How to use IRender nXt for adding haze & blur after rendering your sketchup model

This is another useful presentation from DutchSims4Master. In this sketchup tutorial video, one can learn how to apply IRender nXt to include blur or haze to your sketchup model once the rendering is completed for your image.

Haze is one time of atmospheric effects which are used to include realism to your rendering works. Haze is generally added to exterior renders. In order to produce haze, it is necessary to mask an extra layer to give various effects like mist, fog, vapor over the images.

IRender nXt contains depth Blur. It is accomplished as a Post-Processing edit, as soon as the rendering is finished, in the nXt Image Editor. It is possible to blur the foreground (rendered image), background, or both.

The most updated version is IRender nXt 7.0. IRender nXt 7.0 highlights SketchUp Renderings with Option Styles, View Wizard, ArchVision RPCs etc.

IRender nXt is an effective plugin for rendering superior quality images with high resolution right inside SketchUp. IRender nXt completely supports Sketch Up materials, lighting, and components to perform rendering interior, exterior, daytime or night-time scenes efficiently.

IRender nXt 7.0 simplify the process for designers to generate render-ready SketchUp models and instantly adjust render settings by providing light sources, reflective properties, translucency, refraction and other rendering features.

Version 7.0 can significantly enhance the rendering workflow with user-friendly controls for render settings. IRender nXt 7.0 is specifically designed to facilitate the designers to create excellent renderings in a quickest possible way.

To get the complete features of IRender nXt 7.0, visit the following link www.renderplus.com

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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How to create 3D textures using Sketchup

The SketchUp plug-in for Maxwell Render offers a whole host of functions that enable the user to create a wide range of textured materials. If you're specifically interested in creating a densely textured rug then Maxwell Grass is your friend.

This feature (known as a Maxwell Render extension) can be accessed directly within the SketchUp interface via the SketchUp plug-in for Maxwell Render.

Officially it's called Maxwell Grass but don't let the name throw you: this extension has such a high number of unique parameters that it's possible to create textures that are ideal not only for grass textures, but also carpet and rugs.

Maxwell Grass basically generates geometry for selected groups in SketchUp once the scene has been exported to Maxwell Render.

It's all about the RAM: Pro tip: If only a small portion of the rug will be visible in the final render, use the Level of Detail parameter to render more blades near the camera and gradually less blades as the distance from the camera increases, thereby saving that precious RAM.

A densely textured rug created using Maxwell Grass

How to get started: To get started, select the group and then click on the Maxwell Grass icon in the SketchUp toolbar. A new window will open with a range of settings. Here you have the ability to specify the parameters of how you'd like the grass (or in this instance fur) to appear.

The Primitive setting is the first step in specifying the colour, shape and thickness of the blades, including the number of points (segments).

In my scene I chose the Cylinder setting and opted for quite thick individual strands. Just remember that RAM usage will increase depending on which type of Primitive you choose and the associated number of points.

Maxwell Green is ideal for carpets and fur - click on the image to see a larger version

The density and length of the blades can be specified according to preference and a very useful randomiser can be used to vary the length according to the percentage input.

The Maxwell Grass extension also includes Bend parameters. These control the bending of each strand of blade, at what length it starts bending, the angle it bends, and the bending radius (with randomisers for each).

The Bend parameters are invaluable when trying to recreate the behaviour of densely textured fur rugs and provide a high level of accuracy and realism.

Explore additional functionality of Maxwell Grass by using Maxwell Studio to add gradient and texture maps to further refine and enhance.

Source: www.creativebloq.com

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup-ur-space.com

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Live demo of Hide Solid, an exclusive sketchup plugin

This sketchup video is based on a useful sketchup plugin called Hide Solid. This sketchup plugin is used to hide the groups and components if these belong to exact solids.

To download this plugin, visit http://sketchucation.com, go to plugins

• Ithil Tools
• Hide Solid

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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SketchUp Architectural Entourage (Beta)

This sketchup plugin is currently in beta development stage. The sketchup users can apply these simplified toolset to transform any 3d design into the masses through sketchup. This toolset provides huge benefits to the beginners as well expert designers by allowing them to use the authentic forgiving modeling process in sketchup. Presently ArchVision provides support for RPC inside sketchup.

