Eujenne Claxton
Approx 15 min read
April 04 2023
Enter 3D Tiny House Designer and Sketch Up, two design software options that offer builders an efficient and cost-effective way to create and modify tiny house designs.
Both tools provide designers with the ability to create detailed 3D models of their designs and make adjustments as needed.
To continue our review of the 5 Best Tiny House Design Software Platforms, this comparison article will take a closer look at the specific capabilities of each software when it comes to designing tiny homes on wheels, including their availability of tiny house-specific components and models, advanced cabinetry tools, ease of use, communication and collaboration features, and exporting capabilities. By the end of this article, you'll have a better understanding of which software is better suited to your needs as a tiny home builder.
So let’s get into it!
3DTHD Tiny House Design Capabilities
An easy-to-use drag & drop system to place objects with ease in the software.
Customized components & models update/adjust instantly.
Additionally, customization in 3DTHD involves simple number or dimension inputs, as well as options to choose from without requiring any manual editing of the models or components. Adjustments to width, length, and other details can easily be made, with the option to select different alternatives.
An easy-to-use drag & drop system to place objects quickly and accurately.
Customize any components in 3DTHD without having to use 3D modelling skills. Adjust the width, length, height of objects by entering dimensions and customize the look with a beginner friendly UI.
Pre-set Tiny House Trailer Options
Flat Deck Tiny House Trailer
Fender Style Tiny House Trailer
Gooseneck Tiny House Trailer
+ Foundation for removable Tiny Homes & Cabins
Pre-set Tiny House Shell & Roof Options
Pre-modelled Tiny House Cabinetry
Pre-set Electrical Items
Components and models available in SketchUp
On the other hand, SketchUp's library of models and components is extensive, offering a broader range of models and components, but not tailored for tiny homes on wheels and also requires extensive 3D modelling skills.
Users can select from a wider range of models and components that may not be specifically tailored for tiny homes on wheels but can still be adapted to fit their requirements.
While this feature can be great and might allow for more flexibility, it can also be counterproductive. As a designer, you want to be able to push each revision with a quick-turnaround time. With too much versatility, this can be overwhelming and time-intensive as it requires a lot of time spent researching what's possible for certain components - for example, custom cabinetry and drawing up accurate models to make sense for construction.
SketchUp does not offer its own pre-set models, instead offering an online community: SketchUp Warehouse, which is used by avid SketchUp users & experts to share their own models that can be used as a base-line to edit from or to use as a pre-set prop. You can browse through different categories and even well known-brands like Schneider Electric upload their models for personal use.
You can also access pre-set models through third-party plug-ins which generally include an extra subscription.
3DTHD Tiny House Design Capabilities
Very flexible for complete custom 3D models varying in boxy type models to organic style models.
SketchUp's Component tool allows you to change a duplicate object to avoid manually adjusting each individual object.
Additionally, SketchUp's flexibility in design can be advantageous for users who are experienced designers and have a strong understanding of how to customize models and components to fit their specific requirements, as it allows them to create more complex designs with greater precision.
SketchUp In-Designer Pre-sets
None
SketchUp Warehouse Components
3DTHD's Tiny House Design Capabilities Pro's
3DTHD's Tiny House Design Capabilities Con's'
3DTHD's Tiny House Design Capabilities Summary
Overall, 3DTHD offers an ease-of-use, user-friendly design capabilities for tiny house design.
The pre-set tiny house-specific components and models offer a speedy turnaround time, with standardised settings to quickly make adjustments.
This is great if you're looking for a tiny house design software that does the "heavy-lifting" for you to eliminate time spent on the design stage so you can move onto the build stage faster, while still having the flexibility to create unique, custom tiny house designs.
SketchUp's Tiny House Design Capabilities Pro's
SketchUp's Tiny House Design Capabilities Con's
SketchUp's Tiny House Design Capabilities Summary
SketchUp's flexibility in offering a broader range of models and components can be advantageous for users who want more flexibility in their designs but need to have the experience and skills to adapt them to fit their specific requirements.
This is great if you've got plenty of 3D modelling experience using an advanced software that gives you the opportunity to custom model everything down to the last screw hole.
3DTHD Learning Resources
Usually it takes new users of 3DTHD around 4 hours to go from opening the software for the first time to learning all the tools and completing their first tiny house design exported to plans and ready for construction. Subsequent new designs only take around 1-2 hours to complete for more experienced users.
User Interface of SketchUp
SketchUp Learning Resources
Summary
To Conclude this section for Ease of Use + Learning Curve for 3DTHD & SketchUp:
3DTHD is a new software that is designed specifically for designing tiny homes on wheels, while SketchUp is a well-established software that offers a broader range of general 3D modelling capabilities.
3DTHD has a user-friendly interface and a shorter learning curve than SketchUp, making it an excellent option for beginners who want to start designing quickly, or seasoned designers who want to speed up their workflow significantly.
SketchUp's user interface offers more flexibility for custom 3D modelling, but this comes at the cost of a steeper learning curve.
3DTHD offers 1-1 LIVE training sessions and detailed documentation to help users get started, while SketchUp offers a range of tutorials and resources on its website as well as plugins to improve workflow.
Usually it takes new users of SketchUp around 2-3 weeks to go from opening the software for the first time to learning all the tools and completing their first tiny house design exported to plans and ready for construction. Subsequent new designs only take around 1-2 weeks to complete for more experienced users.
