Here it is in Cambridge.
rendered in Thea with HDRI BG and lighting.
2 Likes
OMG cool!
I got the impression from previous replies in other posts that it wasnât possible to come close to a real looking object with native materials. But this is at least in my opinion very real looking. Thanks for posting as this gives me motivation to keep on going.
If you go with a renderer (doesnât matter which one) you will always benefit from adjusting the properties of the Sketchup textures, if not replacing them entirely with those in the render application. The sketchup materials will always render a little flat, the beauty of a renderer is its ability to create âreal worldâ looking textures, which include reflections and bump maps to name two. A brick pattern from sketchup will render flat (unless you model the depth in the bricks and grout) whereas the bump map in the renderer will show appropriate shadows in the recessed grout depending on the light. Metal surfaces would have reflections too, which a sketchup texture will not show unless you assign a reflection property to it. As you are planning a bathroom, things like tile will likely have to have reflections to look real, mirrors will not show reflections unless that property is added. You may want to look at Enscape as it uses key words from sketchup texture names and assigns the relevant properties to it automatically.
1 Like
Iâm pretty sure Enscape wonât run with an Intel Iris Graphic card.
HDRI BG and lighting done in Thea you mentioned. Can HDRI and BG basically be done in any good render programme? I wanted to try Vray, whatâs ur opinion, did you use both, which one is easier for a beginner? Hopefully one of them have tutorial videos as well like on sketchup site as it speeds up the learning process.
good point !
Rendered in Blender, Yay!
3 Likes
I believe Thea and Blender both have HDRI options for lighting and backgrounds. Iâve used both, however, I switched to Thea as it was easier to control than the vray version back then, but vray have adjusted their user interface now and itâs more user friendly IMO. While itâs an extra step its best to try both as they offer trial period. That way you will figure out what works best for you, and either one will take some time to master, also look at forums for output.
Cool! 
Also have a look at TWILIGHT render. It has a completely free version. It is based on 'thea but very intuitive and easy to use and runs within sketchup itself.
Hi Tilodome,
I think you need to be aware (if you arenât already), that a lot of people on here are real experts.
Once you rendered a number of models and are looking for really GOOD result, these people can help you make it almost perfect.
Iâm not sure youâre looking for that. Yet. Just something a bit better than the native SketchUp export image.
VRay, SU Podium and a whole host of others have trial versions. My Mac setup is about the same as yours and Iâve always been very happy with podium (enough to buy the full version!). Look up comparison sites, listen to recommendations, and get as much out of the trial version as you can before it expires!
Good luck