SketchUp 8 Free & DWG/DXF

As you probably know, SketchUp 8 Free does not include the ability import/export DXF/DWG files.

Although there are some free and commercial importers/exporters available, none can match the quality of SketchUp's original plugins. Currently, the best way to exchange DWG/DXF with SketchUp is to use SketchUp 7.1 & the DWG/DXF import plugin for SketchUp 7.1 (Free)

Although SketchUp Free 7.1 also does not have the DWG/DXF import/export capabilities, Google SketchUp did release an optional installer which enables it.

As of now, both SketchUp version 7.1 and the optional installer are available for download. Only the Pro version of SketchUp 7.1 is available for download, but that's OK - it will revert to the Free version after 8 hours use, and you will be able to continue using it.

SketchUp 7.1 can be installed along with version 8, and the 2 versions will remain separate. However, if you install version 7 after version 8, you may need to go back and repair the version 8 installation to fix some minor issues (Windows thumbnails, file associations.)

It was also stated on the official Google SketchUp blog that the installer would be available for a limited time, so it's anyone's guess when it will disappear.

Downloads: [ SketchUp 7.1 Pro | DWG/DXF import plugin for SketchUp 7.1 (Free) ]