Google SketchUp is quickly becoming the most widely-used
3D modeling tool in the architecture and design industries, and it’s easy to see why. SketchUp offers a user-friendly toolset that is easy for designers to pick up and use to help them with their work. It is the quickest way to understand how a project is coming together in glorious three dimensions and helps cut down on spending valuable time wrestling with other, more cumbersome programs.
Shaderlight is an interactive 3d rendering software for SketchUp that allows users to create photorealistic 3d images from SketchUp models. Download a free trial of the latest version for Windows and Mac. Aug 18, 2017 I can highly recommend Twilight Render Hobby which is a free plugin and works entirely within sketchup. Have been using Twilight since 2010 and find it really easy to use with a lot of flexibility built in. I believe it is based on Kerkythea which is totally public domaine but is tuned to make it much easier and intuitive to use.
And to the delight of architects around the globe, the
ability to integrate rendering software with SketchUp’s design tools elevate it to an all-in-one presentation powerhouse that lets them produce mind-blowing renderings and visualizations completely in house.
However, there are a lot of renderers to choose from, and
they aren’t all created equally. This list aims to outline the best rendering plugins and integrated software that work with SketchUp, and which ones might be perfect for you depending on the kind of design work you’re doing.
This is the best rendering software for Google SketchUp.
vRay
vRay has been at the top of the rendering software
mountain since 3D visualization became a thing. It is powerful, ubiquitous, and comes with a massive support community that will help new users get their feet wet without too steep a learning curve. vRay makes a plugin for SketchUp that integrates seamlessly, ensuring you never have to leave the program to set your scenes, apply materials, and tweak lighting conditions on the fly.
I think and on As my experience for Interior Render, You can Used Vray. It gives you full real-time render and Others hand You can also be used Lumion. Both Software. Indigo Renderer has extremely good integration with SketchUp, making it easy to learn how to create photorealistic renders. Indigo is commercial rendering software. We have two versions available, Indigo RT and Indigo Renderer. There are many SketchUp rendering extensions to choose from. Here are some of the best SketchUp rendering plugins available to help you narrow your search, but you be the judge! Some plugins have free trials available from their websites for you to try so you can find the perfect program that meets your needs.
SU Podium
Podium is a favorite among architects and architectural
designers because it has a user interface that reflects the streamlined and efficient inputs of SketchUp itself. It might not have the most well-known brand name attached to it, but make no mistake: SU Podium is capable of producing renderings and visualizations that are just as impressive as some of the giants in the industry. Podium has a great support community, and easy-to-find tutorials that help new users get quickly up to speed with how to best utilize the program’s potential. Maxwell
Another household name, and another reason why SketchUp
has become such a capable presentation tool. Maxwell has been around for almost as long as vRay, and has managed to keep up with the best rendering software available because of the dedication to excellence demonstrated by its developers. They knew they had something special when SketchUp gained popularity, so they jumped on-board with a plugin that was geared specifically towards making it a better renderer. The result is a power couple that is hard to best in the design and visualization world. Indigo Renderer
While Indigo Renderer is a bit of a lesser known quantity
among some of the more popular engines on this list, it certainly shouldn’t be disregarded as inferior. In fact, Indigo is fully capable of producing photorealistic renderings that stand tall against the other giants on this list. One of Indigo’s coolest features is its physics-based lighting modulator that produces some of the most believable conditions for interior and exterior lighting. Pair this with a fast rendering algorithm and seamless SketchUp integration, and you have yourself a viable up and comer in the 3D visualization industry. LumenRT
LumenRT is great for designers and landscape architects
who rely heavily on terrain and landscape manipulation for their work. It’s toolset slots in nicely with SketchUp’s, and even has a few topography modifiers that help shine light on one of SketchUp’s most glaring blind spots. In addition to all that, LumenRT is a renderer fully capable of producing images and animations that help explain why your designs are worth celebrating. And while they are still working on a plugin for SketchUp, your 3D models can be easily imported into Lumen for modifications and manipulations. Visualizer
Visualizer might not be the most high-end renderer
available for SketchUp, but it is certainly the most user-friendly. You can see your models come to life in real lighting and materiality conditions as you design, making SketchUp an instantly better design tool right out of the box. The visualizations it produces aren’t print quality, but it is a great entry point for people looking for something easy, free, and fast to get start honing their rendering chops. There is no risk involved in giving Visualizer a try, and the rewards could be a better end product for you and your clients.
PRODUCT DISCLOSURE $
The number and variety of 3D software packages on the market is staggering, but many of the top applications in use by commercial film, gaming, and effects studios cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
It's true that most commercial applications offer time-limited free trials or abbreviated learning editions for students and hobbyists. If you're planning to work in the computer graphics industry one day, these are well worth exploring even if you can't afford a full license, because your skills in the commercial packages are what will ultimately land you a job.
