Patent 6,628,279 on its 'Push/Pull' technology: The two companies will 'collaborate on running and further developing SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse.' Patents On April 26, 2012, Trimble announced it would buy SketchUp from Google. Support for Mac OS X Tiger was dropped in this version. Improvements include model geo-location with Google Maps, color imagery and more accurate terrain, match photo improvements, Building Maker integration, and scene thumbnails.

On September 1, 2010, SketchUp 8 was released. Support for Windows 2000 was also removed. On November 17, 2008, SketchUp 7 was released, featuring ease-of-use improvements, integration of SketchUp's Component Browser with Google 3D Warehouse, LayOut 2, dynamic components that respond appropriately to scaling and enhanced Ruby API performance. Other features were added to allow the user to extrude and widen as well as the ability for a face to 'follow' the cursor around an object. LayOut includes 2D vector tools, as well as page layout tools intended to make it easier for professionals to create presentations without jumping to a third-party presentation program. On January 9, 2007, SketchUp 6 was released, featuring new tools as well as a beta version of Google SketchUp LayOut.

Google acquired Software on March 14, 2006, attracted by Software's work developing a plugin for Google Earth. Key to its early success was a shorter learning period than other 3D tools.

The program won a Community Choice Award at its first tradeshow in 2000. It also has user friendly buttons to make it easier to use.' SketchUp debuted in August 2000 as a general purpose 3D content creation tool, with the tagline '3D for everyone' and envisioning a software program 'that would allow design professionals to draw the way they want by emulating the feel and freedom of working with pen and paper in a simple and elegant interface, that would be fun to use and easy to learn, and that would be used by designers to play with their designs in a way that is not possible with traditional design software. SketchUp was developed by startup company Software of Boulder, Colorado, co-founded in 1999 by Brad Schell and Joe Esch.

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