Export a 'view only' sketchup file

homeeeee · 19 Oct 2011, 15:35

Hello there, does anyone know how to export an .skp file so it can only be viewed in the skethcup viewer and not able to be modified? My boss has asked me to send a client a model, but of course I don't want to allow them to modify it as they could easily download sketchup free and do as they like. Thanks in advance. (I realize this may have been asked before, but this my 1st post.)

Gaieus · 19 Oct 2011, 16:33

You cannot "lock" SU files. There are some 3rd party applications where you can export and from where it's not possible (or at least rather hard) to extract the data but not the SU viewer as it simply works with the normal skp file.

What sort of model is that?

homeeeee · 20 Oct 2011, 08:39

Hi Gaieus, Thanks for your reply. Its a an architectural model: site, houses, trees etc. all modelled in sketchup pro. Its likely the client would'nt even know what to do with the model, as I would probably have to explain how to pan/move around in the viewer anyway. (The client is a developer) But someone in his office might know sketchup. I could just explode all components and groups to make the model not worth modifying, but if they had the free version of sketchup they could still export their own images. Any way to prevent this? Thanks again in advance.

Gaieus · 20 Oct 2011, 10:13

As I said, not with skp files. There are a couple of 3rd party applications however that can do a walkthrough kind of presentation from SU - both free and commercial (and there are also 3D PDF solutions but they are best for product views - to rotate "from outside").

Would your boss be interested to spend a couple of hundred dollars for something like that?