SketchUp 2025 introduced some very nice visualization capabilities: PBR (physically-based rendering) materials and environments. While those are great (especially for exteriors), indoor material reflections are a bit trickier since objects cannot be reflected even with the new PBR materials.
In this tutorial I’ll show you how you can create some good-looking reflections (in e.g. floors or mirrors) with a simple trick. Check out the video below for a walk-through of the process. But in short, here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Create an inverted copy of the model
As a first step, turn your entire model (or at least what will be visible) into a group – or even better: a component (to retain the live link between the two copies). Then flip it along the reflective surface either using the Flip tool or by copying/scaling it. In my case I need a floor reflection, so the copy goes underneath. If you need a wall mirror reflection, the copy would go on the other side of the mirror.
Step 2: Adjust transparency for the “bounding material”
Next, go to the Materials panel and find the editing tab for the material that lies at the boundary (the floor in my case). Increase its transparency until you get the desired effect. Usually a slight reduction in opacity is enough to get a good looking reflection.
And that’s it. This can now be used for exporting of model views or for creating model animations (e.g. walkthroughs) right in SketchUp.
TIP
This trick is not limited to SketchUp 2025. It works with other versions as well. It just made sense to post it in the SU 2025 context because every SketchUp user will likely be trying out the new environments and may run into issues when it comes to interiors. Also, proper reflections can of course always be shown using rendering software such as Enscape, VRay, etc.
Tutorial Video
P.S. Are there Good Environments for Interior Visualization?
Yes, there are! As you can see in the images below, it is very useful to always keep an interior studio environment HDR file (like the one on the right) around that features lights above and a dark “midsection”. That way, you can add blurry ceiling light reflections to your model easily while avoiding the “under the wall” reflections that you would get with exterior environments. You can see the result in the left image.
Links
- SketchUp 2025 is Here! – An overview of all the new functionality in this version.
- PBR Materials Cheat Sheet (for SketchUp 2025)