SketchUp contains a unique interface that allows 3D forms to be created, viewed, and modified quickly and easily. The core of its simplicity lies in an interface that allows the user to simply draw the edges of the desired model in 3D space, just as he or she would using a pencil and paper. It can automatically determine the nature of the lines and fill shapes to create 3D geometry.

This new version delivers a small yet very powerful toolset with added substantial horsepower but without a bunch of new toolbars or concepts. SketchUp 4.0 includes the following new tools: Follow Me lets users push or pull a surface along a path; Texture Tweaker allows any texture or photo to be stretched and manipulated across any continuous surface; Face Me makes 2D components appear to be 3D. Version 4.0 also adds a very powerful Ruby scripting interface.