Rendering in SketchUp Rendering in SketchUp From Modeling to Presentation for Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design Daniel Tal Cover image: Rendering of city, park, and interior by Daniel Tal (modeled in SketchUp, rendered in Shaderlight, postproduction processing in Photoshop) Cover design: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 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Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Tal, Daniel, 1971- Rendering in SketchUp: from modeling to presentation for architecture, landscape architecture and interior design/Daniel Tal. 1 online resource. Includes index. Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed. ISBN 978-1-118-33277-1 (pdf)—ISBN 978-1-118-33001-2 (epub) — ISBN 978-1-118-33445-4 ( mobi) — ISBN 978-0-470-64219-1 (pbk.) (print) 1. Architectural design--Data processing. 2. Landscape architectural drawing— Data processing. 3. Interior decoration—Computer-aided design. 4. SketchUp. I. Title. NA2728 720.28'4025668—dc23 2012028296 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix Choosing and Downloading Textures ........72 Saving a Texture Library ....................76 Part 1 Overview and Concepts Searching CG Textures .....................77 Chapter 1: Introduction to Rendering Linking the Texture Library .................79 in SketchUp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Chapter 8: The SketchUp Texture Tools . . . .81 Integrated Rendering Programs ..............3 Macintosh Texture Tools ...................81 Studio Rendering Programs ..................4 PC Texture Tools ..........................82 Digital Rendering and Photorealism ..........5 The Paint Bucket Tool ......................83 Using This Book ............................8 The Styles Menu ...........................95 The Software ..............................10 The Right-Click Texture Menu ...............98 Chapter 2: Contents and Extended Chapter 9: Apply, Assess, and Adjust . . . . 109 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 The Three As .............................109 Companion IRP Chapters ...................14 Apply ...................................111 Method and Reference Guide ................18 Assess and Adjust .........................121 Chapter 3: The Rendering Process . . . . . . . . 23 Texture Tips .............................141 Create the SketchUp Model .................24 Chapter 10: Editing Textures in an The Iterative Rendering Process .............28 External Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 The Post-Rendering Process .................33 Linking an Editor to SketchUp .............146 Chapter 4: How Rendering Works . . . . . . . . 35 Launching, Editing, and Saving ............147 IRP Render Processing .....................35 Typical Alterations .......................150 Computer Hardware and Rendering ..........37 Part 3 Modeling Detail Other Rendering Options ...................40 Chapter 11: An Overview of Computer Specifications ....................42 Modeling Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Chapter 5: Learning to Look . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 What Is Detail Modeling? ..................170 Rendering as an Art Form ..................45 Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Becoming a Student of Light and Color .......53 Chapter 12: The Detailing Tools . . . . . . . . .176 Part 2 Textures The Component Library ...................176 Chapter 6: Textures Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 56 The Component Browser ..................178 Using Layers .............................181 Textures in SketchUp ......................58 SketchUp Scenes .........................186 The Texturing Process ......................63 The Camera Tools .........................188 General Considerations ....................65 Texture Image Formats .....................68 Chapter 13: Component Details . . . . . . . . . .193 Chapter 7: The Texture Library . . . . . . . . . . 69 What Is Component Detail? ................193 Premade Components and Textures .........197 SketchUp Native Textures ..................70 Premade Component Websites .............201 Web Sources ..............................70 Contents v Chapter 14: Organizing the Model . . . . . . .219 Chapter 21: Texture Values . . . . . . . . . . . . .351 What Is a Large Model? ....................220 IRPs and Texture Values ...................351 Layering Strategy ........................223 Bump Values .............................354 Layer Conventions by Model Typology ......226 Surface Condition and Surface Reflection ....358 Cleaning Up Layers .......................231 Transparency ............................364 Controlling Layers with Scenes .............234 Texture Categories ........................365 Toggling Layers ..........................237 Troubleshooting Textures .................366 Warning! ................................241 Chapter 22: Image Resolution . . . . . . . . . . 368 Chapter 15: Camera Scenes, What Is Resolution? .......................368 Composition, and Backdrops . