Rendering in SketchUp

Professionals and hobbyists 
If you are an architect (Fig. 1.12), landscape architect (Fig. 1.13), interior designer (Fig. 1.14), 
set and stage designer, woodworker, product engineer, or SketchUp hobbyist, you will be able 
to use this book to render your models. The process and concepts directly translate to any 
SketchUp model.

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9
Chapter 1: Introduction to Rendering in SketchUp
rendering terms
The professional rendering community uses many common and technical terms. These 
terms (specularity, for example) can be complex and hard to understand as they relate to the 
underlying computer science of how renderings are created. 
Most integrated rendering programs avoid using or referencing these terms, making it 
easier for users new to the process or not versed in computer terminology to work with these 
programs.
This book takes the same approach, not defining or using these terms and explaining the 
rendering process and methods in straightforward, layperson language. If you are interested 
in the more technical vocabulary, check out the following link: 
ftp://ftp.futurenet.co.uk/pub/
arts/Glossary.pdf.
Fig. 1.12: 
Clarum Homes rendering (SU Podium) of Green/LEED certified architecture (model by Mark Carvalho and 
Daniel Tal)
Fig. 1.13: 
Interior render of school kitchen (Shaderlight)

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10
Part 1: Overview and Concepts
Fig. 1.14: 
Brownfield Redevelopment render (SU Podium)
the Software
SketchUp is the core program used for modeling and preparing your model for rendering. 
There are many different IRPs. This book references most often Shaderlight by ArtVPS. The 
accompanying online chapters review versions of SU Podium and Twilight Render. 
SketchUp
All of the modeling and rendering work for this book has been done in SketchUp 8. If you 
are using SketchUp 7 or an older version, it is strongly recommended that you download 
SketchUp 8 or the most current SketchUp version. You can use either the
 Free or Pro version, 
but Pro is recommended, as it includes some key tools (such as Solar North, which helps 
establish lighting) and enhanced import/export options that make preparing the model 
easier. 
If you are using a version of SketchUp beyond SketchUp 8 (for example, SketchUp 2013) the 
book’s content is still relevant and viable. In addition, any of your models or components cre-
ated in SketchUp 8 or older versions are fully compatible with all newer SketchUp releases. 
the IrPs
Many integrated rendering programs are available for use with SketchUp. (The complete list 
can be found on SketchUp’s official website). This book and the supplemental online chapters 
use three of them: SU Podium by SU Plug-ins (Fig. 1.15), Shaderlight by ArtVPS (Fig. 1.16), and 
Twilight Render (Fig. 1.17).

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