3D Tiny House Designer
Pre-modelled Components:
3DTHD offers pre-set tiny house-specific models that allow you to quickly place an item into the design, that can be easily modified within a few clicks.
This feature allows for a more streamlined and efficient design process. This is a super useful tool as it allows you to quickly adjust or replace a model in seconds when you’re sharing the concept with your client.
Layout:
Automatic Plan Export
3D Models:
SketchUp
Pre-modelled Components:
SketchUp's Dynamic Components allow you to create intelligent, interactive objects that can be modified down to the last detail.
With that being said, dynamic components are a comprehensive feature and still require a lot of manual 3D model work to apply accurate adjustments to the models.
Layout:
Plan Export:
3D Warehouse:
3DTHD Exporting Capabilities
Instant Generate Plans Tool
3DTHD provides an instant generate plans tool which eliminates the need to manually draft plans. Instead, all it takes is a click of a button, a few seconds of choosing the pages you wish to export and how much detail you wish to show, and BAM! They’re ready to go!
Pre-set Construction Pages
All the construction plan pages in your plan-set are automatically generated in the system, these include: Floorplans, Mezzanine Plans, Perspectives, Sections, Elevations, PLUS, advanced plans like, Shell Plan, Joinery Schedule, Electrical Plan and Advanced Cabinetry Plans.
Flexible Plan Settings
With 3DTHD's Generate Plans tool, you have the flexibility to select which plans to export and customize the level of detail included in each plan. This means you can choose to only export the necessary plans that you need to communicate with manufacturers and builders, and you can also control the level of information included in each plan to avoid clutter and confusion for your clients.
SketchUp Exporting Capabilities
SketchUp Layout Tool
SketchUp uses a secondary app; LayOut which is a 2D documentation and presentation tool that includes SketchUp models, annotations, and other graphics to draft plans.
Manually Create Each Individual Page
You can create your own plans in LayOut but you have to manually create every single plan page which is a time consuming process that requires extensive drafting and design knowledge. For example, to just draw a simple floor plan you have to:
Set up your Camera in Sketch Up to save the top-down view.
Create a section plan to cut the tiny house at the right point.
Import your view in LayOut.
Define the correct plan scale.
Place the view on your Sheet (Title Block has to be designed separately)
Manually pick every dimension to show.
Add labels to annotate the plan.
Without proper drafting skills, the plans can become cluttered and hard to read during the construction process and take many hours to get right.
Range of File Type Settings
SketchUp LayOut offers export plans and hosts a wide range of settings to export the plans including several file formats, including PDF, DWG, DXF and image files.
On the export side of things, I would definitely say 3DTHD wins on this feature, having used SketchUp LayOut, it can be time-consuming to work with.To create a plan set in Sketch Up similar to what the 3DTHD exports in seconds can take days if not weeks and also requires you to learn how to draft plans. So if you don't have to do any set up or drafting work, isn't that a win-win?
- Author's Thoughts
SketchUp vs 3DTHD | Pricing
The big ole question - how much does it cost to use 3DTHD and SketchUp?
Here's an overview of the plans and their pricing:
3D Tiny House Designer
3DTHD Personal Free
3DTHD Personal Premium
This is a web-based version of 3DTHD and is an upgrade from the free version. This plan offers a Free 7-Day Trial to give all premium features a try. It costs $12usd per month to access features for personal use.
3DTHD Business
SketchUp
SketchUp Free
SketchUp Go
This is a web-based version of SketchUp that is suitable for personal or professional use. It costs $119usd per year.
SketchUp Pro
SketchUp Studio
SketchUp and 3DTHD both offer pricing tiers based on different use cases, but there are some differences between them. SketchUp only offers annual subscriptions, whereas 3DTHD offers monthly for personal use and both monthly and annual subscriptions for a business plan.
This means that 3DTHD may be more flexible for those who prefer to pay on a monthly basis.
It's important to note that the specific pricing and plans offered by each company may vary, so it's best to check their websites for the most up-to-date information.
It's important to note that the specific pricing and plans offered by each company may vary, so it's best to check their websites for the most up-to-date information.
SketchUp and 3DTHD both offer pricing tiers based on different use cases, but there are some differences between them. SketchUp only offers annual subscriptions, whereas 3DTHD offers monthly for personal use and both monthly and annual subscriptions for a business plan.
This means that 3DTHD may be more flexible for those who prefer to pay on a monthly basis.
*Both videos were recorded at 2x speed to show a side-by-side comparison of how long it takes to model a tiny house shell in the two software.
Authors Thoughts
SketchUp
3D Tiny House Designer
So there you have it, my raw and personal thoughts for each software. If you've been on the fence about which software is right for you, I hope my side-by-side comparison has helped led you to an informed decision.
If you're a tiny house designer, builder or new professional on the block, and you'd like to learn more about the 3DTHD Business can help streamline and grow your business, feel free to reach out, and my co-founder- Till, will share a demo of the software in action and answer any questions you may have.
Thanks for reading! ✨
About the Author
Eujenne Claxton
Co-Founder | Tiny Easy
Tiny Easy Co-Founder Eujenne is passionate about small space design and has dreamed up our popular Scandi and Petite Maison design + many more (find out in the e-book)!
She has recently completed her own DIY tiny house built together with her partner Laurin. Their ultimate goal for tiny living is to live a sustainable and financially free lifestyle.
“I hope to inspire and encourage as many people as possible to get started on their tiny house journey.”