ArchVision RPC Plug-ins for SketchUp support Sketchup 2014 and sketchup 2015 (both 32 & 64 bit). Download the plugins from the folloiwng links :-

• ArchVision RPC Plug-in for SketchUp 2014
• ArchVision RPC Plug-in for SketchUp 2015 (32-bit / 64-bit)

Usage Instructions

Current Behavior

• Image supported RPCs (2D, 2.5D, 3D & 3.5D) will demonstrate a single, camera-facing image inside SketchUp
• 3D+ content will constantly expose the Preview Icon prior to be rendered through a supporting 3rd Party renderer

3rd Party Rendering Solutions - Solutions for rendering with 3rd-party renderer are necessary for rendering complete 360 degree 3D and 3D+ RPCs:

• IRender NXT (available now - Click here.)
• Podium (in progress)
• V-Ray (in progress)

If you require a supplimentary 3rd-party rendering solutions, then send mail tosupport@archvision.com.

Buy it now

We want to feature this page: sketchup4architect.com/sketchup-plugins

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Some useful sketchup tips on sketchup sandbox tools

SketchUp sandbox conception denotes a surface that is created and controlled through sandbox tools. A sandbox in SketchUp as well as other 3D modeling tools can be termed as a triangulated irregular network or TIN in terrain modeling jargon.

TIN is similar to a sandbox as it contains a boundary along with a sculpted surface (sand). Sandbox tools are available inside SketchUp which can be applied for generating and maneuvering TINs.

In TIN, there are various connected triangular faces which appear to be one continuous smooth surface if they are smoothed.

Besides producing terrain with the sandbox tools, one will be able to generate other organic shapes (the shapes like crafted manually) with these tools.

The sandbox tools are also compatible with polygon mesh which is another type of TIN-like surface. A polygon mesh is identical to a TIN, but having faces over three vertices.

SketchUp's Sandbox from Scratch tool and Sandbox from Contours tool only generate TINs, but one can import a polygon mesh as well as make a polygon mesh (by hand) applying other SketchUp tools.

Triangulation: Triangles in a TIN are adjustable in diverse directions. The orientation of triangles is denoted as triangulation. In a TIN some triangles can be adjusted vertically and at the same time others can be adjusted horizontally. It is vital as some sandbox tools facilitate the users to modify the direction of the triangles in order to further smooth TINs.

How to generate a TIN: The following methods can help a user to get a starting TIN as the basis of their model :-

• Produce or import contour lines and apply the Sandbox From Contours tool for generating a TIN.

• Import an image of a site plan or contour map and use the freehand tool to get its contours. Subsequently, fine-tune the contours to their exact elevation and apply the Sandbox From Contours tool to make a TIN.

• Import a TIN applying the SketchUp ArcGIS Plug-in accessible on the SketchUp Plugins index. ArcGIS is Geographic Information System for performing with geographical information like the location of buildings inside a world-wide global coordinate system.

• Import a digital terraIn Model (DTM) file.

• Make sandbox (TIN) with the Sandbox From Scratch tool.

How to alter a TIN: There are several tools inside sketchup which are useful for altering TINs. These tools range from Sandbox From Scratch, Sandbox From Contours, Smoove, Drape, Add Detail, Flip Edge etc. These sandbox tools are applied to produce organic geometry or geometry that looks like hand-crafted.

Functional terrain: The phrase functional terrain can describe a terrain having no portion bending back upon itself generating overhangs, underhangs, or caves. While sketching a vertical line through the terrain at any point as well as the line only touches the terrain at one point, the terrain will be in operation.

It is vital as some specific tools like the Smoove tool, can produce unanticipated results at the time of performing with nonfunctional terrain (the neighboring points incorporated in the sculpting operation by the Smoove tool are frequently unwanted)..

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Enjoy superior rendering with FluidRay RT integration plugin for SketchUp

FluidRay RT integration plugin for SketchUp has just been launched. This latest 3d modeling application is compatible with SketchUp 2013/2014 Windows version. Now one can render with FluidRay RT directly from inside sketchup.

FluidRay RT integration plugin for SketchUp will facilitate the users to import scenes, objects and materials directly from leading 3d modeling softwares like Alias Wavefront (.obj), SketchUp (*.skp)†, Rhino OpenNurbs (*.3dm), Collada (*.dae), FBX (*.fbx) , 3DS (*.3ds, *.ase), DirectX (.X), Stanford PLY (*.ply).

