Ultimate Material Manager for SketchUp
Material Workflow Philosophy
Ultimate Material Manager is designed around practical material behavior in real-world workflows.
SketchUp's native material system is intentionally flexible. Materials can be assigned to faces, groups, components, and back faces. This works well for conceptual modeling, but it can introduce unpredictability as models move through professional pipelines.
To achieve more predictable results across downstream workflows, clearer and more consistent practices are widely recommended. Ultimate Material Manager is built to support three such principles:
- Face-Based Materials: materials are applied directly to faces rather than containers.
- Consistent Face Strategy: a single, coherent face assignment approach is used throughout a model.
- Solid Geometry: solids are favored over single-plane geometry for more reliable behavior.
These principles are not enforced by SketchUp itself. UMM simply makes them easier to follow when predictability matters.
1. Quick Start
Install, activate, sync your model, and start cleaning materials in minutes.
Compatibility — SketchUp 2024–2026 (macOS & Windows). Behavior may vary slightly depending on OS version and system configuration.
How Ultimate Material Manager Works
Ultimate Material Manager works directly on SketchUp's native material system. It does not introduce any custom file formats or proprietary data.
All changes are saved as standard SketchUp materials inside the .skp file. Models open and behave normally even if the extension is not installed.
Why These Principles Matter
The tools in Ultimate Material Manager are designed to support predictable material behavior without changing SketchUp's underlying system.
By pushing materials to faces, highlighting inconsistencies, and simplifying cleanup, UMM helps reduce common issues such as missing materials, inconsistent shading, and unexpected results during export or collaboration.
Download Ultimate Material Manager
Install the latest RBZ through SketchUp's Extension Manager.
Activate Your License
Ultimate Material Manager opens the License dialog automatically on first launch or when no license is active. Paste your key and click Activate. Activation only validates the license. All model data remains fully usable regardless of license state.
Start Exploring the Features
Run Debug Selection to see paints, Apply to Faces to push them to geometry, and edit, manage, and organise your materials from one place.
Installation & Updates
- Enable / Disable: Restart SketchUp for the change to take effect.
- Uninstall / Update: Uninstall → Restart SketchUp → Install the new version.
- Note: Restarting SketchUp is required to fully reset the extension state.
2. Workspace Overview
Four matching windows handle the daily material tasks, so you can swap between them without relearning the UI.
1. Main Window
Your main portal to your material workflow.
2. Material Library
Save texture-ready sets, batch rename, and reload libraries into any model.
3. Replace Materials
Select one source, one target, confirm the scope, and run the swap.
4. Texture Transform
Capture faces, apply presets, and update UV adjustments on the fly.
3. Main Window Toolkit
Move down the toolbar to scan the model, diagnose issues, and apply fixes. The controls below follow the dialog order.
- License Banner: Shows your license status. Click to open License Dialog.
- Top Bar Info: Shows the extension version, total materials, and live scan progress.
- Model Info: Run a quick material health scan that reports usage, conflicts, and priority fixes instantly.
- Refresh: Manually resync the panel so SketchUp stays in step without freezing your workflow.
Debug Selection
Reveal where materials live. On faces, groups, or components and push paints to faces for clean edits.
This helps surface container overrides that can lead to unexpected results in exports or collaboration.
- Summary: A quick breakdown of face counts, missing front materials, Apply to Faces impact, back-face materials, and container material counts on groups/components.
- Front & Back: Lists the materials and IDs applied to each side.
- Assignments: Shows overrides stored on containers or component definitions.
- Potential Issues: Highlights different issues in your selection.
- Apply to Faces (Preserve Look): Bakes inherited materials onto face fronts and backs while preserving the model’s current appearance. Use this when you want clean face paints without changing how the model looks.
- Apply to Faces (Front Only): Applies container materials to front faces only, keeping the legacy behavior. Use this when you only need to push materials to fronts and leave back faces unchanged.
- Clear Back-Face Materials: Removes explicit back-face materials on the selected faces without modifying front faces. Use this to reset back faces before repainting or cleanup.
Main Window Toolkit
- Check Faces: Flag reversed faces with green fronts and red backs so orientation mistakes surface immediately.
- Merge Duplicates: Combine matching materials automatically so clones collapse, schedules simplify, and exports stay pristine.
