SketchUp 2014 for Architectural Visualization

✍ Scribed by Thomas Bleicher, Robin de Jongh

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2014
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 448
• Edition: Second Edition
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Take advantage of the new features of SketchUp 2014
Create picture-perfect photo-realistic 3D architectural renders for your SketchUp models
Post-process SketchUp output to create digital watercolor and pencil art
Make the most of SketchUp with the best plugins and add-on software to enhance your models

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Copyright......Page 3
Credits......Page 4
About the Authors......Page 5
About the Reviewers......Page 6
www.PacktPub.com......Page 8
Table of Contents......Page 10
Preface......Page 20
Chapter 1: Quick Start Tutorial......Page 26
The SketchUp interface......Page 27
Toolbars......Page 28
Pallet windows......Page 29
Navigation......Page 30
Select and Erase......Page 31
Drawing tools......Page 32
Edit tools......Page 33
Groups......Page 34
Further resources......Page 35
Modeling the room......Page 36
Setting up the view......Page 40
Setting up the camera view......Page 41
Setting up the sun......Page 42
Applying SketchUp materials......Page 43
Timber flooring material......Page 44
Modeling the window......Page 47
Painting with digital photos......Page 50
Doing a test rendering......Page 52
Enhancing SketchUp materials......Page 53
Summary......Page 57
Chapter 2: Collecting a Toolset......Page 58
Trimble SketchUp......Page 59
SketchUp Pro, LayOut, and Style Builder......Page 60
The 3D Warehouse......Page 61
The Extension Warehouse......Page 64
The Extension Manager......Page 65
Old style Ruby scripts......Page 67
Installing Thea Studio......Page 69
Downloading bonus content......Page 70
Why do I need a professional-level image processor?......Page 72
Grabbing a copy of GIMP......Page 73
Why can't I just use the output from SketchUp?......Page 74
VirtualDub......Page 75
Summary......Page 76
Chapter 3: Composing the Scene......Page 78
How to begin with the end in mind......Page 79
Sketch out your visuals......Page 80
Think like a film set designer......Page 81
Importing terrain data......Page 82
Using a site photo with Match Photo......Page 85
What you need from a Match Photo image......Page 86
Setting up a Match Photo scene......Page 87
3D drawing in a 2D photo......Page 90
Setting up a real-world location and the
Sun's position......Page 92
Setting up the time and date for shadows......Page 94
Sketch plan......Page 95
Starting with a 2D CAD site plan......Page 96
Setting up a CAD site plan......Page 97
Cleaning up the imported CAD data......Page 99
Importing 3D data from CAD......Page 100
Massing the buildings......Page 101
Setting up the camera to challenge
and impress......Page 103
Think like a pigeon......Page 104
Orthographic and parallel projection......Page 107
Billboard scenery elements......Page 108
Creating billboard elements......Page 110
Framing the scene with entourage......Page 111
Rough placeholders......Page 112
Printing a test view......Page 113
Summary......Page 114
Chapter 4: Modeling for Visualization......Page 116
Creating the basic building shape......Page 117
Swapping _LR with _HR resolution versions......Page 118
Carving out the detail......Page 119
Modeling detail from CAD elevations......Page 120
Modeling from a photograph......Page 123
Modeling by eye or measurements......Page 126
What is low polygon?......Page 127
So what's the big deal about low polygon modeling?......Page 128
Can I reduce the number of segments in an arc or circle?......Page 130
Using components to increase productivity......Page 133
Using dummy components......Page 134
Using the Outliner for easy access......Page 136
3D Warehouse components – problems to be aware of......Page 137
Purging 3D Warehouse components for your own use......Page 138
Handling challenging modeling tasks......Page 139
Windows and doors......Page 140
Roof......Page 143
Flashing details......Page 144
Modeling ridge tiles......Page 146
Copying the tiles......Page 148
Curtain walls......Page 152
Roads......Page 153
Realistic roads and pavements......Page 154
What's the problem with sharp edges?......Page 155
The RoundCorner plugin......Page 156
Preparing for photorealistic rendering......Page 157
Summary......Page 160
Chapter 5: Applying Textures and Materials for Photorealistic Rendering......Page 162
The texturing process flow chart......Page 163
Beginning with basic photo textures......Page 164
Starting with Match Photo textures......Page 165
Applying SketchUp's own textures......Page 166
Scaling textures......Page 167
Coloring textures......Page 168
Traveling the world for real textures......Page 169
Applying whole photographs as textures......Page 171
Where to find texture photos......Page 172
Setting up a fake room......Page 173
Creating balsa wood film scenery props......Page 177
Manipulating textures......Page 180
Exact texture placement......Page 181
Correcting perspective in GIMP......Page 183
Tiling via an automatic filter......Page 186
Tiling method two......Page 187
Importing a texture into SketchUp......Page 190
Saving a material to a library......Page 192
Texture size......Page 194
File type......Page 195
Balancing size and compression......Page 196
Telling SketchUp to link to an image editor......Page 199
Making unique textures for surfaces......Page 200
Editing textures in GIMP......Page 201
Adding some muck and variation......Page 202
Adding extra elements to a texture......Page 204
Adding extra detail......Page 207
Summary......Page 208
Chapter 6: Entourage the SketchUp Way......Page 210
Supporting the scene......Page 211
Be the marketing exec......Page 212
