as models are not persisted in Claude between conversations.

Note: Currently Claude is the only supported AI client. The connector cannot be used from third-party MCP clients at this time.

• Generate architectural massing studies from a written brief and a floor plan image, then download the .skp for further refinement in SketchUp Desktop
• Produce furniture concepts (tables, chairs, cabinetry) with exact imperial or metric dimensions for shop drawings
• Build site plans and landscape blockouts from photos plus written context, iterating proportions through screenshot feedback
• Prototype product or sculptural forms (chess pieces, light fixtures, signage) as native SketchUp geometry for review and 3D printing pipelines
• Rapidly create teaching examples or starter files for SketchUp training, with version history preserved within the chat thread

• "Build me an 18 inch wide and 42 inch long mid-century modern coffee table with tapered legs"
• "Model a simple two-story house with a 30 by 45 foot base and a gable roof"
• "Create a black rook chess piece, roughly 70mm tall"
• "Using the attached floor plan, generate a SketchUp massing model of a 3-story office building with a flat roof and 12 foot floor-to-floor heights"
• "Refine the previous model: make the legs 10 percent thinner and add a lower shelf 6 inches above the floor"

• Official Trimble-built and supported, not a community fork
• Generates true native .skp files compatible with all current SketchUp clients (Desktop, Web, iPad, iPhone)
• Supports iterative refinement with version history inside the chat thread and screenshot-based corrections
• Free tier available for up to 30 saved models, lowering the barrier to try AI-assisted 3D modeling

• Version 1 can only create new .skp files; it cannot edit or render existing models
• Claude is currently the only supported AI client; the connector is not yet usable from Cursor, VS Code, or other MCP hosts
• Models are not persisted between Claude sessions, so users must download each .skp manually before closing the chat
• Free entitlement is capped at 30 saved models; heavier use requires a paid SketchUp subscription

• mhyrr/sketchup-mcp: community open-source MCP server that drives a local SketchUp installation via a Ruby extension and Python bridge
• Blender MCP: MCP server for generating 3D models in Blender from Claude, useful when you need editable mesh-based modeling
• Autodesk Fusion MCP connector: Trimble has signaled similar Connector patterns are emerging in the AEC/CAD space for parametric workflows