- Purge Unused: Remove unused materials in one click to keep models light, organized, and responsive daily.This reduces surprises during export or collaboration.
- Remove Material: Strip materials from the active selection while preserving hierarchy, containers, and undo history.
- New Materials: Spin up a clean material with smart defaults ready for naming, textures, and mapping tweaks.
- Pick Material: Click any surface in SketchUp to identify its material and jump straight to editing.
- Scan Selection: Sweep a selection, highlight each material, step with arrow keys, and isolate entries fast.
- Highlight: Applies a temporary tint to selected materials and steps through them with the arrow keys while preserving PBR maps.
- Isolate: Filters the list to materials used by the active SketchUp selection.
- Auto-Scroll: Automatically scrolls to material when double clicked in the Scan Selection list.
- Search Materials: Filters the list as you type. Searches are case-insensitive; clear the field to show everything.
Heads-up:
Highlight and Check Faces temporarily modify materials or render settings to display previews. These changes are meant to be temporary and normally clear automatically when you turn the tools off, refresh, close the window, or before saving.
However, you should always disable Highlight and Check Faces before saving your model. If SketchUp crashes or is force-closed while a preview is active, the preview state may be written into the saved file and overwrite the original material appearance.
If you notice thumbnails or faces showing a previewed look, simply toggle these tools off and save again to ensure a clean file.
Material List Functions
- Assign: Apply the active material directly to faces and clear container paints automatically for consistency.
- Edit: Adjust color, texture, scale, and PBR maps from one panel without leaving SketchUp.
- Rename: Update material names instantly so schedules, exports, and library folders stay perfectly aligned.
- Usage: List every entity using the material so you can locate, audit, and tidy assignments fast.
- Duplicate: Clone the active material with all parameters preserved for rapid iterations and alternates.
- Highlight: Highlight selected material in the viewport.
Edit Material Window
Click Edit to open the editor. SketchUp 2025+ uses the full panel shown below; SketchUp 2024 opens a simplified window that keeps the core controls.
- Name: Rename the material.
- Colour & Opacity: Adjust the swatch and 0–100% opacity slider.
- Dimensions: Width and Height in Ultimate Material Manager are always entered in inches. SketchUp stores texture sizes internally in inches. SketchUp’s native Materials editor may display converted values based on model units, but the underlying size is the same.
- Texture Actions: Load, find, or remove the current bitmap.
- PBR Maps (2025+): Enable, load, or remove Metallic, Roughness, Normal, and Ambient Occlusion maps with strength sliders.
- Simplified view (2024): Classic controls only: name, colour, opacity, size, preview, and texture actions, without the PBR map panel.
- Footer Controls: Save applies changes; Cancel closes without updating the model.
4. Material Library
Stage, save, and reload reusable materials.
- Load Library: Load saved libraries into the model by choosing a directory entry and applying instantly.
- Save Library: Export selected materials with textures and a JSON reference so teams share consistent sets.
- Selection: Drag-select multiple swatches to stage bulk actions without toggling each material manually.
- Select All: Grab the whole library in one gesture to streamline batch edits and exports.
- Deselect All: Clear the active selection immediately so accidental bulk edits never slip through.
- Batch Rename: Apply prefixes, suffixes, and numbering in one pass for studio-grade naming discipline.
- Undo Batch Rename: Revert the most recent rename run instantly if results stray from standards.
- Batch Create: Generate up to 100 materials with structured names and automatic colors ready for review.
5. Replace Materials
Swap one material for another with confirmation.
Using this tool helps maintain consistent material behavior across complex or nested geometry.
- From Material: Choose the source material to replace so every swap starts with clear intent.
- To Material: Pick the target material and preview the result before committing the replacement.
- Replace Material in Model: Apply the swap model-wide in one command backed by full undo support.
6. Texture Transform
Capture faces for UV edits with live previews.
- Selection Info: Shows what’s currently selected plus key material counts so you can spot missing paints or container overrides at a glance.
- Start Session: Begin a texture transform session on a face and roam freely while edits stay linked.
- End Session: Close the session to save every tweak automatically with per-step undo available.
- Quick Mapping: Apply box, cylinder, planar, or quad mapping instantly, including quick X-Y inversions.