At which stage do I introduce entourage?......Page 213
What's my acquisition strategy?......Page 214
Furniture......Page 215
List of websites......Page 217
People cutouts......Page 218
Creating 2D people components......Page 220
Tracing the outline......Page 221
Checking for halos......Page 223
Drawing the innards......Page 224
Creating the face-me component......Page 225
3D people and the uncanny valley......Page 226
Non-photoreal sketchy trees......Page 227
Vehicles......Page 228
Summary......Page 229
Chapter 7: Non-photoreal Visuals with SketchUp......Page 230
SketchUp's native output......Page 231
Editing SketchUp's built-in styles......Page 232
Saving 2D images in SketchUp......Page 234
The Dennis Technique......Page 235
Setting up the Dennis Technique in SketchUp......Page 237
Creating the Color Wash image......Page 238
Lines only......Page 239
Lines and shadows......Page 240
Exporting the scene tabs......Page 241
Setting up GIMP for the Dennis Technique......Page 243
Using layer masks for the Dennis effect......Page 247
Using a sky image in GIMP......Page 249
Creating a vignette layer......Page 251
Modifying the Dennis Technique......Page 253
Setting up the pencil-sketch technique in SketchUp......Page 256
Setting up the Pencil Sketch Technique in GIMP......Page 260
Creating pencil shading in GIMP......Page 262
Adding some grunge – the Dirty Hands layer......Page 263
Finishing touches......Page 264
Summary......Page 266
Why use an external renderer?......Page 268
Materials......Page 269
Artificial lighting......Page 271
Setting up for photoreal rendering......Page 272
The Thea Tool window......Page 273
The Thea Rendering Window......Page 274
Step 2 – Performing an initial test render......Page 276
Common import bugs and how to rectify them......Page 278
Clay rendering......Page 279
Applying predefined materials......Page 280
Light-emitting materials......Page 283
One-sided materials......Page 286
Importing Thea materials to SketchUp......Page 287
Step 4 – Defining lighting......Page 288
Preparing the test scene......Page 289
Testing the sun and sky with clay render......Page 290
Adjusting the daylight settings in Thea......Page 292
Image-based lighting......Page 293
Saving the sky settings......Page 296
Creating Spotlights in SketchUp......Page 297
Rendering artificial light......Page 298
Changing the light parameters......Page 300
Adding light-emitting materials......Page 302
The final indoor render......Page 303
Step 5 – Inserting extra entourage......Page 304
Test production render......Page 306
The Final render......Page 307
Saving the final image......Page 308
Step 7 – Post-production rendering......Page 309
Depth render......Page 310
Alpha (mask) render......Page 311
Summary......Page 312
Chapter 9: Postproduction in GIMP......Page 314
Part 1 – tweaks and lighting levels......Page 315
Adjusting levels automatically......Page 316
Using the Levels dialog......Page 317
Correcting individual color channels......Page 320
Removing unwanted image noise......Page 321
Using the G'MIC plugin......Page 323
Adding light bloom......Page 325
Simulating depth of field......Page 328
Creating depth of field using a depth render......Page 330
Adding light effects in GIMP......Page 333
Fading out the edges with a vignette......Page 335
Using a mask render for windows......Page 338
SketchUp window reflections without rendering......Page 339
Using paths to mask photos......Page 342
Summary......Page 346
Using the same principles for stills and animation......Page 348
Writing out the itinerary......Page 349
Generating the storyboard......Page 350
The storyboard......Page 351
Animating in SketchUp......Page 352
Creating a simple walkthrough......Page 353
Animation settings......Page 355
Adding individual timing to scenes......Page 356
Smooth transitions......Page 358
Camera pan, roll, and tilt......Page 362
Let's put it together......Page 363
Interesting details and viewpoints......Page 365
Authoring video sequences......Page 366
Saving individual frames for an animation......Page 368
Animating with Thea......Page 369
Compositing in VirtualDub......Page 370
Creating an animation from still images......Page 371
Creating the final video composition......Page 374
Creating an MP4 video with HandBrake......Page 375
Summary......Page 378
Chapter 11: Presenting Visuals in LayOut......Page 380
Creating a custom page border......Page 381
Using Auto-Text......Page 384
Preparing SketchUp scenes for LayOut......Page 385
Aligning the view to the model......Page 386
Display a SketchUp 3D view......Page 387
Adjusting the display style......Page 389
Using SketchUp styles......Page 390
Creating multiple views in LayOut......Page 391
Arranging the viewports......Page 393
Using scrapbooks......Page 394
Creating section line work......Page 396
Slideshows and presentations......Page 399
Adding further elements to enhance LayOut pages......Page 400
Exporting a PDF document from LayOut......Page 401
Summary......Page 402
Lighting animation with Thea Relight......Page 404
Preparing the SketchUp scene......Page 405
Exporting to Thea Studio......Page 406
Using Relight......Page 407
Creating a Relight animation......Page 408
Changing materials with Colimo......Page 410
Using the LumenRT plugin in SketchUp......Page 411
Editing materials......Page 412
Adding digital nature components......Page 413
Adding lights......Page 415
Exporting the scene......Page 416
Navigating the LiveCube......Page 417
LiveCube tools and settings......Page 418
Exporting images......Page 419
Creating an animation......Page 420
Editing a movie......Page 421
Exporting a video......Page 422
Publishing the LiveCube......Page 423
Summary......Page 424
Appendix: Choosing a Rendering Software......Page 426
Index......Page 434