Rendering in SketchUp

317
Chapter 18: Composing Light
Fig. 18.34: 
Once the shadows are set, turn on the component detail and update or create a new scene 
saving all the settings (Layer Visibility, Camera View, and Shadows).
Fig. 18.35: 
The completed rendering (SU Podium)
Assessing vegetation and light can be tricky. With large amounts of 3D vegetation, even the 
process of turning on the Shadows tool can take a while. However, you can master the process, 
and the technique can be useful for assessing light. Refer back to Chapter 17 for working and 
troubleshooting shadows. Here are some quick tips:
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3
Make sure the view is set and in position.
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Turn on the vegetation layers.
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Turn on Shadows. Wait.
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Do not rotate the view (or do anything else!).
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Assess the lighting. Adjusting the shadow settings will cause the shadows to reprocess.
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Once the lighting results are acceptable, turn Shadows off and update the scene.

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Part
5
The Iterative 
Rendering Process

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320
Part 5: The Iterative Rendering Process
a rendering 
Overview
T
he reality of rendering is that the majority of the work is completed in SketchUp by apply-
ing textures, setting light with the Shadow menu, and choosing appropriate camera views. 
This means that the same steps described in previous chapters are used to prepare a model for 
rending in any IRP.
Also, while the tools, menu names, and appearances vary among the IRPs, they all func-
tion in the same manner. Each IRP will process textures, lighting, and camera views placed 
in a model to create a render. These similarities will allow you to take a universal rendering 
approach, making it easy to experiment with the different IRPs.
If you understand the methods described in Part 5 you will be able to use IRPs in tandem 
with SketchUp.
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Chapter 19 describes the universal system and common tools of integrated rendering 
programs.
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Chapter 20 outlines the complete iterative rendering process, describing how to go from 
the SketchUp model to rendered view.
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Chapters 21 through 24 provide specific instructions for using IRPs to prepare the 
textures, exterior lighting, simulated lighting, and output resolution that create the 
rendering.