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Determining DPI .........................374 Camera Scenes ...........................242 Large Resolutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 Composition .............................244 Chapter 23: Exterior Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 Backdrops ...............................251 First Lighting Steps .......................375 Chapter 16: Advanced Detailing . . . . . . . . .261 SketchUp Shadows ........................376 Texture Modeling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Image-Based Lighting .....................376 Ruby Scripts for Detailing .................276 Exposure/Gamma/Intensity ...............381 Part 4 Setting Light with Shadows Chapter 24: Simulated Lighting . . . . . . . . . 383 Chapter 17: The Shadow Menu . . . . . . . . . 290 Types of Lighting .........................385 Placing and Editing Lights .................394 The SketchUp Shadow Menu ...............290 Render Times ............................398 Solar North ..............................296 General Simulated Light Strategies .........399 Working with Shadows ....................297 Troubleshooting Shadows .................298 Part 6 Shaderlight by ArtVPS Chapter 18: Composing Light . . . . . . . . . . 300 Chapter 25: Introduction to Shaderlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .412 Composing Light Tools ....................303 Composing Light Strategies ................308 Menu Overview ..........................414 Composing the Light ......................314 Secondary Menu ..........................415 Special Features ..........................415 Part 5 The Iterative Rendering Process Chapter 26: Shaderlight Iterative Chapter 19: A Rendering Overview . . . . . . 320 Rendering Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .418 IRP Universal Features ....................321 The Render Settings Menu .................418 Custom Features .........................325 Dynamic Preview and Saving ..............422 Chapter 20: Steps of the Iterative Draft-to-Final Settings ....................424 Rendering Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331 Chapter 27: Shaderlight Add Initial Values .........................332 Texture Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 Draft to Final Render .....................334 Apply Texture Values ......................430 Simulated Light Drafts-to-Final Process .....343 Texture Value Descriptions ................432 vi Contents Texture Settings Categories ................437 Base Model Extrusion .....................541 Glass and Water Material Values ............442 Solid Colors Swapped with Textures .........542 Chapter 28: Shaderlight Exterior Chapter 34: Building Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . 545 Lighting and Backdrops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 Chapter 35: Interior Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . .552 SketchUp Dark Slider .....................450 Interior Base Model .......................552 Physical Sky .............................451 Interior Detailing .........................557 HDRI Lighting ...........................452 Background and Backdrops ................458 Chapter 36: Site Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565 Chapter 29: Shaderlight Chapter 37: Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 Simulated Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .461 Cleaning Up the Layer List .................573 Shaderlight Lighting Options ..............462 Off/On Scenes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574 Light Editor ..............................468 Specific Control Scenes ....................575 Shaderlight Render Settings ...............469 Camera View Scenes ......................578 Quality Settings ..........................470 Chapter 38: Setting Lighting Settings .........................470 Light with Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581 Postproduction ...........................478 Chapter 39: The Iterative Rendering Chapter 30: Shaderlight Process for Exterior Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587 Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 Batch Rendering ..........................481 Chapter 40: The Iterative Rendering ReplaceMe ...............................487 Process for Interior Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605 Chalk Rendering .........................490 Chapter 41: Postproduction of Exterior Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620 Part 7 The Photoshop Postproduction Process Index .. .................................624 Chapter 31: Postproduction Effects . . . . . . 496 Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .498 Light and Color ...........................500 Effects ..................................511 Chapter 32: Detailed Postproduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .519 Realistic Vegetation .......................519 Architecture Photo Placement ..............524 Backgrounds/Backdrops ..................526 Part 8 Anatomy of a Rendering Chapter 33: Building the Base Model . . . . 536 Chapter Relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .537 The Base Model ...........................538 Solid Color to Surfaces ....................539 Contents vii