FluidRay RT contains the following exclusive features:-

• Produce real-time & perfect Global Illumination substantially.
• Perform high speed rendering with Intel Embree ray-tracing kernels.
• Provide superior rendering quality devoid of tweaking impenetrable rendering parameters.
• Various impartial real-time algorithms to deal with all potential lighting configurations: Bidirectional Path Tracing, Direct Lighting, Path Tracing.
• Metropolis Sampling.
• Synchronized Ambient Occlusion.
• Comes up with whole system RAM without any GPU memory restriction. Having ability to render scenes through unlimited triangles and multiple GB of textures.

The users can download a 15-days free trial version containing all the aspects of the paid version as well as no limited resolution or watermarks.

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Transform your sketchup skills to the next level with sketchup extension warehouse

Extension Warehouse of SketchUp is a great source for all 3D Modeling Professionals as they can enhance their 3d modeling skills by looking for proper plugins to fulfill their requirements.

Extensions refer to an additional features and functionality that can be easily included with a sketchup program. The extensions perform like a third-party scripts to provide definite functions automatically. If any plugin is helpful and trendy, the owners of a program prefer to purchase the extension and integrate it into upcoming releases of the program.

SketchUp’s Extension Warehouse is launched in 2013. It is an online repository of extensions and plugins. To use the Extension Warehouse, open SketchUp and select Window > Extension Warehouse and explore through Extension Warehouse within SketchUp. Just sign into your Google account and start looking for a particular extension as well as different categories. After that select install and pursue the instructions.

The extension warehouse facilitates the users to search for a productivity boosting function or an advanced rendering application. Besides, the extension warehouse is a great source for handling an extension library. If any user wants to instantly update, transfer, or re-install all their extensions, just log-in to Extension Warehouse within SketchUp and avail some exclusive features through “My Extensions” page.

All the extensions belong to different types of sectors that range from architecture, engineering, gaming, kitchen & bathroom installations, woodworking, heavy civil, interior design, landscaping, urban planning, construction industries, film & stage and education.

There are wide array of categories like rendering, reporting, drawing, text and labeling, 3d printing, scheduling, import & export, developer tools, productivity, animation and energy analysis.

It is expected that till date, more than 1 million extensions are downloaded from Extension Warehouse as well as more than 50 developers have contributed near about 245 extensions.

Each and every day, several developers present new extensions and upgrades. These extensions transform Sketchup as an inevitable tool for 3D modelers and designers and add diversified features to Sketchup.

Extension Warehouse is also considered as the useful place for creating and allocating various open source projects that range from SketchUp STL extension, Shapes,WikiHouse and Developer Tools.

With the arrival of sketchup 2014 (it includes a new extension warehouse), it becomes easier to pursue and set up these extensions while applying either SketchUp Pro or SketchUp Make.

While setting up extensions from Extension Warehouse, the users can log-in to the extension warehous from SketchUp 2014 and "Install All" under "My Extensions." It will put in all the available extensions which are well-matched with SketchUp 2014.

As the Ruby environment is upgraded to version 2.0 in sketchup 2014, the users have to follow a new way for dealing with the extensions. Besides, the users will not be able to access all the possible plugins in the extension warehouse as well as paid plugins.

Some users have to get through their old plugin list individually, look for that plugin in the Extension Warehouse, set up the plugin, and move ahead next. As soon as the plugins are managed through the Extension Warehouse, it becomes considerably easier to re-install these extensions once the new versions of SketchUp will be available in the future, or if you have a new computer and installation of a fresh copy of SketchUp 2014 is necessary. If the user set up plugins from the Extension Warehouse in SketchUp 2013 and now it is necessary to set up the same plugin in SketchUp 2014, there exists an Install All button in the Extension Warehouse to set up any SketchUp 2013 plugins into SketchUp 2014 instanly. It is applicable, if those plugins are updated to support 2014.

How to set up extensions

Automatic process

If you possess Sketchup 2013 or latest version, you can access to the extension warehouse by going Window > Extension Warehouse. Once you click it, the following window will be visible.

After getting the Extension Warehouse window open, you have to sign in to your account. The ‘Sign in’ button is available in top right. Without sign in, you can’t download or set up the extensions this way.

Search through your favorite sketchup extension and after getting one, hit the download button with red color available in the upper right corner.

You have to pass by some pop-up menus. Just pursue them to set up your extension.

Manual Process

Find an extension on the web. Ensure that your .rbz file is saved in a suitable and proper location to get if effortlessly. It is recommended to place it in a Sketchup/Tools folder. In older versions, it may be in the Sketchup/Plugin folder.

