Fixing an existing model: MakeIt4Me, clicking it out, or ChatGPT
MakeIt4Me hooks your open SketchUp model up to an AI agent. You say what chore you want done, and it writes the Ruby, runs it on your live model, screenshots the result to check itself, and fixes its own mistakes. You don't do the clicking, and you don't debug code that was written without ever seeing your model.
| Criterion | MakeIt4Me | By hand | Pasting ChatGPT code |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you do | Describe the chore in plain language and watch it run on your open model. Correct it until it's right. | Click through the same menus a few dozen times, or go looking for a plugin that does your exact thing. | Ask a chatbot for a script, paste it into the Ruby console, paste the error back, and do that again. |
| Can it see your model? | Yes. It reads its own errors and screenshots the viewport, so it usually catches a mistake before you do. | You can, and you check every change yourself. | No. It can't open your model or run the code, so it's guessing. |
| Do you need Ruby? | No. You never have to read a line of it unless you want to. | No. | Not at first. Later you're debugging code you can't read. |
| Hundreds of objects | One request covers every matching component, material or tag in the model. | As fast as you can click. | A script written for one object can quietly fail when you run it on more. |
| How many tries | Some requests work first time. Some take a couple of rounds. It checks its own result between rounds. | One try, but all of it is your effort. | Every round is a copy, a paste and an error message. |
| Cost | $89 one time, no subscription. You pay your AI provider separately. | Free, minus your hours. | Free, minus your evenings. |
| Where it falls short | Prompting is less predictable than a finished extension. And it won't replace V-Ray or your CAD work. | Totally predictable, and totally manual. | Fine for short snippets you already understand. |
| Good for | The boring work on existing models: swapping materials in bulk, renaming, tagging, cleaning up the outliner, setting up scenes, shrinking oversized imports. | One-off edits. | Tiny tasks you could nearly write yourself. |
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
MakeIt4Me or a free open-source SketchUp MCP server
The free servers do the same basic thing: an agent runs Ruby in your live model. MakeIt4Me is that same idea with the rough edges sanded off. It installs from one file, every change can be undone, it takes screenshots so the agent can check its work, it comes with skills for the agent, and there's an email address to write to when something breaks. If you like tinkering with setup and don't need support, a free one might be all you need.
| Criterion | MakeIt4Me | Free open-source MCP servers |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Install one .rbz in SketchUp (no restart), then add the bundle for your agent. There's a step-by-step guide with screenshots for Mac and Windows. | Install a developer toolchain, install the plugin and restart SketchUp, edit your agent's config files by hand, then start the server yourself. |
| Undo | Each change shows up as one named step in Edit > Undo. If the code fails, the change is aborted. Read-only checks roll themselves back. | No undo handling. Edits aren't grouped into named steps and failed code isn't rolled back, so a bad request can leave you a mess to unwind by hand. |
| Checking its work | It screenshots the viewport and reads errors, so it can see what its code did to the geometry and try again. | No screenshot tool, so the agent can't easily see what it built. It can export files, or write its own Ruby to capture the view. |
| SketchUp's gotchas | Comes with six agent skills: the Ruby API and its known traps, building geometry, auditing a model, design review, 3D Warehouse components, and packaging work as a plugin. | Tools only. Nothing bundled about SketchUp's Ruby traps. |
| Making a plugin | Say “make this a plugin” and it packages the working Ruby as a real extension with a menu command and an .rbz. | Not built in. |
| Support | Email support@makeit4me.net. A troubleshooting guide covers the usual install problems on Mac and Windows. | No support channel. You file a GitHub issue and wait. |
| Cost | $89 one time, no subscription. | Free, and MIT licensed. |
| Good for | People who want it working today and don't want to look after Python tooling, config files or a terminal window. | Developers who like to tinker, want to change the source, and don't mind being their own support. It also ships ready-made joinery tools (mortise and tenon, dovetail, finger joint). |
Based on one widely used open-source SketchUp MCP server, checked in October 2026. Free projects change, so check before you decide. On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
MakeIt4Me or Trimble's SketchUp connector for Claude
They solve different problems. Trimble's connector, from the company that makes SketchUp, builds a new model in a cloud SketchUp session and gives you a .skp to download. There's nothing to install, and it works from Claude in a browser. MakeIt4Me works inside the SketchUp on your computer, on the model you have open, including ones you've already built. If you want a new object from a description, try Trimble's connector first. If you want work done on your own project file, you need a local connection like MakeIt4Me.
