| User Type | Benefit | |-----------|---------| | Architects | Quickly add cornices, baseboards, window/door trim, handrails. | | Woodworkers | Model complex router bits, moldings, and frame profiles. | | 3D modelers | Create pipes, cables, tubing, or extruded metal sections. | | Landscape designers | Model fences, curbs, edging, or trellises. | | Engineers | Extrude structural shapes (C-channel, I-beam, angle iron) along any path. |
Profile Builder 2 comes with a massive built-in library of ready-made profiles. You can find:
If the library doesn't have what you need, the Profile Editor allows you to draw any custom 2D shape in SketchUp and convert it into a reusable PB2 profile. You can also define the material, layer, and even the orientation of the profile relative to the path.
DM Profile Builder 2 is a game-changer for anyone who repeatedly extrudes profiles along paths in SketchUp. If you do any kind of trim, molding, framing, or pipe routing, it will save you hours of rework. The parametric nature alone pays for the plugin after one or two design changes.
Recommendation: Download the trial, spend an hour following a tutorial, and test it on a real project. Most users never go back to native Follow Me afterward.
Would you like a step-by-step example for a specific use case (e.g., railings, pipes, or window trim)?
Profile Builder 2 plugin for SketchUp is a parametric modeling tool designed to automate the creation of intelligent building materials like walls, moldings, and railings. It is often described as "Follow Me on steroids" because it allows you to extrude 2D profiles along complex paths with full control over orientation and mitering. Core Tools & Features
The plugin typically adds three primary tools to your SketchUp toolbar: Profile Builder DM Profile Builder 2 Plugin for Sketchup
: Create, save, and extrude custom 2D profiles along any path or face.
: Combine multiple profiles and components into "Smart Assemblies" (e.g., a railing with posts and pickets that automatically repeats along a path). Quantifier
: Calculate instant cost estimates and quantity reports based on layers, objects, or materials in your model. Current Availability
While Profile Builder 2 was a major release for SketchUp 2015 and later, the developers at MindSight Studios have since moved on to Profile Builder 4 Profile Builder for SketchUp
DM Profile Builder 2 for SketchUp is a specialized tool for creating and managing custom extrusions and parametric assemblies. Core Modeling Features
Custom Profiles: Draw any shape and instantly extrude it along paths or faces.
Real-time Editing: Modify profiles or paths at any time with instant visual updates. | User Type | Benefit | |-----------|---------| |
Smart Assemblies: Combine multiple profiles into a single complex object.
Orientation Control: Rotate, flip, and offset profiles relative to the path. Quantity & Data Estimation
Cost Calculations: Automatically calculate costs based on length, area, or volume.
Material Quantities: Get instant reports on profile weight and volume.
Length Tracking: Live quantification of total extrusion lengths for procurement. Key Benefits
Non-Destructive Workflow: Unlike the native "Follow Me" tool, you can adjust settings without redrawing.
Parametric Flexibility: Swap out profiles on an existing path without losing your work. Profile Builder 2 comes with a massive built-in
Industry Standard: Widely used by architects and interior designers for moldings, framing, and piping.
For a look at how professional extensions handle complex geometry like roofs, check out this architectural workflow video:
In the world of 3D modeling for architecture, construction, and woodworking, efficiency is paramount. Manually extruding profiles along paths (using SketchUp’s native Follow Me tool) is time-consuming, non-parametric, and difficult to edit. DM Profile Builder 2, developed by Didier Bur, is a powerful extension that transforms this process into an intelligent, parametric, and highly efficient workflow. It allows users to create, apply, and edit complex linear extrusions (moldings, railings, structural beams, trusses, and more) in seconds.
Unlike simple extrusions, PB2 understands structural logic. You can create "Beams" that know to stop at intersecting beams. You can create "Trusses" with repeating webbing. For decking, you can tell PB2 to array boards at a specific spacing (e.g., 16" on center) along a deck frame.
While Profile Builder 1 focused on single extrusions, version 2 introduced the "Assembly" concept. This allows you to group multiple profiles together. For example, a "Wall Assembly" could include the bottom plate, the top plate, and the studs, all spaced at a specific interval. When you draw your path, the entire wall system—framing and all—is generated in one go. For residential builders and timber framers, this feature alone cuts hours off a workflow.
Once you place a PB2 extrusion, it remains "live." The Profile Builder 2 Agent sits in your toolbar. By selecting an existing PB2 extrusion, you can: