About the SketchUp Diffusion category

[Aristodimos]

This Forum category is dedicated to SketchUp Diffusion, a feature that allows you to combine an image of your active SketchUp viewport with a text prompt to create a new, AI-generated image. This space will host guidelines, community feedback, feature requests, and more around this new SketchUp capability

What is SketchUp Diffusion?
Diffusion offers a number of options that allow you to define the visual style of the rendered image and control the extent to which either the snapshot of your SketchUp model and/or the text-based prompt, influence the output. Once an image is generated, you can choose to overlay the image atop your SketchUp model and save it as a scene that you can refer back to later, or you have the option to save/download the rendered image.

Requirements

• SketchUp Diffusion is available across all SketchUp clients:
  • SketchUp Pro for Windows and Mac, version 2021 or later (via an extension)
  • SketchUp for iPad, version 6.4 or later
  • SketchUp for Web
• Diffusion requires an active SketchUp Go, Pro, or Studio subscription.
• Diffusion requires an active internet connection.

Getting Started

• Desktop
  • Launch SketchUp Pro
  • Open Extension Warehouse by clicking on the button or go to Extensions > Extension Warehouse
  • Search for “SketchUp Diffusion"
  • Click on the “Install” button
  • After the extension is installed you will find it by clicking the Diffusion button on the toolbar that will appear, or go to Extensions > Diffusion
• iPad
  • SketchUp Diffusion comes preinstalled with iPad version 6.4.0 and later. Make sure you are on the latest version of SketchUp for iPad by updating the app via the Apple App Store.
  • To access Diffusion, tap the overflow button (located at the bottom of the left-side toolbar) and then tap Diffusion
• Web
  • SketchUp Diffusion is included in the latest version of SketchUp for Web.
  • To access Diffusion, click the overflow button (located at the bottom of the left-side toolbar) and then click Diffusion

[JQL]

This is a total game changer for Sketchup. It’s really simple, and works very well!

A very creative tool for the arsenal!

Thanks!

[ateliernab]

Hm. I did a few tests, curious about it. I’m not a big AI geek, made a few tries, still looks very AI-ish
(from what I’ve tried, the watercolour / model / illustration are less weird than exterior… maybe it’s my models)

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However, I have a meta - forum question.

any reason I don’t see the Sketchup diffusion and its messages in the landing page ?
I use “latest” as my main forum page, and on it, I don’t see JQL’s message from an hour ago. I stumbled on this section by accident, from the new ipad release notes.

I can access it through the labs, but only if I know it’s here.

Does this section have a special visibility setting ?

edit : even my own message doesn’t show in the list. weird.

[Barry]

Interesting - maybe a discourse issue? I checked, and the group is open, and I tested sans logging in and incognito browser.

b

[Aristodimos]

Hi all,

This is indeed now live and accessible by the entire community, we just haven’t made any formal announcements yet

@ateliernab I’ m interested to hear more about what you find AI-ish about the generated images, why the exterior or other prompts look weird, but most importantly if you see this tool generating images that you could use in your day-to-day workflow.

Also, thank you and @JQL for posting here some of your work, and keep in mind that we have created a special Gallery thread for this purpose where you can also share any special prompts that you use.

Looking forward to continuing the conversation.
Aris

[ateliernab]

Hey Aris,

@Aristodimos

I’ m interested to hear more about what you find AI-ish about the generated images, why the exterior or other prompts look weird

well the usual, straight lines stops being straight, the AI can’t really understand what it’s being shown, so a metal grate becomes a chair, weird lights or shadows… or in your example, the horizon line that becomes a wall, a row of bushes, a line of snow. that’s very AI-ish
It’s like the movie Annihilation, things are looking off, and you can’t exactly point what’s wrong, but it’s looking off.

clay render, models, watercolours… part of the weirdness is softened by the artistic medium. but in “realistic” images, the longer you stare, the weirder it gets.

@Aristodimos

but most importantly if you see this tool generating images that you could use in your day-to-day workflow.

will I show it in training ? sure. to the groups advanced enough at least. maybe they’ll find uses for it
Will I use it ? I don’t do a lot of rendering, and I’ll probably use stable diffusion even less, maybe for some quick artistic-looking images? not that I make many of those either

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@Aristodimos

This is indeed now live and accessible by the entire community

well, like before, I only saw your message because you @ me. otherwise, it didn’t appear in the “latest” forum page, meaning that people who don’t know it’s here… won’t look for it.
weird.

