I use Sketchup Pro and Layout to create construction documents and am aware that in both there are various black and white Brick Textures for use either as a Pattern Fill in Layout or a Texture in Sketchup.
I pretty much always import full Brick textures and apply in Sketchup to the model. Occasionally, once in a blue moon, I need to use a basic monochrome Brick texture. However, not all the possible Brick bond patterns are included in the textures/materials in Sketchup or the Pattern Fills in Layout.
Therefore I would like to create my own. From my research, it appears I can create these in Layout and then export as a PNG, saving them into a folder of my own. Meaning I can use them either in Sketchup or Layout.
So, I found this article by Aiden Chopra, (extract attached),
Mike, the way I would do this is draw the pattern either in Sketchup or in LayOut (or both) and export a PNG at a rather large size. For a brick pattern such as you describe, I would plan on ending up with a square texture image. In an image editor, I would crop the image tightly making sure that it is perfectly square. Then Iād import the image as a texture in SU. When I create a texture for SU, I know at least one dimension and apply the imported image to a rectangle with that dimension. Hopefully that makes sense but I could make pictures if you need them.
So, would it be best using Sketchup to create the pattern?
Iām thinking I draw the Brick pattern actual size. If I then did it as a group do I then export that as a 2D image, then crop in Photoshop. The only bugger is Photoshop can not snap to mid points of lines, which is what is would need to do with a brick pattern to make sure it tiles properly.
I guess I would because you can use real world dimensions. Iād probably send it to LayOut so I could render it as Vector with thicker edges. Then export as PNG. Instead of trying to crop to the middle of the edges, maybe crop to one side of the edge. (left side of the edge on the left, left side of the edge on the right.)
I can draw the various brick bonds full size so I know theyāre correct. Not bothered about mortar thickness for the scale they will be used at so Iāll just use single lines for the joints.
I guess cropping them in Photoshop also means I donāt need to worry about hiding lines in Sketchup as I can just crop the image created from Layout.
Just a bit I reckon. Seems that you guys just get on with everything when the weather is snowing and freezing, and over here, if thereās one flake of snow, the country grinds to a halt and people act like itās the end of the world.
Using the āoffsetā filter in Photoshop is an easy way to create seamless textures, there are numerous tutorials that show how to use this but once you get the hang of it it is very useful for doing this kind of work.
Itās easy for natural textures but bricks and tiles have to line up correctly so it is better to create them accurately from zero. I have made some textures from photographs of brick walls and to make them seamless is a much more difficult job than with something like grass or gravel.
Agreed. I generally donāt bother with seamless textures for bricks when using photo textures. I just shoot photos of larger areas as with this. That brick texture is 30 feet wide and almost 20 feet tall. But for black and white line patterns of bricks, I think itās easy enough to draw something that will be seamless.
Well, I did it in Sketchup and cropped the pattern with Sketchup itself. Then saved the scenes and using Layout I then exported the PNGs.
Itās worked perfectly although when I then apply the PNG as a texture in Sketchup, by importing it, (which is pretty much how I apply all textures in Sketchup), it came in bigger then actual size. Not a problem though as I just resize the texture on a face of known size, then sample it.
Works well. Just need to create the rest of them now.
When I import an image to use as a texture, I apply it to a rectangle drawn to the dimensions of the texture. Most of the time Iām creating wood grain textures from large boards. If my textures are supposed to be 8 feet long, I draw rectangles that are 8 feet long. I donāt concern myself with the width because itāll take care of itself. Then I import the image starting in the lower left corner and dragging to the edge 8 feet away.
Since I am usually importing 3 to 8 texture āboardsā from a single log, I draw the first rectangle and then make copies. Each copy gets a different material and they are all automatically the right size.
Everyone will have their own methods, but I always appreciate hearing alternative ways to accomplish a task as different approaches can suit different peopleās workflow, especially if one is comfortable/proficient in Photoshop and can bring that skillset to SU?
By example of the offset method, here are a few random ones I did using the āoffsetā method (no more than a few minutes for each). Like with any āseamlessā texture, the difficulty is to try and reduce repetition. For the B&W linework thatās not an issue. for photographic brick/wood it would mean capturing a wider sample, or just use the wider example by itself if it fits, or you can expand its size/variation using some cloning techniques in PS. For a photo-real rendering the randomness of textures is critical, but for the OPās needs as a graphic for a construction document it may be less necessary?
The ātexture generatorā that Mike mentions is a great solution too, I hadnāt seen that before, and will surely use in the future.
Thank you for all the replies everyone. Very much appreciated.
Yeah, for me itās just the black and white ones I need for different brick bonds. These are just for the very rare occasion where I canāt use a normal texture, which is what I normally do.
The other reason is so I can generate black and white Textures for use in Layout for tiling layouts for the retail design work I do. I can then use normal textures on the model, and if I need to, I can then use another saved scene without the texture and overlay a tile layout in Layout, so the tiler knows where the start point is.
So, thought all was good, and then noticed this strange issue.
1 - Created the Pattern in Sketchup, with carefull attention to Parallel Top view, and locking to axis to ensure all lines are straight and perpendicular.
2 - Created Scene
3 - Created new Layout document and imported Model, selected scene, resized paper to viewport size, Exported as PNG at 150 DPI.
4 - New Layout document. Created rectangle. Imported Pattern.
For some reason the pattern is slightly skewed/rotated, as can be seen in the Layout file. It can be noticed at the bottom edge of the rectangle where I have deliberately moved the bottom edge up to show the slight skew.
Thought is was something Iād done, so started again. The files are attached.
Iāve attached the Sketchup file, (used to create the pattern), and the Layout File, (used to generate the PNG), and also the Layout file showing the skewed pattern.
Baffled me to say the least.
Thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated.
