Why I Don’t Recommend the iPad for FOCUSED SketchUp Courses (or Serious Client Work)
One of the questions I get more and more often is, “Can I take your course using an iPad?” And while I wish I could say yes, the truth is: you can’t, and I don’t recommend it if you’re serious about using SketchUp professionally for modeling and rendering.
There’s a lot to like about SketchUp for iPad. It’s mobile, it feels modern, and if you’re sketching quick concepts or doing light editing in the field, it can be a helpful tool. But when it comes to learning SketchUp the right way—building a workflow you can use on real projects, with real clients—the iPad version falls short in some critical ways.
If you’re considering diving into one of my bootcamps or are serious about offering professional modeling and rendering services, here’s what you need to know about why I recommend sticking to the desktop version.
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The iPad App Is Not the Same as the Desktop Version
This is the biggest misconception I run into. Many people assume that SketchUp for iPad is simply the desktop version optimized for touch. It’s not.
SketchUp for iPad is a completely separate app, built from the ground up for a different interface and different capabilities. While it can open the same .skp files, the toolset, workflows, and performance are entirely different.
In my courses—including the 7-Day Bootcamps and FOCUSED Core trainings – I teach using the desktop version of SketchUp Pro. Every shortcut, tool, extension, and rendering workflow I show is based on that platform. Trying to follow along on an iPad often means you’re either missing essential tools or constantly struggling to adapt what I’m showing to an interface that wasn’t built for it.
Extensions Are Not Supported on iPad (And That’s a Big Deal)
One of the biggest limitations of SketchUp for iPad is that extensions simply don’t work. At all.
And that’s not just a minor inconvenience—it’s a major roadblock. Inside my courses, I teach you how to work more efficiently by using extensions like:
- Profile Builder for fast, parametric modeling
- Component Finder for organizing and placing 3D objects
- Soap Skin & Bubble for terrain modeling
- Fredo Tools, Skatter, and others depending on your workflow
These extensions are essential for saving time, producing accurate models, and keeping your projects organized. On iPad, you don’t have access to any of them, which means you either have to find slower workarounds or skip entire parts of my workflow.
If you want to work like a professional, you need professional tools—and that means using a platform that supports the full SketchUp ecosystem.
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V-Ray Is Not Available on iPad
This is another deal-breaker for most of my students.
V-Ray, the industry-standard rendering engine I teach in my courses, is only available on desktop versions of SketchUp. If you want to create photorealistic renders, control lighting, use materials, work with Chaos Cosmos, or batch render using Chaos Cloud, you need V-Ray.
SketchUp for iPad simply doesn’t support V-Ray. There’s no alternative rendering engine built in, and while you might find a few apps that offer basic rendering functionality, they don’t come close to what V-Ray can do—or what I teach you to do inside my bootcamps.
If your goal is to create beautiful, client-ready renders, the iPad version won’t get you there.
Other Limitations to Consider
While the lack of extensions and rendering support are the biggest downsides, there are a few more things to keep in mind:
- Limited Keyboard Shortcut Support: Speed modeling in SketchUp relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts. While iPad supports external keyboards, the shortcut system just isn’t as robust. You lose a lot of efficiency.
- File Management Challenges: Managing components, templates, and files is more cumbersome on mobile devices, especially when moving between cloud storage platforms.
- Screen Size and Interface: Even on the iPad Pro, you’re dealing with a smaller screen and a touch-based interface that doesn’t offer the precision and comfort of a mouse and large monitor.
- LayOut Is Not Available: If you plan to generate presentation documents, scaled drawings, and construction-ready output with LayOut, that’s desktop-only. There’s no version of LayOut for iPad.
When iPad SketchUp Can Be Useful
I don’t want to say the iPad version is useless—it’s just not the right tool for the kind of work I teach.
That said, there are some use cases where SketchUp for iPad makes sense:
- Sketching quick concepts on-site
- Marking up models while meeting with clients
- Doing light edits or viewing models in the field or with clients
- Collaborating with teams using Trimble Connect
- Roughing out ideas before finishing on desktop
If you’re already using SketchUp Pro on desktop and just want a way to review or mark up models on the go, the iPad app can be a nice companion. But that’s what it is: a companion. Not a full design and rendering platform.
LiDAR Room Scanning
While I don’t recommend the iPad for full-scale modeling or rendering in SketchUp, one area where it truly shines is using Canvas.io for LiDAR room scanning. The Canvas app, combined with the iPad’s LiDAR capabilities (available on Pro models), allows you to quickly scan interior spaces and generate highly accurate 3D models or CAD files.
This can save a huge amount of time during the site measurement phase, especially for interior designers, remodelers, and architects. (If you have CAD plans you want converted to SketchUp, Canvas.io does that too – check out this blog article for details) Once scanned, you can export the results as a SketchUp file and continue working on your desktop with full modeling and rendering capabilities—making the iPad a powerful tool for capturing space, even if it’s not ideal for building the final design.
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My Recommendation for FOCUSED SketchUp Students
If you’re enrolling in one of my courses, I strongly recommend that you use a Windows or Mac desktop or laptop with a dedicated mouse or stylus input. You’ll need access to:
- SketchUp Pro (desktop version)
- V-Ray for SketchUp
- The ability to install and use extensions
- A reliable system for file storage and backup
And if you have questions about your system and if it’s capable of running SketchUp and V-Ray, check out my blog post on hardware. Inside my courses, I’ve structured every lesson to help you build real-world skills that will serve you in professional client work. And for that, you need the right tools in place.
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Final Thoughts (and What to Do Next)
I know the idea of using SketchUp on an iPad is appealing—especially if you like the flexibility of working anywhere. But when it comes to learning 3D modeling and rendering properly, especially for client work, presentations, and high-quality documentation, the iPad version of SketchUp just isn’t built for the job.
That’s why I don’t recommend it for any of my courses – and why I always suggest using a desktop setup if you want to get the most out of your training.
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