So I finished my first object in Sketchup and now I would like to make it look real. This is why I bought sketchup as I would like to later on model my new bathroom and import materials I would like to use and see how it would look like in real.
I read a bit about rendering, is this the subject I have to dive into to make this happen?
Or is there just like a simple button in sketchup to push and then it will make a real looking image of the subject?
Yes. You will need to use some sort of rendering application. There are a lot of them out there and most have free trial periods so you can give them a go. A ppopular one is Vray so you might have a look at that.
The native materials are OK but generally not high enough quality for realism. Many of the rendering applications like Vray include materials or you can make your own.
I prefer to make my own woodgrain textures as I did for this chair which was then rendered in Kerkythea.
I would like to test the function first before I start using the materials from the store which I want to buy.
But with the native materials in sketch up will it look a lot more real if I render my model in Vray for example? Or not much difference.
Is there a way to upload my model file in this post for example? Maybe someone would like to make a quick render to show the difference it is from the model to a real image.
Renders like Vray will simulate surface finishes to give you reflections and sometimes textures. The renderer will also create the realistic shadows and in some cases add the appearance of limited depth of field if that sort of thing is appropriate. In skilled hands a render can be almost indistinguishable from a photograph.
You can share your SketchUp model in the forum if you wish. Drag the .skp file into a reply or a new forum post.
This is my simple first created model. If someone would like to make a quick render just to show the difference it can make I would appreciate. (I know ugly as hell lol)
In @DaveR’s image you can see a good example of something that is impossible to do easily in SketchUp: the reflections of the chair in the mirrors. SketchUp does not have reflective materials because it does not handle reflections of any sort. It also treats every light source as if it is a point source with no way to soften the lighting.
That’s good for a first model. If you are hoping for realism in a rendered image, you probably want to consider how this would really be built. It’s unlikely that a play structure would be built of brick The canopy is unlikely to be flush with the outside of the columns and things like that. You could still use it to experiment with rendering but just keep that in mind.
Yes for sure it doesn’t really make sense but I just used some different materials to see how it would look like in a rendered version, to see if things I make can look really real.
Ok that I wanted to hear. So it basically makes no sense to render a model with only native materials? My first try on rendering is better done with imported real materials/objects?
It is possible to make things that look fairly real but it takes practice and learning how to use the tools. Here are a couple of other examples for you.
Thank you. As both Steve and I have told you, the native materials aren’t really high quality enough to get the realism you claim you’re after. You’ll want to add your own. Some of the materials included with Vray and other renderers are quite good.
Well I thought maybe some were of high quality.
Ok, I will get into it, I will try to use materials from a store and use Vray.
I spent about 2 hours on my first model (included help of the first course).
Do you think 2 hours is enough time to learn something about Vray and get my first render out?
As long as I see a meaningful difference I’m happy.
I have about 2 weeks (4 hours per day) to learn and try model my new bathroom. If I see progress I will keep on going, the first course is already addictive! I love it.
I mainly want to try many different colour and material combinations (the ones the store here has) and pick the best one. The model itself is pretty basic as its a small bathroom 7m2 and not many options where to place things.
Tildome, In general you need a powerful computer, for any rendering-software.
As I can see in your Profile you only have a Macbook without a dedicated graphic chip? If these infos are correct, working with Vray will not make a lot of fun.
