Rendering in SketchUp

Obtaining Backdrops
CG Textures.com (see Chapter 7) has its own set of backdrops for download. Search CG 
Textures using the terms “background,” “city,” “forest,” and “sky” to obtain some useful images 
(Fig. 15.27). Save them into the Texture Library and even use them for postproduction. Make 
your own backdrops by taking photographs appropriate for the model.

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257
Chapter 15: Camera Scenes, Composition, and Backdrops
Fig. 15.27: 
CG Textures offers backgrounds and sky images to use as image backdrops.
Inserting Image Backdrops
An image backdrop benefits from being placed onto a vertical surface in the model.
1. 
Make a cube and place it in the area where the backdrop image is to be located. Make the 
cube roughly the size of the needed backdrop (Fig. 15.28).
2. 
To place an image backdrop on the cube, select File 
F
Import and navigate to the image 
file location. To the right of the menu, select Import as Texture. Select the image and 
click OK (Fig. 15.29).
3. 
The inserted image can be snapped onto the vertical surface of the cube and then scaled 
upward or downward to fit (Fig. 15.30, Fig. 15.31).
4. 
Once placed, make the cube into a component (select the entire cube, right-click, and select 
Make Component, Fig. 15.32) and place it on a layer called 
00 - BACKDROP
(Fig. 15.33).
5. 
The background image can be further sized and positioned by scaling the cube component.

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Part 3: Modeling Detail
Fig. 15.28: 
A 3D cube is created. The background image will be placed on the cubes surface facing the model.
Fig. 15.29: 
The SketchUp Import function allows you to insert a background image (as a texture in this case).

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