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Help & setup

> for SkuEstimator on SketchUp Pro 2026 · Windows

Install, activate and produce your first estimate in a few minutes. Short steps, exact menu names.

1. Requirements

  • SketchUp Pro 2026 on Windows 10 or 11. On an older SketchUp, or on a Mac, the extension shows a message and does not load.
  • Components with attributes. SkuEstimator reads the dynamic-component attributes on your components, not the geometry. The core ones are Itemcode, Name, Supplier, Qty and Price. It also uses Category, Usage, Unit, Measure, Cost and Weight when they are there. See Getting your components ready.
  • An internet connection to activate. After that the licence is checked in the background, and SkuEstimator keeps working for 30 days without a connection.
  • Microsoft Edge (it ships with Windows) is used to save PDFs. If it isn't available, SketchUp's print window opens instead.

2. Install

  1. Download SkuEstimator (.rbz). The same link is on your account page.
  2. In SketchUp, open Extensions › Extension Manager, click Install Extension and choose the .rbz file.
  3. The extension appears in the Extension Manager as SkuEstimator (by Modular Building Australia), and its commands are under Extensions › SkuEstimator.
  4. Choose Extensions › SkuEstimator › Open SkuEstimator… to open the workspace. The first time, a short welcome panel walks you through the company profile, the sample model and your first preview.

3. Activate your licence

  1. Open Extensions › SkuEstimator › Licence…
  2. Paste your licence key (it looks like SKU-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX). It is on the welcome page you saw after checkout and in your purchase email.
  3. Click OK. When you see Activated on this computer, exports are no longer watermarked.

No key yet? Click Cancel in the licence box and SkuEstimator offers to open the pricing page to start the 14-day free trial.

Two computers per licence. If the key is already active on two computers, SkuEstimator lists them with the date each was last seen, and lets you release one by number and activate here instead.

Checking your licence

Choose Licence… again at any time. It shows the status and how many more days it stays valid offline, then offers three buttons: Yes = manage billing (card, invoices, cancel), No = deactivate this computer, Cancel = close. The status also shows as a badge in the workspace header, for example Licensed or Trial.

Working offline

SkuEstimator checks your licence in the background: about a minute after SketchUp starts, then every 6 hours. It never makes you wait. If it can't reach the server, your licence stays valid for 30 days from the last successful check. After that the badge reads Licence needs to reconnect. Reconnect to the internet and it refreshes at the next check.

Without a licence

Nothing is locked. Preview, editing and PDF export all keep working, and your data is untouched. The only difference is that exported documents carry an UNLICENSED COPY watermark.

Your key is stored on your computer, encrypted to your Windows account.

4. Your first estimate

The sample model is a fictional 6 × 4 m carport frame with made-up suppliers and prices. It's the quickest way to see the whole workflow.

  1. Choose Extensions › SkuEstimator › Open Sample Model… If your current model has unsaved changes, it asks first, and then builds the sample in a new model. Your current model stays open and unchanged.
  2. The workspace opens on the Build tab (Build › PO / Quote Builder).
  3. Under Template, choose Sample Estimate, then click Preview. The estimate should total 1,417.68 ex GST.
  4. Click Save PDF…, choose where to save, and the PDF opens when it's done. Print… opens the Windows print dialog instead.

On a fresh install, opening the sample also adds sample suppliers, the Sample Estimate template, pack rules, a linked screw rule and a delivery charge, all marked “(sample)”. If you already have suppliers or customers set up, none of these records are added, so pick one of your own templates instead.

5. Getting your own components ready

Each component you want counted needs dynamic-component attributes. At minimum, give it an Itemcode, Name, Supplier, Qty and Price. Add Unit and Measure for items bought by length or area, and Category to group items and assign colours. The sample model's components are a complete working example to copy from.

  • Colour placeholders. Put ?? in an Itemcode (for example RS76??). Once you assign a colour to that component's category in the Colour Selector, the placeholder becomes the three-letter colour code.
  • Imported library components. Components imported from a library .skp file can arrive wrapped in an extra shell. Choose Extensions › SkuEstimator › Unwrap Imported Components to explode those shells. It only touches a shell that holds exactly one component with the same Itemcode, and Edit › Undo reverts it in one step.
  • Auto-unwrap. Auto-unwrap Imported Components in the same menu does this automatically for components you import from then on. It's off by default and shows a tick when on.
  • Lots of components to set up? The Component Library (Catalog › Library in the workspace) edits attributes in bulk across your library .skp files. It saves a lot of time, but setting up a whole library properly is still a real job.