| Criterion | MakeIt4Me | Trimble's connector for Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | In SketchUp Pro or Studio on your Mac or Windows computer, on the model you have open. | In a SketchUp session in Trimble's cloud. You get a thumbnail and a download link to a new .skp. |
| Your existing models | Reads and changes them: renaming, tagging, swapping materials, cleaning up, adding geometry. | Can't open or edit an existing .skp (as of version 1). Each change makes a new file version. |
| Setup | Install one .rbz in SketchUp, then add it to your agent. Needs SketchUp Pro or Studio 2017 or newer. | Nothing to install. Add Trimble SketchUp in Claude's connector settings and sign in with a Trimble ID. |
| Which AI | Claude Desktop or Claude Code, and other agents that support MCP, such as Cursor. | Claude only. |
| Checking its work | It screenshots your viewport and reads errors, then fixes its own mistakes. | Claude checks dimensions as it builds. You see a thumbnail of each version, and can paste a SketchUp screenshot to point at what to change. |
| Undo | Each change is one named step in Edit > Undo in your model. | Your files aren't touched. Each change is a new file version in the chat. Models aren't kept between sessions, so download the ones you want. |
| Cost | $89 one time, no subscription. You pay your AI provider separately. | A free SketchUp entitlement covers 30 models, then a paid SketchUp subscription. You also need a Claude account. |
| Good for | Work on real project files, repeat chores across many objects, and turning a prompt that works into a plugin. | Blocking out a new object, piece of furniture or massing model from a description or a reference image, with nothing to install. Files open in every SketchUp version, including web and iPad. |
Based on Trimble's help page and announcement for version 1 of the connector, checked in October 2026. Trimble says it will add more, so check before you decide. On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
Making your own plugin: MakeIt4Me, doing it yourself, or hiring a developer
Once a prompt works, MakeIt4Me can turn it into a real SketchUp extension. Say “make this a plugin” and it packages the Ruby with its own menu command and a single undo step, installs it live with no restart, and saves an .rbz you can share. The saved code is plain Ruby, so it runs the same way every time without an agent. That goes for tools of any size. You describe it, test it on your real model, and keep it.
| Criterion | MakeIt4Me | Writing it yourself | Hiring a developer |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you build it | Describe the tool, try it on your real model, and keep going until it behaves. You don't reinstall through the Extension Manager between attempts. | Write the Ruby, install the .rbz, test, uninstall, repeat. | Write a spec, wait, test what comes back, send notes. |
| Packaging | Done for you. You get a proper extension with its own namespace, a menu command, one undo step per run, live install, and a shareable .rbz. | You learn the .rbz layout, namespacing and registration yourself. | Part of what you pay for. |
| Do you need Ruby? | No. Ask for the tool in plain language. | Yes, plus the SketchUp API and the extension requirements. | No, but you have to say clearly what you want. |
| Cost | $89 one time. Build as many tools as you like. | Free, minus a lot of learning time. | Depends on the developer and the scope. Usually per project or per hour, and again for each change. |
| Who owns it | You do. It can't get abandoned next year. Give it to your team or sell it. | You do. | You do, but every change goes back through them. |
| Once it's saved | The saved Ruby does the same thing every time, with no agent involved. The unpredictability only applies while you're building it. | Same, once it works. | Same, once it's delivered. |
| Good for | Tools of any size, from a one-click batch command to a full generator. Cut lists, slope dimensions, boundary drawing and parametric framing are all fair game. | Learning the API. | Tools you want someone else to own and maintain. |
Developer rates and turnaround vary a lot. The entries describe typical patterns, not quotes. On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
Try it on your own model
It's $89 once, with no subscription. You pay your AI provider separately.
After checkout you download it, install the .rbz, add it to your agent and send your first prompt.
$89 one time · regular price $129 · limited time launch discount · ends Oct 31