What this book covers

Chapter 1, Quick Start Tutorial, provides an immediate fix if you're impatient to get photorealistic rendered SketchUp scenes. Straight away, you will learn how to model the gallery scene, set up lighting, add materials, and finally render in Thea Render.

Chapter 2, Collecting a Toolset, helps you select the right SketchUp 2014 edition. Did you know that by downloading a few free plugins or other software, you can turn SketchUp into a fully functional 3D visualization and animation suite, similar to high-end commercial software? Follow this chapter to obtain all the goodies.

Chapter 3, Composing the Scene, discusses how to take the hard work out of modeling by setting up your scenes prior to starting modeling work. You will learn how to start from CAD plans or site images and build the scene optimized for quick rendering or animation later.

Chapter 4, Modeling for Visualization, discusses a number of techniques specific to SketchUp. SketchUp is so easy that we are tempted to jump right in and model everything. But this can lead to an ineffective model, which will slow down your computer and your progress. This chapter will lead you through some advanced modeling methods that will save you time and hassle and will allow you to produce large and complex models.

Chapter 5, Applying Textures and Materials for Photorealistic Rendering, is concerned with applying materials and textures for added realism, as the name suggests. Now that we all have digital cameras and easy access to online image resources, we have an effective way of "dressing" the model. The tutorials in this chapter show you how to use SketchUp's unique photo and material handling tools to create intricately textured models.

Chapter 6, Entourage the SketchUp Way, shows the challenges and solutions for using entourage. After you've created the scene, modeled the building, and applied materials, you'll want to add life to the scene with entourage. Learn how to find the best people, foliage, vehicles, and furniture online or create your own personal collection. With the methods in this chapter, you will be able to build up a comprehensive library to use, give, or sell to others.

Chapter 7, Non-photoreal Visuals with SketchUp, discusses all the basics you need to create artistic visual styles using GIMP. Exporting images from SketchUp is not the only way to produce sketchy visuals. By combining several image layers in GIMP or Photoshop, you will learn how to simulate sketchy pencil and watercolor styles. Fans of this style will be pleased to know that the famous Dennis Technique is presented in this chapter along with Dennis's own creations.

Chapter 8, Photorealistic Rendering, lets you explore our rendering software in more detail, giving you the skills and confidence to tackle any rendering project. A hassle-free method of working is introduced along with proven settings for outdoor and indoor scenes.

Chapter 9, Postproduction in GIMP, lets you double your skills as a rendering artist. The rendering process isn't the end of the line, because there are lots of subtle but important after-effects you can apply to make the image even more effective. This chapter covers how to add reflections without rendering, creating depth of field effects from a depth render, adjusting levels for realistic daylight scenes, and composing real and rendered images.

Chapter 10, Animations, discusses the basics for producing animated walkthroughs and flyovers. The crowning glory of your visualization project is likely to be a rendered or artistic-style animation. The tutorials in this chapter will take you through this step-by-step process, showing you how to create storyboards, set up cameras and paths in SketchUp with extra plugin functionality, export test animations and final renders. Photoreal animations are then combined to make a simple show reel.

Chapter 11, Presenting Visuals in LayOut, lets you experience the capabilities of the LayOut tool. LayOut is bundled as part of SketchUp Pro and is introduced in this chapter for those who wish to explore the free trial before committing to Pro. You will learn how to bring together SketchUp models and artistic or rendered output into a screen presentation or printed portfolio, adding borders, text, and dimensions.

Chapter 12, Interactive Visualization, takes you beyond the limits of classic architectural visualization and explores options of interactive 3D presentations. We will show you how to use new technologies to create a first-hand experience of the SketchUp design for your clients.

Appendix, Choosing a Rendering Software, gives you a few pointers towards choosing a rendering software that will fit your requirements and lists a few representative and popular choices.