SketchUp [Plugins] Blog: SketchUp Custom Toolbars

SketchUp [Plugins] Blog: SketchUp Custom Toolbars

I just learned about the custom toolbar plugin from Jim Foltz - Custom Toolbars

I used it to organize the commands I use into a couple of toolbars, which hopefully won't get messed up so often.

We also just added a similar feature to IRender nXt. (although it is RpTools which really needs it - I will put it there next)

Rendering Tip - Use Self Glow for backlit objects

(Self glow applied to television screen)

Self Glow illuminates a surface as if it had light shining on it, without actually making it a light.

* Balance illumination in scene without adding additional lights.
* More realistic signs, monitors and projection devices.
* Faster rendering times.

* Read more
* See all Rendering Tips

Panoramic Images

Boothy has posted a number of Panoramic images created with IRender nXt to his Web Site.

Click Here to view Panorama

New Textbook - SketchUp and IRender nXt

Andy Brody, who introduced IRender into the Interior Design curriculum at Endicott College has published a new textbook which has a chapter on using SketchUp and IRender nXt. If you are planning a course using SketchUp and IRender, you should take a look at this new book. (I haven't seen the final product yet, but Amazon promises to have a copy in my hands on Friday.)

Rendering Tip published on SketchUpArtists Blog

SketchUpArtists is including some of our rendering tips in the Tips and Tricks section of their new blog. Take a look: SketchUp Artists - Tips and Tricks


Here is what they say about their new blog:

"We have created this site to show the creative potential of SketchUp and it’s users. We demonstrate its various uses, portraying the best creative professionals who show how it is possible, with only a little additional effort by adopting clever and original styles and techniques, to achieve a predictable range of fascinating and astonishing results. We have included watercolor hand techniques to photo-real renderings, covering every phase of the presentation process."

Rendering Tip - Use procedural maps for water

if your renderer has special procedural bump effects they can be used to make realistic water which will reflect buildings, sky and other background objects realistically.

• Distorted reflections to represent water ripples.
• More Realistic highlights from reflection of light.
• Realistic transparency caused by ripples and reflection of light.

• Read more...

Nighttime Rendering in Ypsi

Sketching Ypsi has put together a show-and-tell on how he created a nightime drive-in scene on his blog.

Check it out: Sketching Ypsi

Rendering Workshop - Studio Lighting

We've been running a series of Rendering Workshops over on SketchUcation.

This week's workshop - on lighting a still life in a studio setting - is a big hit.

They are achieving good effects using HDRi lighting. Some renderers, such as Podium, just can't to it. Some others can do it, but have to jump through a few hoops. For IRender nXt this is the default one-click rendering mode - so it is much easier.

Take a look: Rendering Workshop

Automatic Web Page Translation

Google has created a new device which turns on automatic page translation for a web site.

Select a language at the top of the page and the page will automatically be translated.

Once you select a language it is remembered for the rest of the web pages on the site.

These translations aren't perfect, but they are getting better and better. We use Google Translate all the time when helping clients who don't speak English well. They can be very helpful, and should make it easier for people looking at our web site from around the world.

Rendering Tip - Use Camera Lights

By using lights attached to the camera, you can:

• Add illumination which moves with the camera.
• Make it easy to render several views of a model without having to add additional lights for each view.
• Insure that the objects you are focusing on are well illuminated.

Scene rendered with lights attached to the camera.

It is often very difficult to place enough lights in your drawing to be fully realistic. Ambient light settings help with this, but often produce a flat effect. By placing movable lights, attached to the camera you can add effective illumination and highlighting which will be used for all views.

These can be multiple lights attached to the camera - but they can be offset as far as desired - left and right, up and down.

Read more: Camera Lights

Panoramic Images

We are adding a feature to nXtRender and IRender nXt to create Panoramic images.

Here is an image created from a SketchUp model provided by Boothy



Note: for this image a single camera is used and it is swept through 360 degrees'
We used an external program to convert the image to a flash movie.


Here is a link to the panorama: Panorama