Rendering in SketchUp

Fig. 24.40: 
Placement of material on lamp shade

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Chapter 24: Simulated Lighting
Fig. 24.41: 
Rendering of lamp with transparent lamp shade
As previously mentioned, the opposite side of the transparent material should be a differ-
ent color, usually solid. This will not prevent the other side of the material from being trans-
parent. Give the inside material a reflection value. This will cause the light to pass through the 
transparent (outside-facing) surface, while illuminating the inside creating the illusion of a 
light source.
Solid Fixtures
Solid surfaces surrounding a fixture will block the light being cast. Light will only spill out 
of fixture openings. This is typical for spotlights, in-ceiling lights, and track lighting. Simply 
place the light sources in the encasing (Fig. 24.42).

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Part 5: The Iterative Rendering Process
Fig. 24.42: 
Rendering of lamp with solid enclosure with a point light
Hot Spots
Hot spots occur when a light emitter oversaturates an adjacent surface with light. The result is a 
bright spot on the surface. These hot spots occur when the emitter is too strong or too close to 
the adjacent surface. Because you want to place emitters near surfaces, hot spots can be hard 
to avoid (Fig. 24.43). Here are suggested remedies:
3
3
Move the emitters away from the surface so they avoid the hot spot but still cast the 
desired light into the scene (Fig. 24.44, Fig. 24.45).
3
3
Fix the hot spots with photo-editing software (see Chapter 32 for more details).

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Chapter 24: Simulated Lighting