I’m going through the V Ray for Interiors course in Sketchup Campus and note the instructor is applying materials to grouped geometry and components vs. applying it to the raw geometry. I presume its being done that way for expediency (?). Not a big deal for advanced users who have developed their modeling preferences over 20 or more years. My concern would be for a beginner who might be confused by this - particularly if they were taught to always apply materials to raw geometry. OR… is this just old school thinking and as with all things in SketchUp, there are multiple ways to achieve the intended outcome and it’s just a matter of personal preference?
Thanks for thoughts.
Tom
it depends on the material. and how comfortable with sketchup you are.
negative points about colouring groups and components from the outside are that you have basically no control over the orientation and size of the material. you can’t adjust a material, this is only face by face.
it can also be a pain if you’re not very familiar with sketchup, I see it a lot with trainees who don’t understand why changing the material doesn’t change it on screen, because they’re mixing inside and outside.
that being said, if you’re painting with plain colours, or irregular ones (gravel, stucco…) then the first point is basically moot.
And the second point can always be countered by re-applying the material to the specific face you need to alter.
so in the end… yeah, some people will tell you never to do it, I teach the other way, how to do it, when to do it, and how to deal with a model that is painted on the outside.
imo, turns out many things around us can be summed up as a major basic material (often a colour) with smaller details and accents. Major colour can be applied from the outside, accents and details from the inside, face per face.
