Rendering in SketchUp

Linking an Editor to SketchUp
Go to Window 
F
Preferences (PC) or SketchUp 
F
Preferences (Mac), and select the Applications 
tab on the left (Fig. 10.1). A single option will appear on the right. Select Open and use the 
file browser to navigate to the directory location of the desired photo editor. Select the 
application’s executable file and press OK (Fig. 10.2). Close the Preferences window. SketchUp 
will be forever linked to the software. 
Fig. 10.1: 
SketchUp can be linked with external photo-editing software, in 
this case Adobe Photoshop.
Editing Textures in 
an External Photo 
Editor 
ChaPTEr
10

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Chapter 10: Editing Textures in an External Photo Editor 
Launching, Editing, and Saving 
To launch the editor, select a texture in the model using the Eye Dropper (Fig. 10.3). Do not 
select a solid color; it has no image to edit. In the Edit tab of the Paint Bucket menu under 
Textures, select the Edit Texture in External Editor button. The photo editor will launch with 
the selected texture open (Fig, 10.4).
Fig. 10.2: 
Once you’ve selected the 
Browse button under Application, 
navigate to the photo-editing soft-
ware application folder and select the 
program. Then click OK.
Fig. 10.3: 
Using the 
SketchUp Paint Bucket, 
select the material. Click 
the Edit Texture button in 
the external editor.

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Part 2: Textures
Saving and Updating the Texture
In the editor, make any needed alterations (Fig. 10.5). Then save the file (File 
F
Save) or close 
the Texture window and save upon closing. Overwrite the file if asked (Fig. 10.6). Return to 
SketchUp. The material will be updated automatically with the alterations (Fig. 10.7). 
Fig. 10.4: 
The photo-editing program will auto-
matically launch, displaying the selected texture, 
which is not yet ready to be edited.
Fig. 10.5: 
The wood texture is adjusted in 
Photoshop. By adjusting the Levels, you can 
make the texture appear light.

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