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SketchFx 4.0 for SketchUp Released
Read more...SketchFX 4.0 introduces new features and improvements. From the new Style Transfer effect to Improved GUI there's lots to consider.
Looking to add fast visualization effects and animation to SketchUp?
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Rayscaper Alpha - A new rendering extension for SketchUp
Read more...We are excited to see the release of Rayscaper for SketchUp into public alpha-testing. If you want to partake just download and install and give it a test.
Still very earlier in development but already a robust and performative CPU based rendering solution made for SketchUp users. Easily add HDRIs and PBR materials from Polyhaven or load your own PBR materials.
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Import and Optimize 3D models in SketchUp with FluidImporter Pro
Read more...FluidImporter Pro is a SketchUp extension that quickly imports many different 3d model file formats into SketchUp.
Need to import models at blazing fast speeds from Blender into SketchUp? Got a high polygon OBJ file you need to poly-reduce? Or maybe a Rhino file to you need to remesh?
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1-Click Renderings with AmbientOcclusion
Creating compelling images in SketchUp using the latest AmbientOcclusion extension for SketchUp. One-click rendering or delve deeper for realism.
If you are new to rendering in SketchUp or need a tool that integrates with SketchUp and is quick and easy then give it a try!
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7 Tips to get started with SketchUp Free
Whether you’re a hobbyist wanting to use SketchUp for personal projects or a design professional wanting to try SketchUp Free before investing in SketchUp Pro, Go2School created a video to help you get started.
In the video, they show you how to access the web-based SketchUp Free, the right way to use the drawing, editing & navigation tools, and how to avoid the things that often trip up self-taught SketchUp users.
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SketchPlus Released
SketchPlus for SketchUp is an extension that adds a large number of easy-to-use tools, many of which are inspired by existing popular free plugins or are commonly found in other 3D modeling applications.
Read on for all the details of SketchPlus or give it free 15 day trial.
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New VR Plugin for SketchUp
Read more...SimLab Soft just released the new VR plugin for SketchUp, it allows the creation of interactive VR experiences from inside SketchUp, and to share them with others in one click.
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How to get started with FluidRay
Looking to try out some rendering in SketchUp. If you are new to rendering then FluidRay offers a forgiving and intuitive UI with powerful PBR based materials.
Drag and drop, sliders, live reload and support for Rhino, 3DS Max and more. Make beautiful images of your designs in just a few clicks. FluidRay for SketchUp makes rendering easier than ever.
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AI-Powered Interactive 3D Models from your SketchUp files
Bring together clients, co-workers, and collaborators around interactive 3D models for better, faster design decisions in augmented and virtual reality.
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Vray for SketchUp 3.6 Released
Read more...Chaos Group has released V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp, the latest update to their professional rendering plugin. Built on Chaos Group’s industry-leading technology, V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp simplifies the design process for architects and designers, offering photorealistic visuals and easy-to-use controls from concept to construction.
Setting up the Layout and Modelling the Barrel Vault
Cross vaults are the intersection of two, crossing barrel vaults usually in a right angle. Traditional cross-vaults (with the same span and height of the barrel vaults crossing). If the span (width) of the two barrel vaults are of the same size, the layout of a cross-vault is placed on a square. In the below image, I have already placed four columns laid out on a square pattern. They are instances of the same component definition rotated around the rectangle..
Let's start drawing an arc (half circle) along the blue axis (see the blue inference line) from the inner corners of the columns...
...then carry on with the outer arc.
Now with the line tool, close the two arcs (see highlighted edges) so that we get a face.
Now PushPull this face to the extreme endpoint of the opposite column - we have now created our first barrel vault.
We could draw the other barrel vault in the way above, too, but instead, we copy-rotate it by 90 degrees. Triple click on the vault to select everything - also see that when triple clicking, the softened edges also get highlighted. Make sure to pick the midpoint of the top edge and also that you are rotating around the blue axis (see my rotate tool turning blue).
This can be a bit hard for beginners as the rotate tool will want to get aligned t either of the neighbouring facets so use this technique to align it perpendicular to the blue axis.
Creating the Cross Vault
Once you managed to align the Rotate tool properly, pick a corner and start copy-rotating by snapping to the other corner (or simply enter 90 into the Measurement box and press Enter).
Now one would think that selecting everything and making an intersection will get us to somewhere so let's try it. In this case, it is all the same if you choose Intersect with model or with selected as everything is selected (save for the columns but they do not penetrate into our vaults anyway).
Let's remove excess geometry by selecting it with a right to left selection box and deleting it.
Notice however that in our cross-vault, below, there are extra edges because the top and bottom surfaces of the arches also intersected.
Now of course these can be deleted more or less tediously (or use some cleanup plugins we are nowadays spoilt with) but we can also do this properly to begin with so undo the steps until you get back to where we still have no intersection and let's try again.
Now only select the top faces (should be two, single clicks) and now make sure to use Intersect with selection only.
Repeat this step by selecting the two bottom surfaces and intersecting them with each other (selection) only.
Once we have removed the unneeded geometry, we get a nice, clean cross-vault.
Note that we have four, identical pieces in this cross-vault. Now in order to organize our model efficiently, let's turn them four instances of the same component definition. Select the top, side and bottom surfaces of one of the quarters by double clicking on each while holding the Shift key...
...and turn it into a component. Make sure that "Replace selection with component" is checked (not checked by default as there is touching geometry).
Delete all the other parts and again, carefully aligning the Rotate tool, make a radial array of the component.
Texturing curved surfaces for instance is often a tedious job so if we only need to do it once using components and enjoying that all the other instances pick up the material automatically, we can save a lot of time.
Registered members can add their thoughts and ask questions in this forum topic.