6. New computer, backup & restore

Back up

Choose Extensions › SkuEstimator › Back Up Data… and pick where to save. You get one .json file containing your templates, suppliers, customers, document types, job types, pack and punching rules, catalogue items, linked-item rules, standing charges, fail safes, company profile and custom colours.

A backup does not include:

  • AI API keys, because they're encrypted to one Windows account. Re-enter them after restoring.
  • Window and tab state, or logs.
  • Logo image files. Only their file path is kept, so copy the image across as well.

Anything specific to one job (edits in the Build table, colour assignments, the customer job) is saved inside that job's .skp file, so copy your model files across as well.

Restore on the new computer

  1. Install SkuEstimator and activate it.
  2. Choose Extensions › SkuEstimator › Restore Data… and pick the backup file.
  3. Check the record counts it shows, then click Yes. Records in the backup replace records with the same name, and records that exist only on this computer are kept.
  4. Close and reopen the workspace to see the restored data.

Your data is saved automatically before a restore (to a backups folder inside the data folder), so a restore can always be undone.

Freeing a seat

Your licence covers 2 computers. To move it, do one of these:

  • On the old computer, choose Licence… and click No (deactivate this computer).
  • On the account page, enter your key, click Show my computers, then Release the one you no longer use.
  • Activate on the new computer. If both seats are in use, you're asked which one to release.

7. Troubleshooting

Item codes show ??

The component uses a colour placeholder and no colour is assigned to its category yet. Open Tools › Colour Selector in the workspace (or Extensions › SkuEstimator › Colour Selector…), select the category and pick a colour. Categories come from the Category attribute by default.

My PDFs say “UNLICENSED COPY”

This computer isn't activated, or the licence can't be confirmed right now. The badge in the workspace header tells you why:

  • Unlicensed: activate with Licence….
  • Licence needs to reconnect: you've been offline for more than 30 days. Go online.
  • Check your computer clock: the Windows date has been set backwards. Correct it.
  • Payment overdue: update your card through billing.

“PDF not saved” and the print window opened

Save PDF… uses Microsoft Edge in the background. If Edge can't be found, or doesn't finish within 60 seconds, the print window opens instead. Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer to save your document.

The Preview is empty

Click Refresh, then Preview. If it's still empty, the model has no components with attributes for the selected template. Try the sample model to confirm everything works, then check your components' attributes.

Menu items are greyed out

Most commands need an open model. Open Sample Model…, Licence…, Save Diagnostics Report…, Back Up Data… and Restore Data… are always available.

Sending us a support report

Choose Extensions › SkuEstimator › Save Diagnostics Report… and attach the .txt file it saves to your email. It contains:

  • the extension, SketchUp, Windows and Ruby versions
  • which optional features are switched on
  • how many records are in each data store
  • the last 150 lines of the error log, with your Windows user folder and any email addresses blanked out

It contains no customer records, prices, templates or keys.

Where your settings live

Templates, suppliers, customers, rules and your company profile are stored in %APPDATA%\ModBuildPO\. That is the product's original internal name, kept so existing data isn't orphaned. The error log is in its logs folder. Use Back Up Data… rather than copying this folder by hand.

8. Billing & cancelling

  • Price. A$99 per month plus GST (A$108.90 inc. GST), after a 14-day free trial. You're charged when the trial ends unless you cancel before then.
  • Manage billing. On the account page, enter your licence key and click Manage billing. This opens Stripe's secure portal, where you can update your card, download invoices or cancel. You can also get there from SketchUp: Licence…, then Yes.
  • Cancelling. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the current paid month, and you keep full use until then. See the Terms.
  • After cancelling, the extension keeps working and your data is untouched. Exported documents are watermarked.
  • Lost your key? Email us from your billing email address.

9. Contact

Email [email protected]. To help us answer quickly, include your SkuEstimator version (shown in the Extension Manager) and attach a diagnostics report.