Photorealistic Plug-in for Google SketchUp
There must be a dozen different photorealistic plug-ins for Google SketchUp. I’ve seen some demonstrated, listened to people talk about the one(s) that they use and played around with a few myself. So I can’t say that my opinion on the general landscape of these plug-ins is anyway perfect, but I do need to showcase photorealistic solutions for my SketchUp colleagues, so I’ve made a decision on what seems to me the best three. I could be wrong, I’ve been wrong before, but the three that I’ve chosen are all ones that I have seen working and are impressed with. They are also ones that I hear professionals talk about and praise.
Last year at the SketchUp Basecamp in Boulder I watched a packed audience being impressed with Shaderlight, which I’d seen previously. I heard the name Artlantis time and time again and Renditioner is a package that I have known for a few years and have always been impressed with, especially the quality of the imagery.
For general information on these plug-ins go to the shop on this site and from there go the product information page.
Over the next few weeks I’m going to search through the net to find the best films demonstrating these plug-ins. It’s not an easy task, the majority are rubbish, some with long irreverent introductions, some with music banging away in the background, most failing totally to explain and some just a selling operation – you get the drift, but I’ll do my best.
First off – Renditioner
To kick off is a film showing a VW van, imported from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, (so you don’t even have to draw it in the first place), getting the Renditioner treatment. There’s no talk over, but the music is OK, at least inoffensive and I think it shows how the program works pretty well. For more about Renditioner and to purchase, click here.