Do you guys think it is possible to re-create the Arctic Display Mode available in Rhino? I have a client who needs this look and I don’t think I can do it from SketchUp without using a rendering engine.
It’s all about the progressive shade on all surfaces getting darker closer to the edges… and also the edges are visible. (By the way, I’m looking for the left side of the shed picture)
Capture|690x436
SketchUp doesn’t do these smooth shadows, but you can use photoshop for it.
What would be the trick to achieve this in PS? I mean the smooth shadow?
We agree here that it’s not exactly a shadow, but more of a progressive shade from the edge to the center of the face. I’m sure this “shade” have a name. I which I can identify it right.
I’m quite sure Alex Hogrefe has made a video of this where he masks along the edges in the model and then either dodged or burned to make the image darker on one side of the edge.
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Closest I could get was using the Airbrush Sketchy style and with combo of shadows (playing with light and dark), fog (playing with distance sliders.)
Airbrush.skp (126.8 KB)
My guess would be a mask using a gradient from light to dark.
I seem to remember someone has made an Ambient Occlusion plugin for SketchUp.
As the others have noted, you need either a rendering extension or do some manual post processing in Photoshop.
Here are some extensions:
SketchFX - https://www.fluidinteractive.com/products/sketchup-extensions/sketchfx/
SketchFx Tutorial 4 - AmbientOcclusion Integration - YouTube
I personally use V-Ray with the ‘Materials Override’ setting and ‘Ambient Occlusion’ both turned on - vray for sketchup 2.0 : How to use Override Material and Ambient Occlusion - YouTube
As to @eneroth3’s suggestion, Alex Hogrefe uses the ‘Dodge’ and ‘Burn’ tools in Photoshop to darken and lighten shadows - Ambient Occlusion Tutorial | Visualizing Architecture
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Thanks @eneroth3 and @eric-s for that AH method. He is definitely a nice discovery.
The Fluid Interactive plugin looks pretty cool but I’m not sure you can see (control) the edges.
About the Vray, I looked at eric-s youtube link from TN3D. The “Ambient Occlusion” seems to do the trick… but again, can you turn the edges ON with Vray?
V-Ray has a built-in materials library and one category is called ‘Diagrammatic’…this has options for showing edges and controlling both face and edge color. See quick 1 min test:
Another view with ground added:
Coooool… I think the answer to this all post is Vray!
Glad to help. Good luck!
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and the solution of the thread is Vray 
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I know I know! but I clearly (and quickly) concluded that SU can’t do that shade by itself.
If cost is a factor Enscape can do a clay type render with a slider to adjust outline strength.
You can license on a month to month for a bout $50. just cancel after a month.
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Was going to say AO seems like a cheap and easy answer.
but can it shows edges?
Oops, missed that part. My bad, it was late for me when I was reading 