- Adjust Mapping: Dial position, rotation, and scale with intuitive sliders for pixel-perfect alignment.
7. Settings Main Menu
Settings sit in the toolbar across every window. Set them once and the preference carries with you.
Material Assignment
Assignment Modes
Choose how materials are applied to faces inside nested groups and components.
Deep Paint
Assigns the selected material to all faces, including faces inside nested groups and components.
- Overwrites existing face materials
- Ensures a consistent result across the entire selection
Use this when:
You want to assign a material throughout a selection, regardless of nesting depth or existing face materials.
Do Not Overwrite
Fills only unpainted faces without overwriting existing materials, including faces inside nested groups and components.
- Skips faces that already have a material
- With Two-Sided ON, both sides must be blank to be filled
- With Two-Sided OFF, only the front must be blank
Use this when:
You want to fill in missing materials without changing faces that already have paint.
Example
A component contains:
- Some faces painted red
- Some faces unpainted
- Deep Paint: All faces receive the new material
- Do Not Overwrite: Only unpainted faces receive the new material; red faces remain unchanged
Interface
- UI scale: Shrink or enlarge the entire interface.
- Enable auto overflow scroll: Allow the window to scroll when there isn't enough vertical space.
Window Layout Presets
- Preset: Save, load, update, or delete window position and size layouts.
- Auto-load preset on startup: Automatically restore a chosen layout when the extension launches.
- Auto-open windows on startup: Pick which windows (Material Library, Replace Materials, Texture Transform, Feedback, License) open automatically.
Highlighting
- Highlight colour: Choose the accent colour used for selections.
Guidance & Feedback
- Show tooltips: Display helper tips when hovering controls.
Docs, Feedback and Licensing
- Docs: Link to this documentation.
- Feedback: Opens a form for Bug Reports, Feature Requests and General Feedback.
- Licensing: Opens the licensing dialog to manage activation.
Workflow Notes — Predictable Materials
In practice, predictable material workflows tend to follow a simple pattern:
- Geometry is prepared cleanly, with solids where possible.
- Materials are applied directly to faces early in the process.
- Consistency is maintained throughout the model.
- Cleanup tools are used before export or collaboration.
Ultimate Material Manager is designed to support this flow without changing SketchUp's native behavior.
8. Licensing FAQ
This FAQ explains how licensing and activation work in Ultimate Material Manager. Use it as a reference for installation, activation, device usage, and general license questions.
Do I need a license to use Ultimate Material Manager?
Yes. Each user needs a valid license key to activate Ultimate Material Manager. Once activated, all features become available without limitations.
What happens if I stop using Ultimate Material Manager or share a file with someone who does not have it installed?
Ultimate Material Manager improves how materials are managed while you work, but all data is stored as standard SketchUp materials inside the .skp file. Files open and behave normally without the extension installed.
Is there a free version or trial of Ultimate Material Manager?
Ultimate Material Manager is designed for professional SketchUp workflows and large production models, so there is no free version or trial at the moment. A lot of development and testing goes into keeping the tools fast, stable, and reliable for real client work. If you're unsure whether UMM fits your workflow, we're always happy to answer questions or explain how specific features work.
How many computers can I use my license on?
For individual licenses, each license is intended for one user and allows activation on up to two personal computers.
Typical examples include:
- Desktop and laptop
- Home and work computer
- Main workstation and travel laptop
As long as the same person is using both devices, this is fully permitted.
For studios or teams, a single license may include multiple seats, allowing several team members to use the extension under one shared license key, up to the number of available seats.
What if I replace my computer or upgrade hardware?
If you replace your computer, reinstall your operating system, upgrade hardware, or migrate to a new device, you can activate Ultimate Material Manager on the new machine using your existing license.
If all available seats are currently in use, you will be prompted to release an existing seat during activation so you can continue using the extension on the new device.
No support request is required.
How do I activate my license?
- Install the extension
- Open Ultimate Material Manager in SketchUp
- Enter your license key
- Press Activate
Activation takes only a few seconds if you have an internet connection.
Can I use the extension offline?
Yes. After activation, Ultimate Material Manager can operate offline for a grace period.
This is useful when working:
- While traveling
- On jobsites
- In locations without reliable internet
The extension will revalidate automatically once you reconnect to the internet.
What is a "seat"?
A seat represents one active installation of the extension.