• Visit Window>Preferences
• Ensure that Extensions are selected on the left side
• Press Install Extension at the bottom left

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup-ur-space.com

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OctaneRender 2.02 for Sketchup

OctaneRender for Sketchup plugin performs rendering with Interactive Octane Viewport. All Octane settings are preserved in the settings menu of the Viewport to trim down mess.

Octane for Sketchup offers total control over sophisticated material node system as well as provides an access to ~700 LiveDB materials configured, arranged with groups.

Octane is fully incorporated with Sketchup. The users will be able to edit geometry, fine-tune perspective and orthographic cameras, arrange lighting, utilize materials, toggle among pages and perform interactive rendering at the same time. The users can collaborate with their work and allocate work among various workstations as all the Octane settings are accumulated in the .skp files.

The plugin facilitates everything like geometry, materials, and lighting to be customized. No exporting geometry moves in one direction and then the other repetitively. No scene reloads on every move. All remains in realtime.

Octane for Sketchup comes with strong instancing and proxy systems to save and reprocess data to its fullest extent. The users can now get rid of the issue - composite scenes having bundle of geometry like tree forests. Just gets simple geometry illustration in Sketchup to have greater output from Sketchup keeping the quality of a final image with high-poly proxies intact.

Every OctaneRender plugin consists of an OctaneRender bundle. The Octane for Sketchup plugin allows producing a stronger node material editor. The procedure is very easy: 1. Arrange all essential materials in OctaneRender Standalone and save in the .ocs file 2. Import these materials into Octane for Sketchup. Once editing of scene geometry is completed, the complete Sketchup scene is exported to OctaneRender Standalone. Work can be carried on from the point it was left in Sketchup.

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Submit your sketchup tips/tricks and win $500

3Dconnexion is presenting another fabulous competition for sketchup lovers. The sketchup users have to just send one most useful sketchup tip or trick and the sender who has provided the best sketchup tips will receive $500 in Amazon gift cards.

To Participate in the competition, perform the Following:

Present your greatest general SketchUp tip or trick.

AND

Present your top SketchUp tip or trick that you can produce with a 3D mouse.

The top 3 sets of entries will be rewarded the following prizes:

• First Place — $500 Amazon Gift Card
• Second Place — $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Third Place — $100 Amazon Gift Card

The participants have to send their entries in a .doc, .docx or .txt file.

The participants have to abide by the following rules and regulations:-

• All tips should be in English.
• Submitted documents should contain the format like .doc, .docx or .txt
• 3Dconnexion should posses the rights to all contest submissions and utilize this content or elements of it in any format. The sender can include their name as well as a link to their website with their submitted documents.
• All entries should reach by midnight ET on Friday, February 14th.

Local currency prizes available for non-US residents.

APPLY ONLINE

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published by Tuhin Maity

Sketchup Designer

www.sketchup4architect.com
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It is always exciting that architects ideas created with SketchUp and Shaderlight turn into a physical reality.

Recently the ArtVPS’s Shaderlight rendering software designed the new Boeing Everett Delivery center of Cambridge technology in Washington. The architect design practice DLR Group used this software for the Boeing job & its other nineteen North American Office Chain.

The DLR Group provides various fields like engineering, architecture, planning, and interior design services to the clients throughout the China and USA. Since the year 2000, when the 3D modeling tools are available for all users first, the firm has always been a primary adopter of current technology by using Google SketchUp in its designing process. In July 2011, The DLR Group had started to use plug-in and leading Shaderlight rendering tool and create quality visualizations for client which had not possible to achieve for SketchUp alone.

The New Boeing Everett Delivery Center in Washington is one of the most current projects of DLR Group which is benefited from Shederlight mostly. Providing an effective and simple means for visualizing the 3D model to photorealistic quality, the interactive rendering tools were used for Group’s presentation and client’s approval. In past, the DLR Group has worked with the tools: Revit, Form Z, Kerkythia, 3dsMax & Viz. But now the Shaderlight’s interface has ability to communicate at a level above Google SketchUp has made a choice for DLR Group to choose rendering tools.

According to Mr. Steven McKay, the senior principal & the design leader of DLR Group, Shaderlight is an excellent presentation engine which adds a new way to architecture in client presentation. Now, the ability of Shaderlight to present clients with photorealistic and high quality design is becoming it the essential part of securing client approval for designers & architects.

