SketchUp – model set-up and test render
a. First I would like to show you the set of Components in this model with the Camera position.
Model Setup and Camera
b. Here is the whole scenario with copied model Components and reflected Sun Shadows.
Complete Scene with Components and Shadows
c. Just a rough test render with Override Materials selected (Global Switches), except the glass windows.
Test Render
Material Editor Settings
a. Translucent Glass Material Setting – Reflection
Translucent Glass Material Setting
b. Translucent Glass Material Setting – Reflection 1
Translucent Glass Material Setting - Reflection 1
c. Translucent Glass Material Setting – Diffuse
Translucent Glass Material Setting - Diffuse
d. Glass Material Setting -Refraction
Glass Material Setting -Refraction
e. Black Metal Material Setting
Black Metal Material Setting
f. Concrete 1 Material Setting
Concrete 1 Material Setting
g. Flooring 1 Material Setting
Flooring 1 Material Setting
h. Wood Material 1 Setting
Wood Material 1 Setting
i. Tile Material Setting
Tile Material Setting
j. Wicker Material Setting
Wicker Material Setting
k. Emissive Material Setting
Emissive Material Setting
l. Concrete 2 Material Setting
Concrete 2 Material Setting
m. Concrete 3 Material Setting
Concrete 3 Material Setting
o. Wood Material 2 Setting
Wood Material 2 Setting
p. Metal Material Setting – Reflection
Metal Material Setting - Reflection
q. Metal Material Setting – Diffuse
Metal Material Setting - Diffuse
r. Grass Material Setting – Diffuse and Bumps
Grass Material Setting - Diffuse and Bumps
Wall Lights
Material Settings – Omni and Emissive Lighting
Wall Light Materials
Floor Lights
IES Light Settings
IES Light Settings
Tips and Tricks – Option Editor Settings
1. Tip to avoid crashing your rendering if the scene is to ‘heavy’. Change the Dynamic Memory Limit from default setting .
Change the Dynamic Memory Limit
2. To remove the splotches in the scene, adjust the noise threshold from .01 to .002.
Remove the Splotches in the Scene
Sun Settings
Open SketchUp Option Editor and use the following settings.
Sun Settings
Day Scenario
Hide the Omni and Emissive Lights.
Day Scenario
Option Editor Settings – Test Render
I always do a test render just to check if my global illumination and shadows are OK.
Test Render
Day scene render with adjusted color corrections.
Adjusted Color Corrections
Day scene render – raw PNG image.
Raw Render
Night Render - Option Editor Settings
HDRI Settings
HDRI Settings
Night scene render with adjusted color corrections.
Adjusted Color Corrections
Night scene render – raw PNG image.
Raw Render
Photoshop – Post Processing
a. Open the raw image output or the adjusted color correction image from SketchUp render output.
Open Image in Photoshop
b. Adjust Brightness and Contrast (Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast).
Adjust Brightness/ Contrast
c. Add background image to the scene.
Add Background to Scene
d. Put the Background Layer below the render image Layer.
Background Image Placed Below Render Image
e. Duplicate Background
Layer. Turn off the original Background Layer. With the duplicated
Background Layer active, remove the sky using Lasso Tool. We want to
achieve a nice dusky/night sky for the nightime render.
Remove Sky
f. Choose a suitable sky for the night scene. Place it below the duplicated Background Layer so it shows behind the mountains.
Place Sky Below Duplicated Background Layer
g. Select your duplicated Layer again (mountains)
and adjust the Brightness/Contrast
(Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast).
Select Brightness/Contrast
h. I Used these settings for Brightness/Contrast. Brightness -100 and Contrast 50.
Settings
i. Add some effects to the
water now. With all the other Layers turned off, except the duplicated
Background Layer which is active (mountain), using the Lasso Tool select
an area similar to the red outline area in image below. Add a
Feather Radius (Select>Modify>Feather) to your selection (to
soften it). I chose a Feather Radius of 50. Copy and Paste this
selection over your duplicated background Layer (mountains Layer) we
have been working on.
Water Selection
j. Again adjust Brightness/Contrast for this new pasted water Layer, Brightness 30 and Contrast 20.
Water Brightness/Contrast
Light Effects
a. Now I am going to add some volume light effects
to all the white lights. First we create a new Layer first and place it
at the top of the Layer stack.
Create New Layer
b. Next locate the rendered image in the Layer
stack, should be second now in the Layers. Using the Magic Wand Tool,
select all the white bulbs.
Select White Lights
c. Fill your new Layer with White.
Fill Layer With White
d. Duplicate White Layer.
Duplicate White Layer
e. We have two white filled Layers now. Locate the top white filled Layer so its active.
Select Top White Layer
f. We are going to add some Gaussian Blur too this Layer (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur). Set the Radius to about 10.
Gaussian Blur Filter
g. Now duplicate this Gaussian Blur Layer. You can now see the effect it creates around the white light bulbs.
Duplicate Layer
h. The more you duplicate this Layer the greater the effect.
Duplicate Layer for Greater Effect
Entourage
Finally I add some PNG people on a new Layer to complete the image.
Add Entourage
Final Night Scene Image
Night Scene
Final Day Scene Image
Day Scene
NPR – FotoSketcher
I am using the final night scene image for the NPR. Open it in FotoSketcher and use the following settings:
- Drawing Style – Pencil Sketch 5
- Edge threshold 0
- Edge intensity 180
- Blending intensity 50
- Darken/Lighten 140
- Color intensity 200
- Texture – Strong Texture
Settings
Final NPR
Final (NPR) Non-Photorealistic render.
Non-Photorealistic Render
Thanks for reading this tutorial. I hope that this has offered some
useful tips and helped expand some of your rendering and Photoshop
skills for future projects.
Zernan Suarez
Many thanks to
Frank Wängler for sharing and preparing my OldTown into 360 panorama.