[Free plugin][Mac] Restore .skp Finder previews — Mac SKP Icon Repair 0.1.5
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If your Mac shows generic SketchUp icons instead of model previews, I have released Mac SKP Icon Repair & Keeper 0.1.5, a free SketchUp extension for macOS. I am the author.
It uses the preview already embedded in a
.skpmodel as that file’s Finder icon, making saved model and component libraries easier to browse.- Repair the current saved model.
- Repair an existing folder and its normal subfolders in one operation.
- Restore the current model’s icon automatically after normal SketchUp saves.
Download and instructions in SketchUcation PluginStore
Source, documentation and direct installer download are also available on GitHub. The extension is free and open source under Apache 2.0.
It adds Finder icon metadata without rewriting the model contents. Files without a usable embedded preview are skipped. This is a Finder-icon workaround; it does not repair macOS Quick Look or generate a new preview when a model has none.
Tested on Apple silicon with SketchUp 2026. Intel compatibility is intended but has not been hardware-tested. Folder repair requires Python 3 at
/usr/bin/python3; current-model and after-save repair do not. It runs locally without analytics or network access.If you try it, please share your SketchUp/macOS version and whether it restores the icons in your library. Bug reports are welcome on GitHub.
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A clarification on the main use case: you do not need to open and repair each model individually. Install the extension, then choose Extensions > Repair a folder of SketchUp Finder icons… and select your library folder. It includes normal subfolders. The current-model command is an additional option, and icons are also restored after ordinary saves.
The confirmed testing range is Apple silicon with SketchUp 2021–2026. Intel hardware testing remains unconfirmed. Folder repair requires Python 3 at /usr/bin/python3.
Download Mac SKP Icon Repair from SketchUcation PluginStore, or use the GitHub source, instructions and direct installer. Both links are in the opening post.
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