Rendering in SketchUp

Fig. 21.14: 
Paving with positive bump value
Fig. 21.13: 
Bump 
values of +7 and 
+8 are applied and 
rendered to the 
concrete cubes. The 
high bump values 
create a very coarse 
texture.
Fig. 21.15: 
The inverted bump value reverses the 
extruded appearance of the texture, as compared to 
Fig. 21.15.

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358
Part 5: The Iterative Rendering Process
Surface Condition and Surface Reflection
Surface condition and reflection define the most predominant values applied to model 
textures. The concepts behind these terms are described here.
Surface Condition
Surface condition defines how reflective, diffuse, bright, or muted a surface is. The smoother 
the surface, the more it reflects light and its environment. Uneven surfaces diffuse more light 
along their surface, providing little to no reflection (Fig. 21.16).
For example, painted surfaces possess an irregular, coarse condition. Thus, painted surfaces 
reflect little if any of their surroundings (Fig. 21.17) in contrast to porcelain or plastic surfaces, 
which have smoother conditions and reflect more of the environment (Fig. 21.18, Fig. 21.19).
Fig. 21.16: 
Different surfaces and surface conditions
Fig. 21.18: 
The porcelain has a subtle but visible reflection 
in this rendered image highlighting the porcelain on the 
Utah teapot.
Fig. 21.17: 
Rendered image highlighting the painted wall 
with no reflections and a coarse appearance
Fig. 21.19: 
The wood on the table has a limited but notice-
able reflection.

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359
Chapter 21: Texture Values
Many surfaces can have a wide range of conditions. For example, wood can be rough like 
bark, coarse like wood cabinets, or glossy as found in wood flooring (Fig. 21.20). The same is 
true for painted surfaces, which can range from satin (nonreflective) to semiglossy to glossy. 
The increase in the painted surface smoothness allows more reflections (Fig. 21.21).
Fig. 21.20: 
The wood flooring is the most reflective; the wood cabinets are bright but much less reflective; and the 
tree bark is set to appear rough.
Fig. 21.21: 
When IRP texture values are used, the painted surface can appear anywhere from flat to a reflective 
glossy.
In contrast, most concrete and hardscape surfaces benefit from coarse surface conditions 
(Fig. 21.22). In these situations, they do not reflect their surroundings and tend to diffuse 
light.

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