“Plugin as one File with RBZs in SketchUp 8 M2”

At very recent the latest SketchUp 8 maintenance release M2, where added the easier way for installing the Ruby scripts for the users. In earlier users had copied the .rb files manually into their previous Plugin folders, otherwise need to create a custom installer for it. But now Plugins can be “packaged” in a ZIP file which has the RBZ extension. There is the advantage of no need to worry about a plugin’s file and where they need to go.

At first need to know about RBZ file and how would be create it. So, RBZ files are simple ZIP files and nothing else. To create the archive, can use the favorite ZIP tool in there and rename it for having an .RBZ extension. Any things like files or subfolders and more can put inside of this RBZ file. They’ll be unpacked into the user’s Plugins folder.

There is a button in SketchUp software which makes it easier to use it. It is found under Preferences -> Extensions -> Install Extension. Using the button, get a file browser window to select any .RBZ files from their harddisk and the SketchUp application will put them in the right spot plus load up. To see the shiny plugin, there is no need to restart The SketchUp.

A ZIP file with the following contents in it:

✶ SketchUp 8/Plugins/helloworld.rb

✶ SketchUp 8/Plugins/helloworld_files/smiley.png

✶ SketchUp 8/Plugins/helloworld_files/hello.html

Create a ZIP file with above contains. Using the ZIP tool simply selects the helloworld_files and helloworld.rb folder. Then click the right button of the mouse on them and select “Create ZIP”. The new file is called helloworld.zip. Then rename to helloworld.rbz. Before this it would be even better to change the ruby script into a Sketchup Extension. That’s the time to see Extension added to the Extensions panel when the users do the install, and it is also very easy to turn it off.

Indigo Render 3 SketchUp plugin

Glare Technologies launches the version 3.0 of Indigo Renderer compatible with version 6 and version 7 of SketchUp and creates great images directly from SketchUp by aggregating an industrial-strength renderer with a high quality exporter for SketchUp.

The new release comes up with serviceability refinements and improvements to the unbiased physical renderer’s engine along with real time scene editing, GPU acceleration, built-in animation, improved rendering performance, new network rendering support, render queue support and improved sampling, subdivision and bump mapping.

These new advancement will help users to create and render photorealistic images quickly and smoothly. Besides the users can tweak materials, camera position, camera f-stop and focal length, all in realtime, with both a ray-traced and OpenGL preview.

Both CUDA™ and OpenCL™ are supported to ensure GPU acceleration will work on both AMD and NVidia cards, on OS X and Windows.

One can create great images directly from SketchUp by aggregating an industrial-strength renderer with a high quality exporter for SketchUp. The SketchUp exporter is called ‘SkIndigo’. Download Indigo and install Indigo to the default location on your system. Then Download the version of SkIndigo for your system from http://www.indigorenderer.com/documentation/sketchup. SkIndigo appears with an installer for Windows and Mac. Both installers will look for a “Plugins” directory in all known locations for SketchUp. Restart SketchUp after installing SkIndigo and you will find “SkIndigo” to be accessible under the Plugins menu.

Download option
Indigo Renderer 3.0.14 for Windows 32-bit
Indigo Renderer 3.0.14 for Windows 64-bit

e-on software introduces LumenRT Review 1.2 for sketchup

e-on software unveils LumenRT Review 1.2 for sketchup. The new release comes up with quality and reliability enhancements to get better performance and stability. Lumen RT is nominated as the plug-in of the year under the 3D World CG Awards 2011.

The sketchup users can process larger models such as large structures and cities with superior speed. With the new auto-scale lighting feature, the users can gain of up to 14 times on pre-processing time and improve performance by 30% to 300% depending on the size of the model with a resulting tradeoff of lower lighting quality.

LumenRT Review provides a great benefit to the architect for visualizing their project.
LumenRT is a 32 & 64 bits application, designed for the Windows® 32/64 bits XP, Vista and Windows 7 as well as Intel Mac OS X platforms (v10.6+).

LumenRT Review for SketchUp can be operated as a plug-in for SketchUp and SketchUp Pro. LumenRT Review for SketchUp and SketchUp Pro currently retails for $195 (introductory price – SRP: $295).

