Rendering in SketchUp

73
Chapter 7: The Texture Library 
Benefits of Large Textures
There are at least three instances when 
large-sized textures are useful in a model: 
3
3
For close-up shots of a surface or 
object
3
3
When the texture needs to be scaled 
upward to expose the finer aspects of 
a material’s detail
3
3
For covering large surfaces such as 
lawn, ground cover, and similar areas 
These conditions are reviewed in greater 
detail in Chapter 9. Under these conditions 
or when you believe a large texture would 
provide the best result, download materials 
larger than 1,600 pixels in width. As stated 
earlier, CG Textures.com offers multiple-size 
downloads for material images as reviewed 
under CG Textures.com. 
Texture Types
There are two different types of textures for rendering: seamless and irregular. The four sides 
of a seamless texture flow into the adjoining sides of the next texture image, creating 
a continuous pattern (Fig. 7.6). Irregular textures do not match up when placed side by 
side; this causes a seam to appear where the texture images meet (Fig. 7.7). For this reason, 
seamless textures are considered superior to irregular ones.
Fig. 7.6: 
The paving is a seamless texture.
Fig. 7.4: 
John Pacyga’s blog provides links to many websites offering textures.
Choosing and Downloading Textures
To get the most out of your materials, assess them in relation to the characteristics mentioned 
here when you’re reviewing them for download.
Size Matters
Texture sizes are measured in pixels indicating the texture’s length and width. The larger the 
pixel height and width values, the larger the texture. SketchUp, by default, supports textures 
no larger than 1024 
n
1024 pixels. Any texture greater in size will be sampled down. In a process 
called subsampling, SketchUp will process the texture at the maximum limit of 1024 
n
1024. 
However, this limit does not affect the IRPs. If a texture larger than 1,024 pixels is present, the 
IRP will process the texture up to its maximum size, ignoring SketchUp subsampling. 
Smaller Textures as the General Rule
Use smaller texture sizes for most model surfaces with the exception of those discussed here. 
Small texture sizes can vary from 500 to 1,600 pixels in width. 
CG Textures.com provides various sizes for each texture. The sizes range from small, 
medium, large, and higher. Medium, larger, and greater textures require a paid membership 
(Fig. 7.5) for use. 
Fig. 7.5: 
Notice the sizes of wood texture offered by CG 
Texture.com. When you’re working in SketchUp and ren-
dering, small sizes are ideal for most textures.

---