Rendering in SketchUp: From Modeling to Presentation for Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design

Using This Book

This book is ideal for many levels of SketchUp users. People who have been using SketchUp to generate models for specific goals or projects will benefit from this book. Intermediate and advanced users can shine with this book, leveraging what they already know to build quick models and generate renderings.

However, if you are brand new to SketchUp, this book is not for you. The book does not offer basic SketchUp instruction nor does it give detailed step-by-step modeling guides. If you are interested in learning SketchUp basics, SketchUp for Dummies by Aidan Chopra is an excellent resource.

Professionals and Hobbyists

If you are an architect (Fig. 1.12), landscape architect (Fig. 1.13), interior designer (Fig. 1.14), set and stage designer, woodworker, product engineer, or SketchUp hobbyist, you will be able to use this book to render your models. The process and concepts directly translate to any SketchUp model.

Rendering Terms

The professional rendering community uses many common and technical terms. These terms (specularity, for example) can be complex and hard to understand as they relate to the underlying computer science of how renderings are created.

Most integrated rendering programs avoid using or referencing these terms, making it easier for users new to the process or not versed in computer terminology to work with these programs.

This book takes the same approach, not defining or using these terms and explaining the rendering process and methods in ...