Get started with Shaderlight for Google SketchUp
Step 3: Shaderlight plug-in: Shaderlight controls appear as a floating palette within SketchUp. Click the camera button to start a render. The ball button launches the Material Editor, and the lightbulb button activates the Light Placement Tool. The gear wheel button opens the Render Settings window.
Step 4: Seeing the light: The Light Placement Tool provides control over lighting effects, but is available only on a 14-day free trial. Some advanced features will be disabled thereafter, although you can still render up to 640x480-pixel resolution and use Preset Lighting Images to illuminate your scenes.
Photo Advisor
Download Google SketchUp
Step 5: Choosing an image: We’ve downloaded Rage’s ‘My Dream Bedroom 2011’ file for our workshop. Thousands more are available that are free to use and share. However, since Shaderlight’s purpose is to create a photorealistic image of your model, avoid any that already look photographic.
Step 6: Rendering: Press the camera button in the floating palette to start a render in a new window. Depending on the size and complexity of the original image, this can take some time. Changes made to the camera position, geometry and materials in SketchUp will also update your rendered image.
Continues >>
Comments