Rendering in SketchUp

Fig. 21.24: 
The surface conditions and second-
ary values range from Low to Medium to High 
(Shaderlight Material Editor).
Fig. 21.25: 
The Shiny option for the surface 
condition and secondary values range from Dull, 
Smooth, Polished, to Mirror (Shaderlight).

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362
Part 5: The Iterative Rendering Process
IRP Range
Integrated rendering programs provide a large range of surface conditions and secondary values 
representing reflection. For example, Shaderlight has five overarching surface condition types. 
Each condition then has nine to eleven subsettings representing reflection. Similarly, Twilight 
Render has at least six surface conditions, each with five to six subsettings for reflection. The wide 
range makes it possible to simulate real-world variations found in model textures (Fig. 21.26).
Fig. 21.26: 
Low reflective values are applied to all surfaces (top). Shiny and reflective values are applied 
to all surfaces (bottom). IRPs allow a wide range of surface conditions and secondary reflections for each 
condition.

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363
Chapter 21: Texture Values
Reflection Character
Reflections are affected by additional factors within the model. These factors include:
Reflections and environment 
Surface reflections, in particular for smooth surface condi-
tions with high reflective values, render more consistently when objects are placed around 
it that can be reflected. The absence of objects to reflect can cause reflections to look flat 
or just plain wrong. Having a good amount of component detail in a model ensures that 
reflective surfaces have a complete environment for reflective surface to echo.
Many models, in particular buildings with reflective glass windows, benefit from having 
backdrops and objects placed away from the camera view. The backdrops can be positioned 
parallel to a reflective surface, causing the surface to mirror the backdrop. See Chapter 15.