Rendering in SketchUp

31
Chapter 3: The Rendering Process
Fig. 3.15: 
Quality and Output menus for SU Podium, Shaderlight, and Twilight Render
Fig. 3.16: 
The draft render step

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32
Part 1: Overview and Concepts
Draft Render 
Draft renders are run at a lower quality and resolution 
than a final render. This cuts down rendering time and 
allows an image to be turned around quickly for review 
(Fig. 3.17). As adjustments are made to the model, 
quality and output resolution are gradually increased, 
ultimately leading to the final render.
Final Renderings 
Final images are the last renderings to be processed at 
the end of the iterative process (Fig. 3.18). Once all the 
adjustments are completed, the quality and resolution 
are set to the desired maximum (Fig. 3.19). Final 
renderings can take anywhere from several minutes to 
several hours to process. 
Fig. 3.18: 
Highlight of the final render step
Fig. 3.17: 
Draft renders leading up to the 
final render

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33
Chapter 3: The Rendering Process
Fig. 3.19: 
The final rendered image (Twilight Render)
The Post-Rendering Process
Postprocessing is performed on the final rendered image (Fig. 3.20). During this step, 
Photoshop or similar photo-editing software is utilized to adjust the image. Filtering, color 
correction, adding entourage elements, and editing contrast are typical adjustments (Fig. 
3.21).
Fig. 3.20: 
Highlight of the postprocessing step

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34
Part 1: Overview and Concepts
Fig. 3.21: 
To produce the completed image in Photoshop, a sky was added, the color and lighting were adjusted, 
and blemishes were removed.
Many, if not all, rendering professionals consider postprocessing to be a necessary and 
important step in generating realistic images. In fact, with the right skills, Photoshop can take 
a poor or dull rendering and transform it into a hyper-realistic image. Part 7 provides some 
quick tips and instructions for image postprocessing. 

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