- Individual licenses include two seats, intended for use by one person on two personal devices.
- Studio or team licenses may include multiple seats under a single license key.
If all seats are in use and a new activation is attempted, you will be prompted to release an existing seat before activating on a new device.
Seats are shared across the license and determine how many devices can be active at the same time.
Can someone else use my license?
For individual licenses, no. Each individual license is intended for a single user and may not be shared with others.
For studio or team licenses, seats may be shared across team members within the same organization, up to the number of seats included in the license.
Sharing license access outside your organization is not permitted.
Can I upgrade or add more seats later?
Yes. Additional seats or licenses can be added at any time.
This is useful for:
- Growing teams
- Additional workstations
- Studios or agencies scaling their usage
Contact support if you need help expanding or adjusting your licensing.
What if I run into activation issues?
Common causes include:
- Incorrect license key
- Temporary network issues
- Activation limit reached
If activation issues persist, click Reset This Device in the License dialog and enter your license again. This usually resolves the problem.
Does the extension track my materials or activity?
No. Ultimate Material Manager does not send or store your project data, materials, or personal content. The system only stores:
- Device fingerprint
- License key
- Activation timestamps
This information is used strictly for license validation.
8.1 Activation Troubleshooting: "No Internet Connection"
This guide helps you restore connectivity so your license can be verified successfully.
Ultimate Material Manager uses a secure licensing service hosted on Cloudflare. Because of this, your computer needs to be able to reach Cloudflare's network to activate the extension.
If you see the message "No Internet Connection," your computer was unable to reach the licensing server. This is usually caused by:
- VPN services
- Antivirus or privacy software
- Corporate firewalls
- DNS filtering tools
- Networks with limited access to international services
You can use the steps below to resolve the problem.
1. Check basic connectivity
Open this link: https://1.1.1.1/help
- If the page loads: your network can reach Cloudflare → continue to Step 2
- If the page does not load: activation cannot work on this network → try another network (home Wi‑Fi, mobile hotspot, etc.)
2. Restart SketchUp
Close SketchUp completely, then reopen it and try activating again.
3. Turn off VPNs
Disable any VPN or proxy temporarily, then try activating.
If you recently used a VPN, please restart your computer to fully deactivate any VPN network adapters.
4. Check antivirus and security tools
Some security software may block background connections. Temporarily disable features like:
- Web Protection
- HTTPS Scanning
- SSL/TLS filtering
- Online Threat Prevention
Common tools that may block activation include F-Secure, BitDefender, Norton, Kaspersky, ESET, MalwareBytes, and Windows Defender Web Protection.
Try activating again, then re-enable protections.
5. Try another network
If activation fails on one network, switching to another often solves it (mobile hotspot, home network, etc.).
6. After activation
Ultimate Material Manager can operate offline for up to 14 days before needing to refresh the license.
You do not need constant internet access once activation succeeds.
Still having trouble?
If activation still doesn't work, we're here to help.
When you contact support, please include:
- Your OS (Windows / macOS)
- Your SketchUp version
- Any security or antivirus software installed
- Whether the https://1.1.1.1/help page loads
This helps us diagnose the issue quickly.
We'll get this resolved for you as fast as possible.
9. Quick Uninstall Guide
Completely remove Ultimate Material Manager, including extension files and optional licensing data.
Step 1 — Uninstall via SketchUp
- Open SketchUp.
- Go to Window → Extension Manager.
- Select Ultimate Material Manager.
- Click Uninstall.
- Restart SketchUp.
If this succeeds, you are done. If SketchUp leaves files behind, continue to manual removal.
Step 2 — Manual Removal
Use this only if Extension Manager did not fully remove the files.
macOS
- Close SketchUp.
- Press
Command + Shift + Gin Finder and go to~/Library/Application Support/SketchUp/SketchUp 20XX/SketchUp/Plugins/. - Delete
MDS_UltimateMaterialManager.rband theMDS_UltimateMaterialManager/folder. - Restart SketchUp.
Windows
- Close SketchUp.
- Paste
%APPDATA%\\SketchUp\\SketchUp 20XX\\SketchUp\\Plugins\\into File Explorer. - Delete
MDS_UltimateMaterialManager.rband theMDS_UltimateMaterialManager\\folder. - Restart SketchUp.
