D5 LiveSync and SketchUp: A Guide to Fixing Sync Issues

What will you learn in this guide?

Learn which versions are supported when establishing a real-time connection between SketchUp and D5 Render, how model and material changes are synchronized, and how to address common issues covered in D5’s official documentation. This guide focuses on terrain grass not appearing on mirrored components, model alignment shifting after a crash, the SketchUp 2024 graphics engine, and texture warnings that may appear during connection.

The steps below are limited to information in D5’s documentation. Where the documentation does not provide a definitive fix, we say so rather than presenting a possible workaround as a verified solution. It’s especially important to identify which texture format is flagged in a warning window; however, the same response may not apply to every error message.

Requirements and version check

The support range listed in D5’s LiveSync feature documentation covers D5 Render 2.10 and later, and SketchUp 2020.1–2026. You can check your SketchUp version in the application under Help - About SketchUp. Download the plugin from the download page on D5’s official website and run the EXE file to complete the D5 Converter - SketchUp installation.

Check the version numbers before moving on to troubleshooting. D5’s documentation also notes that the real-time SketchUp-D5 plugin is supported in D5 2.5 and later, but not in D5 2.4. This note should be considered alongside the current support requirement of D5 Render 2.10 and later listed on the feature page. The same restriction does not apply to the older, non-real-time synchronization plugin in D5 2.5. So you’ll need to identify whether you’re using the real-time plugin or the traditional synchronization type.

1. Connect your SketchUp project to D5

After installing the LiveSync plugin in SketchUp, launch D5 and connect the project using the Connect to D5 Render button. According to D5, view synchronization starts by default during connection. When live sync is enabled, changes to models and materials in SketchUp are sent to D5; you don’t need to press the Update button separately for each change.

Use the plugin’s Live sync / Stop control to pause or resume live transfer. When live sync is paused, edits in SketchUp are not sent to D5 in real time. The Sync Once command incrementally transfers model and material changes. You can use the Sync view control to stop view updates after connecting. D5’s documentation also lists the F9 key for displaying D5 full-screen from SketchUp.

2. Terrain grass doesn’t appear on a mirrored component

D5’s troubleshooting documentation reports that, after a group or component is created, mirroring the model and applying terrain grass may cause the grass to disappear after synchronization. The documentation describes this as a known issue in the current version. It covers this issue in the context of importing directly into D5 or transferring through the SketchUp-D5 LiveSync plugin, with a note about version 2.5.

D5’s temporary workaround is to explode the mirrored part of the component—that is, separate it from the component structure—and then sync the model again using the plugin or import it directly into D5. Before doing this, identify the mirrored part and make sure you only explode the relevant section. This step is not the same as unlinking the component: the source recommends exploding the mirrored part. This is a temporary workaround for the scenario described in the documentation; it doesn’t mean the same issue will occur in every scene or in other versions.

3. The model is misaligned after a crash

D5’s troubleshooting documentation lists misalignment after a SketchUp crash when using Replace and Link through the plugin as a known issue in version 2.7. For the temporary workaround, first open the relevant D5 scene file. In D5, select the SketchUp model and run Sync Pivot; then manually set the model coordinates to 0,0,0.

Once these steps are complete, reconnect through the SketchUp plugin and select Replace and Link. In the sequence described by D5, the pivot and coordinates of the model in the scene are corrected first, and then the plugin connection is renewed. The documentation says the issue in 2.7 would be addressed in later versions. So don’t assume these steps will resolve every alignment problem in other versions.

4. Check the graphics engine and texture warnings

In SketchUp 2024, you can change the new graphics engine in the Preferences window. D5 notes that the new engine may be relatively unstable; if SketchUp 2024 crashes frequently during use, it recommends selecting the classic graphics engine. This is an alternative suggested by D5; the documentation doesn’t say it will be a definitive fix on every system or provide a specific performance boost.

If a warning appears during the first connection, reporting issues that could cause data errors, note that LiveSync is flagging something related to texture information. D5 says this check was added starting with LiveSync 1.3.0.0035, and that a window may appear on the first connection for unusual texture information. In the example given, the unsupported texture format for a material is reported as PSD.

Note the material name and format shown in the warning to identify which texture needs checking. However, the source documentation doesn’t provide a specific conversion format, menu path, or automatic fix for this PSD example. So don’t apply an undocumented operation as if it were a definitive fix; first identify the material and format indicated by the warning.

Impact on architecture and visualization workflows

LiveSync can be useful for architecture, interior design, and visualization teams that want to see models and materials in D5 live while making design changes in SketchUp. In workflows that involve frequent switching between modeling and visual review, real-time transfer can reduce the need to update manually after every edit. For scenes with many lights, the plugin’s light component sync setting may also be worth considering: according to D5’s documentation, lights can be kept separate or lights with the same properties can be grouped automatically.

However, version compatibility, model structure, and texture information can affect the synchronization workflow. Check your D5 and SketchUp versions before installing the plugin, and test mirrored components and flagged textures before delivering a project. The sources don’t include hardware requirements, license costs, or performance measurements for different computer configurations. So it isn’t possible to draw firm conclusions about hardware or cost. Testing the connection in a small scene in advance and checking problematic elements separately can help teams manage sync-related interruptions.

Common mistakes and next steps

One point that’s easy to confuse is treating the D5 version and the synchronization type as the same thing. D5’s documentation says the real-time plugin is supported in D5 2.5 and later, but not in 2.4; the feature page lists D5 Render 2.10 and later as the supported range. For a new installation, check the version requirement on the feature page; when migrating older scenes, also review the FAQ notes.

Another mistake is applying a temporary workaround for one issue to every project. The recommendation to explode the mirrored part applies to the scenario where terrain grass doesn’t appear. Sync Pivot and the 0,0,0 coordinates are the steps provided for model misalignment with Replace and Link after a crash. Consider them only when the relevant situation applies. Don’t ignore a texture warning either; identify the material and format it reports.

Deleted synced lights in D5 may also not return automatically in later updates. According to D5’s documentation, after restarting the D5 file, a subsequent update, reconnection, or Send Lights operation may sync lights that were previously deleted again. Also, if you change the position, rotation, and size of lights in D5 and then sync again, those values are brought into line with their counterparts in the modeling software. Keeping these behaviors in mind when checking a scene makes it easier to spot unexpected changes.

Source and license

This guide has been adapted into Turkish from D5’s SketchUp LiveSync feature overview and its documentation on common issues with SketchUp. The sources are marked “license=free” in the provided information set.