As the architecture and construction industries embrace digital surveying, the challenge of importing heavy LiDAR data into SketchUp has become a central technical hurdle. The process often referred to as a "Point Repack" is actually a workflow involving decimation, indexing, and optimization. This allows designers to take millions of scan points from a building site and "repack" them into a manageable format for SketchUp.
Out of the box, SketchUp struggles with high-density point data. Native .las or .xyz files containing millions of survey points will crash most standard workstations. Here is the reality check: sketchup building point repack
Thus, the repack is not optional—it is a survival tactic. Thus, the repack is not optional—it is a survival tactic
SketchUp’s native File > Import assumes you want a mesh. For points, use Scan Essentials (paid) or the open-source Point Cloud Import by TIG (free extension). sketchup building point repack
Once imported, you will see a grey cloud. Do not panic. Do not touch it yet.