Please check the link below to get the example of some work performed with LumenRT.
http://www.lumenrt.com/showcase/

The registered users of LumenRT can download this important new release for free
Downloadable link

Posted by Rajib
Business Development
Visit us at www.sketchup4architect.com
Download our sketchup magazine

Tgi3D SU Amorph, a sketchup plugin for creating sophisticated 3D model

Tgi3D SU Amorph, a sketchup plugin compatible with SketchUp v7.1 or higher, generates pragmatic 3D models from photographs by expanding the matched-photo interface of sketchup.

The sketchup users can create and edit free form curves and surfaces with this plugin. The plugin comes up with some advanced features like View locking, Automatic surface generation, Smart surface editing, Smart curve editing, Smart surface smoothing, Surface upsampling, Extrusion cross section editing, Smart shape idealization, Smart selection, Smart texturing, Surface downsampling.

This new edition contains a new downsampling feature that will minimize the polygon count of a model at the time of preserving the model fidelity in a controllable fashion.

The new version includes some features which are lacking in old version :-
New "Downsample" command to reduce the resolution of a mesh
New "Collapse" command to collapse the selected region to a point
Cross Section Tool now supports measured motions
(Upsampling & Downsampling) conserve the texture mapping throught upsample and the new downsample
(Texturing) conserve SketchUp ascribed material transparency in texture creation

Download the following link to learn more
http://www.tgi3d.com/PDF/Tgi3D_SU_Plugin_Help.pdf

Download Trial Version
http://www.tgi3d.com/index.php?Page=Download

Posted by Rajib
Business Development
Visit us at www.sketchup4architect.com
Join our sketchup forum

The Tricks to create SketchUp Animation

SketchUp is not only a tool to create 3D designing. With the help of it you can add movement or transformation to the object. You can view the angle from different scenes in the SketchUp. It is the series of scenes that are displayed in a succession to give a hands free tour of the model. SketchUp supports both single video animation file export (in the form of an Audio Video Interleave or AVI on Microsoft Windows and QuickTime on Mac OS X) and multiple image file export.

Though SketchUp only can create an animation but standard is not world class. It will be a blessing for us if we get a plug in which we can create scene base animation not only to the camera but to groups and components. Now the Proper Animation is here to meet the demand of real time animation in SketchUp. This plug in is very easy to figure out and use. The script’s premise is that objects in your model – groups and components – can each have multiple positions. You have to assign each position to build an animation. The animation involves using SketchUp’s already existing Scenes feature. The most praising aspect of the Proper Animation is that it automatically connects positions to scenes.

The first thing you need to do is download and install the plugin. Its developer is MorisDov; you can find it on his site. Proper Animation also comes bundled with its own tutorial PDF. If you're looking for even more encouragement/inspiration/support, you can check out the plugin's SketchUcation thread. In this way you will have a super quality animation within SketchUp.

Shaderlight has extended the deadline for the Winter Wonderland Contest

Shaderlight announced that they have extended the deadline of submitting 3D models for Winter Wonderland Contest. They are organizing the contest to celebrate the freezing festive season. You can draw yours own winter wonderland in Google SketchUp and render it with Shaderlight. Then you have to submit the drawing and may win a New Year gift for you.

This is the first render contest organize by Shaderlight. The huge response from the SketchUp users of all over the world compelled them to extend the deadline of submitting drawing. You may draw any thing like Santa with Sledge, you own snowman, houses clad in snow, festive light, Xmas tree or anything. One competitor can submit more than one drawing means as much as he or she wants. Shaderlight gives you the flexibility to interpret your festive theme like architectural, product or just picture post card.

And the best part of this contest is the prizes stored for the winner. As this is the first render contest the prizes are also great.

1stprize: $150 Amazon voucher, a copy of Shaderlight Pro for SketchUp, a copy of SketchUp Pro and a Shaderlight 2GB USB wristband.

2ndprize: $50 Amazon voucher and a copy of Shaderlight Pro for SketchUp and a Shaderlight 2GB USB wristband.

3rdprize: a copy of Shaderlight Pro for SketchUp and a Shaderlight 2GB USB wristband.

The top three images will also take pride of place on the homepage of Shaderlight’s website for the world to see (and for you to show off to your friends!). Send your finished Shaderlight render, original SketchUp scene along with your contact details to shaderlight@artvps.com. You can download the free copy of Shaderlight for 14 days with full features and unlimited resolution.

