Rendering in SketchUp: From Modeling to Presentation for Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design

642 Pages·2013·114.77 MB·English

by  Daniel Tal

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.
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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