@Barry

maybe a discourse issue? I checked, and the group is open, and I tested sans logging in and incognito browser.

probably yeah. I don’t know discourse, but I worked on older forum systems, was the section only visible to a certain group, and then you opened the group to everyone ? or did you delete the group and made it visible to all ?
do the people that were in the group see the recent posts in the “latest” page ?

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edit

Ok, I saw Royce’s new post appear.
My guess is that all the existing messages from @Aristodimos were made before this section was public, and discourse won’t show the new messages in it. BUT it will show new threads made after it was made public.
I think.

[DanRathbun]

My first question is why the name Diffusion ?

I do not equate what the AI is doing with the scientific process(es) of diffusion.

I would think it better to make up your own buzzword or tradename. “Renderation”, “Renditioner”, “Renditionizer”, etc.

[Aristodimos]

@DanRathbun

My first question is why the name Diffusion ?

I do not equate what the AI is doing with the scientific process(es) of diffusion.

Hi @DanRathbun ,
The name “Diffusion” comes from Stable Diffusion, the name of the AI model that this new Labs application is based on…

@DanRathbun

I would think it better to make up your own buzzword or tradename. “Renderation”, “Renditioner”, “Renditionizer”, etc.

This is a Labs release, and it might end up having a different name, so all suggestions are welcome! Maybe we should open a separate thread for that, or start a poll?

[DanRathbun]

@Aristodimos

The name “Diffusion” comes from Stable Diffusion, the name of the AI model that this new Labs application is based on…

Okay, but this is not something that will “ring” with your average users. (You need to be an AI super geek to get the correlation.)

@Aristodimos

Maybe we should open a separate thread for that, or start a poll?

Sure, start a specific “naming contest” thread, and when ya get enough possibles create a poll.

[francisquitof]

I´ve been playing with Sketchup diffusion and I´m loving it already. It’s not like Veras AI yet but it has a lot of potential. Great job!

[Kwin]

SketchUp just prompted me to install Diffusion today!
I’m thrilled to give it a try for the first time; it seems like it will be incredibly useful for producing impressive images.

“A BIG THANK YOU” to the SketchUp Team for making this tool available to everyone!

I’m curious if Diffusion can generate light similarly to the Ambient Occlusion plugin ?
This feature could very useful for quick render.

[minterieur]

Hi juste try the sk diffusion and it is really impressive. I am sure it is going to be very useful as we absolutely do not need complicated render as it take to much time when working alone.

[Lindsey]

@Aristodimos

Good day.
I have now tried Diffusion on a couple of models and have Feedback for the team. Really like what I am seeing. After being directed to the SU Forum, with the “Feedback” button in Diffusion, the two closest matches I see are: “Difficulties” or “Feature Requests”. Is there a “Feedback” thread, as my comments are really feedback to the input/output? Or I could start one if your desire. Look forward to hearing back from you.

[hbackman]

Is there a way to ask diffusion to keep the materials as I have them in the model? It seems the robot takes liberties with my design. Thanks

[ateliernab]

@Lindsey

Is there a “Feedback” thread

here :

SketchUp Diffusion: Share your Feedback

Tell us what you think of SketchUp Diffusion! This survey will take approximately 5 minutes of your time and will help ensure that our team remains focused on the things that matter to you.

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@hbackman

Is there a way to ask diffusion

not yet. several people requested it in the feedback thread or this one :

SketchUp Diffusion Feature Requests

These are early days for SketchUp Diffusion so you all have a unique opportunity to shape this tool in ways that make sense for your specific workflows. This thread is a place to share information about features that would add value to your workflows, improve performance, and otherwise make the feature more valuable or delightful to use. Please don’t be shy. Let us know what else you want Diffusion to do for you.

btw, if you look at the top of the page, you can see the link to the SketchUp Diffusion category. in it, all the related threads, and since it’s recent, they are not many

[Lindsey]

Thank you very much. Greatly appreciated.

[janadsans]

I have same question as hbackman. I am an interior designer and I’d love if if Diffusion could pay attention to my instructions on finishes, etc, or at least follow my model. I realize this is not a render engine. The tool has a lot of potential, I think, but needs to be refined if it is to have practical use.

[Aristodimos]

Hi @janadsans and @hbackman and Happy New Year to everyone in this thread!

The option to respect materials and finishes has been requested across many threads and is well noted. The team will have a look into how to best address this, but we won’t have something to share before everyone is back from holidays. So please stay tuned

[hbackman]

Thank you so much!!

[janadsans]

Sounds good. Thanks!