Some fun with SketchUp

[Ross Macintosh]

Sorry for the big file sizes if you're on dialup. These images were produced in SketchUp with only a small amount of post-processing. The kids and tricycle are models from FormFonts.

I hope you enjoy...

Regards, Ross

[-=Drifter=-]

WOW!!!! Superb!!!

[parahandy]

I agree with Bob superb. Thank you Ross for sharing and showing what sketchup in experienced hands can do. So far I have still to get to grips with it.

.........Norman

[amotl]

And a third SUPERB !!!!
amotl

[Ross Macintosh]

Thanks Guys!

I posted these here because I think many people think SketchUp is a little crude (cartoon-like) with its display appearance. I thought these were good examples that a more rendered look is quite possible with SketchUp. A major factor in the look of each of these images was the colour choices made with respect to the skies. By the way, in each model if you ignore the kids and the trike, there is only one texture used and the terrain is modelled low-poly.

I should note that I use SketchUp Pro5. The same modelling could certainly be done in the free Google SketchUp but it won't export at higher than screen resolution. Part of the character of my images comes from using the Pro version's higher resolution exports. The difference would be subtle but likely noticable. (Most users of Google SU won't miss high resolution exports at all).

Regards, Ross

[Grafixman]

Sketchup is all over the other forums I visit, too. I think Google's offer boosted it into orbit... .
Great pics, Ross. Sketchup gurus will be in big demand these days.
They're already working on import scripts for .kml or .kmz to .obj or .xml files in the Blender forums. Some are already working, with just a few minor bugs. Too bad I'm not a coder, or I would jump into the challenge myself. Now if somebody would just take the time to code a converter to .eps, .svg, or .ai, it would make importing from the free Sketchup version to 2d programs easier.

[jamesmc]

Hey Ross,

I figured a way around the no video export thing in free Google Sketchup. Here's a wmv file. As you can tell, no time was taken to set this up.

My apologies for the size of the file, just wanted to demonstrate it can be done.

I won't tell my technique Ross unless you say it okay, but you probably can guess it.

[Ross Macintosh]

Here's a quick fun one. "Eleven" is a reference to the movie "This is Spinal Tap". My speakers are very loud! -- you should hear the system turned up to eleven! (Most systems only go up to ten).

In Xara Xtreme I added a bit of dark gradient to the foreground and I added the text and the edge shadows for the 'window' effect. The main image is pure SketchUp output -- the clouds were done inside SketchUp.

Regards, Ross

[-=Drifter=-]

Wow! That is simply amazing. All i can do in sketchup is simple blocks and stuff, with cutouts. I have the free version. Is it able to do what you just did? If so, I will have to get deeper into it...

[Ross Macintosh]

Yes -- you can do that with the free GoogleSketchUp. The only applicable difference in the examples I've posted is that using the full 'Pro' version allows images to be exported at higher than screen resolution. I exported big and then resized them down in Xara Xtreme thereby increasing the effectiveness of the antialiasing a bit. In all these images the display of edge lines was turned off. If they were on that's when you'd see the biggest differences between the free version & the 'Pro' version. In the free exports the lines would look more jaggie. You can work around that by increasing you screen resolution to its maximum before exporting from the free version.

Regards, Ross