This chapter introduces methods for creating photorealistic renderings of SketchUp models and using them for highly polished presentation images. It covers how to create a rendering workflow, gives an overview of rendering methods, and presents techniques for setting up the rendering environment, lights, and materials.
SketchUp Models In This Chapter
Below are two of the models that you can explore interactively in your browser (click and drag to orbit):
View and download all models from this chapter on the 3D Warehouse.
Links In This Chapter
Updated links will be listed here:
- http://www.sketchupartists.org/presentations/sketchup-styles/ – SketchUp Artist’s style collection
- http://www.imsidesign.com/Products/Renditioner/tabid/1756/Default.aspx – Renditioner (UPDATED)
- http://www.indigorenderer.com – Indigo
- http://www.renderplus.com – Render Plus Systems’ IRender nXt
- http://www.light-up.co.uk – LightUp
- http://www.suplugins.com – Podium
- http://www.renderin.com – Render[in]
- http://www.artvps.com – Shaderlight
- http://www.twilightrender.com – Twilight
- http://www.vray.com – VRay
- http://www.3dpaintbrush.com – 3DPaintBrush
- http://www.artlantis.com – Artlantis
- http://www.kerkythea.net/cms/ – Kerkythea (UPDATED)
- http://www.lumenrt.com – Lumen RT
- http://www.maxwellrender.com – Maxwell
- http://www.thearender.com – Thea
- https://www.lightwave3d.com/ – LightWave 3D (UPDATED)
- http://www.e-onsoftware.com – Vue
- http://www.kerkythea.net/cms/index.php/downloads/software – Kerkythea application (UPDATED)
- http://www.kerkythea.net/cms/index.php/downloads/software – Kerkythea SketchUp plugin (UPDATED)
- http://www.kerkythea.net/cms/index.php/downloads/resources – Kerkythea materials and models (UPDATED)
- http://www.kerkythea.net/cms/index.php/downloads/documentation – Kerkythea tutorials (UPDATED)
- http://www.cgtextures.com/ – CG Textures
- http://www.kerkythea.net/cms/index.php/downloads/resources – Kerkythea studios (UPDATED)
- http://ict.debevec.org/~debevec/Probes/ – Light probe collection
- http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?24038-Free-high-res-skymaps – Sky map collection
- http://www.mcmaster.com – McMaster-Carr
- http://www.rip3d.net/web/en.html#/free/downloads – IES Generator 4
- http://www.lightolier.com/home/file-finder.jsp?ftype=ies – Lightolier IES file collection
- http://3dexport.com/cg-textures – Texture collection (UPDATED)
- http://www.bricksntiles.com – Bricks ‘n’ Tiles
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ – Trimble’s 3D Warehouse
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=0209659327533626787604282&styp=c&scoring=m – GE appliances on 3D Warehouse
- http://www.sketchupartists.org/ – SketchUp Artists
Sample Videos From This Chapter
You can access all Chapter 5 videos using the password from the book on Wiley’s companion site: www.wiley.com/go/schreyer2e
All Chapter 5 videos:
- 0501: Layered styles explained
- 0502: Intro to rendering software (included here)
- 0503: Rendering with Kerkythea (included here)
- 0504: Improving rendering materials (with Twilight)
- 0505: Spot and IES lights (with Twilight)
- 0506: Making a rendering presentable in Photoshop
Next Steps
- Check out my tutorials on this site in the Rendering category.
- I have a video-overview of many rendering programs on my blog. This gives you some guidance when you are choosing between these.
- Here are some tutorial sites (and YouTube channels) for the various rendering programs:
- Don’t forget my Freebies page for materials and 360-degree environments.
- Need more IES light files? Try these sites:
- Need more HDR environments? Try these sites:
- Another forum for rendering topics is at http://forums.cgarchitect.com/
- If you don’t own Photoshop, then try out these free image editors:
- http://www.gimp.org/ – The Gimp is a very capable freely downloadable image editor
- http://pixlr.com – An online editor (by Autodesk) with similar features and layout as Photoshop
- Some inspiring renderings (not necessarily done with SketchUp):
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