Step 3 — Remove Local Licensing Data (Optional)
Clears device identity files; your models and materials remain untouched.
macOS
Delete the folder ~/.ultimate_material_manager/.
Windows
Delete the folder %USERPROFILE%\\.ultimate_material_manager.
Removing these folders clears the machine ID and device secret. Reinstalling later will treat the device as new.
10. Privacy & GDPR
Ultimate Material Manager only stores the minimum technical data required to activate and validate your license. This includes a device identifier, a locally cached license token, and basic license status details. No personal information—such as your name, email address, purchase details, or customer metadata—is ever stored on your device by the extension.
No personal files, materials, models, or user-generated content are collected, transmitted, or analyzed. All licensing communication is strictly limited to verifying your license with our secure server.
You may reset or delete all local licensing data at any time by removing the folder ~/.ultimate_material_manager (macOS) or %USERPROFILE%\\.ultimate_material_manager (Windows).
If you wish to access your purchase information, request deletion, or exercise any GDPR rights, please contact us through the “Contact Us” link on our website.
11. EULA
End User License Agreement
Last updated: 2026-01-29. Below is the End User License Agreement governing the use of Ultimate Material Manager. It describes the rights, limitations, and terms that apply to installation and activation of the software.
- Acceptance of Terms: By purchasing, downloading, installing, activating, or using Ultimate Material Manager (the "Software"), you agree to be legally bound by this Agreement with Midnight Drive Studios AB. If you do not agree, do not install, activate, or use the Software.
- License Grant: You receive a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to install and use one copy of the Software for personal or internal business use. This license applies to use within supported SketchUp versions (SketchUp 2024-2026). The Software is licensed, not sold.
- Permitted Use: You may install and use the Software on computers you own or control, activate it with a valid license key, use it for personal, freelance, or commercial client projects, and make one backup copy for archival purposes.
- Prohibited Use: You may not reverse-engineer, decompile, or access source code; modify or create derivative works; distribute, share, rent, lease, lend, sublicense, or transfer the Software or keys; bypass licensing or security; or use the Software in violation of laws or SketchUp/Trimble terms.
- Ownership: Midnight Drive Studios AB retains all intellectual property rights; no ownership is transferred and all rights not expressly granted are reserved.
- License Keys and Activation: Activation with a valid license key is required. Keys may not be shared. Licensor may suspend or revoke keys suspected of misuse or fraud.
- Updates and Changes: Updates: Midnight Drive Studios AB may provide updates for supported SketchUp versions. Major version upgrades may be offered separately. Support or updates are not guaranteed beyond included periods.
- Feature Descriptions and Availability: Descriptions of features, functionality, compatibility, screenshots, videos, and other product information provided on the website, in documentation, marketing materials, or other communications are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a guarantee or binding promise.
The Software and its features may be modified, updated, limited, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. Midnight Drive Studios AB does not warrant that any specific feature will be available at any given time or remain unchanged.
Purchasing the Software does not grant any rights to specific features beyond those expressly stated in this Agreement.
No reliance should be placed on future features, planned functionality, or roadmap items unless expressly agreed to in writing by Midnight Drive Studios AB. - No Warranty - "AS IS": The Software is provided "AS IS" without warranties of any kind. Compatibility, error-free operation, or uninterrupted functionality are not guaranteed; you assume all risk.
- Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by law, Licensor is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages (including loss of profits or data). Total liability is limited to the amount paid for the Software.
- Indemnification: You agree to indemnify and hold Licensor harmless from claims arising from misuse or violation of this Agreement.
- Refunds: Refund requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by Licensor or Lemon Squeezy. Requests may be denied if activation or misuse is detected.
- Third-Party Services: Licensor is not responsible for changes to SketchUp, Trimble APIs, or other third-party services affecting compatibility.
- Export Compliance: You agree to comply with all applicable export laws and restrictions.
- Termination: The Agreement terminates automatically if violated. Upon termination you must stop using and delete all copies; Licensor may revoke license keys.
- Governing Law and Jurisdiction: This Agreement is governed by Swedish law, with disputes resolved exclusively in Stockholms tingsratt (Stockholm District Court).
- Severability: If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
- Entire Agreement: This Agreement constitutes the complete understanding between you and Licensor.