Entries will be judged by our expert judging panel:

Chris Dizon - Google SketchUp

Mike Lucey - SketchUcation

Steve Jarratt - Editor of 3D World Magzine

Mark Sullivan - 3D artist here at ArtVPS

Sketchup ur Space – an one of a kind magazine on SketchUp

SketchUp ur Space is a unique flash magazine though you can have the pdf version also. Since September, 2010 this magazine have come out with lots of informative feature articles, blog, review, tips and tricks article and many more things. The image quality of the SketchUp models is also good. Here you can have a through discussion on the SketchUp and its plug ins. It helps you to keep yourself updated on various SketchUp related issues.

Since its first edition, you can get lot of useful information on SketchUp. In the first issue of Sketchup ur Space, they welcome all in the 3D world and introduced to the SketchUp. After the introduction we came to know various features and benefits of SketchUp in the second issue. Now days SketchUp is almost incomplete without its plug ins. Plug ins have become the integral part of SketchUp now. It not only enhances the functionality of the SketchUp but also gives the users freedom to spread the wings of their creativity. That’s why in the November issue of SketchUp ur Space, there is a details description of various SketchUp plug ins.

This SketchUp magazine already has become quite well known in the SketchUp community. Different SketchUp artist of all over the world are providing write ups on SketchUp in this magazine. We find promotional write ups on various plug ins by the plug in developers here. Sketchup ur Space proves to be very useful for the SketchUp users. In the cover story of every edition there are discussions on the main theme of the issue. There is a section where we find the valuable write ups by eminent SketchUp users like Albert Hart, Eike Theile, Justin Anderson, Kendall Wayland and many more. Apart from the blog from the editor herself, there are the extracts of various blog posting by SketchUp blogger Dennis Fukai and Jim Leggitt on the Sketchup ur Space. The Tips and Tricks articles are also of great assist to the new SketchUp users for providing guidance. In the Review section, you find reviews of plug ins which help you in time of taking purchasing decision.

In the December edition they come out with a Christmas Special issue. In this edition the theme of Sketchup ur Space is render plugins. Render plug ins are the most important and popular plug ins in SketchUp. There is also a new section called Press Room, where you will get to know new releases of various plug ins and SketchUp products. Hope that you will love to read this issue. If you want the regular issues free of cost then just subscribe it by clicking here.

Process of Easy Creation of Stunning Laser-cut 3D forms!

Creating a 3D model in SketchUp is a great as well as easy enough than any other complicated 3D designing tool. Everyday more and more plug ins are launched to lower the barrier to people creating their own great designs in SketchUp. It allows you to build models from a simple scratch or you have the freedom to download your required model from the 3D Warehouse. But a 3D model is not enough for this cutting edge technology age. You can have a laser cut 3D models with the help of a wonderful plug in named SliceModeler.

Sliceform modeling is a technique which lies happily on the borders between art and mathematics. The models are made from intersecting sets of parallel panels made of paper, cardboard, wood, Plexiglas or MDF which slot together to generate interesting 3-dimensional surfaces or objects.

Slicemodeler allows you to take a 3D model form and slice it up into interlocking pieces through a series of simple steps. You enter the distance apart that you want the sections, the material thickness, choose which axes the slices are on, and the software calculates the intersections. Once you have all the slices, in this time the SVG outline plugin comes in. Select the sections you want (that have been conveniently laid out by Slicemodeler) and hit Export to SVG file.

Now you have a file (or files) you can open in Inkscape or Illustrator to arrange for laser cutting. The SVG export plugin also lets you label the different parts so you can keep track of things.

If you're new to SketchUp and have familiarity with other modeling programs, no problem - simply model your designs in your preferred program and then import them into SketchUp. You can then take advantage of the various plugins, including those mentioned here.

The process goes something like this:

• Create the form in SketchUp (If you are using a different modelling program, you'll then need to export a .3ds file and import it into SketchUp )
• Run SliceModeler (see above)
• Export SVG files from SketchUp
• Open in Illustrator (or similar), label and laser cutting

It sounds like a lot of steps but it is actually a simple process compared to imagining how these pieces interlock and drawing the sections in 2D in Illustrator and free 3d models.

Previously, this style of form creation has been possible with premium 3D modeling software like Rhino, but the great thing about SketchUp and its plugins is that they are free 3d models.

This significantly lowers the barriers that stop people making things. And the plugins are either free or for a small donation which is totally worth it to support the great independent software creators that add huge value to these bigger software packages.