However, plenty of free 3D software suites are out there for hobbyists, independent filmmakers who don't have the budget for expensive software, and budget-conscious freelance professionals who have found all the tools and power they need in cost-free solutions like Blender or SketchUp.
Just because the software is free doesn't necessarily make it any less valuable. This list isn't exhaustive. There are dozens of other free 3D tools available beyond those mentioned here. However, these are the strongest of the bunch.
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BlenderWhat We Like
What We Don't Like
Blender is easily the most versatile entry on this list, and in many regards, it compares favorably to top digital content creation tools like Cinema 4D, Maya, and 3Ds Max. To this day, it stands as one of the greatest open-source development projects ever conceived.
Blender is full-featured, offering a complete range of modeling, surfacing, sculpting, painting, animation, and rendering tools.
The software is good enough to have produced numerous impressive short films and is in use by several professional studios.
Blender was criticized early on for having a confusing interface, but don't let outdated complaints steer you away. The software was given a thorough overhaul recently and emerged with a fresh interface and a feature set that aims for parity with the best.
While you don't see Blender in any Hollywood effects pipelines where Autodesk and Houdini are deeply ingrained, Blender has steadily carved out a niche in motion graphics and visualization, similar to where Cinema 4D excels.
Blender 2.79
Blender 2.79 (source code)
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Pixologic SculptrisWhat We Like
What We Don't Like
Sculptris is a digital sculpting application similar to ZBrush or Mudbox, but with an easier learning curve. Because Sculptris uses dynamic tessellation, it is essentially geometry-independent, meaning it is an ideal learning package for someone with few or no modeling skills who wants to try his hand at sculpting. Sculptris was originally developed independently by Tomas Pettersson, but is now owned and maintained by Pixologic as a free counterpart to ZBrush. Sculptris is aimed at beginners. The website offers video tutorials and an assurance that the skills you learn in Sculptris easily translate to ZBrush.
Sculptris was last updated in 2011. Pixologic still allows downloads but warns that as legacy software, it's no longer maintained or supported.
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SketchUpWhat We LikeFree Rendering Software For Sketchup Make
What We Don't Like
SketchUp is an intuitive and accessible modeler, originally developed by Google and now owned by Trimble. SketchUp excels at practical and architectural design and probably has more in common with a CAD package than traditional surface modelers like Maya and Max.
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Like Blender, SketchUp has been amazingly well received and has gradually carved out a niche with professionals in the visualization field due to its ease of use and speed.
The software has little in the way of organic modeling tools, but if your primary interest is in architectural modeling, SketchUp is an excellent starting point. You begin by drawing lines and shapes and then stretch and copy them to make whatever you like. You don't have to draw everything, though. SketchUp offers an enormous library of free 3D models to get you started — search the 3D Warehouse for what you need.
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Wings 3DWhat We Like
What We Don't Like
Wings is a straightforward open-source subdivision surface modeler, which means it has similar modeling capabilities to Maya and Max but none of their other functions.
Because Wings uses traditional (standard) polygon modeling techniques, everything you learn here is applicable in other content-creation packages, making this an ideal starting point for anyone looking to learn how to model for animation, film, and games.
Wings3D 2.2.4
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TinkercadWhat We Like![]()
What We Don't Like
Tinkercad is an impressive suite of free, lightweight 3D tools offered by Autodesk as an easy entry point into the world of 3D. Autodesk develops five different applications under the Tinkercad banner, including modeling and sculpting apps, an iPad based creature designer, and a tool to assist with fabrication and 3D printing.
In a way, Tinkercad is AutoDesk's answer to Sculptris and Sketchup and is meant to interest beginners in 3D without the tremendous learning curve of their Autodesk's flagship applications: CAD, Maya, Max, and Mudbox.
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Daz StudioWhat We Like
What We Don't Like
Daz Studio is an image creation tool that comes with a wealth of characters, props, creatures, and buildings that you can arrange and animate to create still images or short films. The software is primarily meant for users who want to create 3D images or films without the overhead of creating all their models and textures by hand.
The software's animation and rendering toolset is fairly robust, and in the right hands, users can create impressive shots. However, without a full range of modeling, surfacing, or sculpting tools built in, your content can become limited unless you're willing to buy 3D assets in the Daz marketplace or create them yourself with a third-party modeling package.
Still, it's a great piece of software for people who just want to jump in and create a 3D image or film without a whole lot of overhead.
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Mandelbulb 3DWhat We Like
What We Don't Like
If you're interested in fractals, Mandelbulb 3D should be right up your alley. The application certainly takes some getting used to, but the result is stellar once you know what you're doing. The 3D fractal environment includes color, lighting, specularity, depth-of-field, and shadow and flow effects used to generate amazing fractal objects. If the concept of fractals is Greek to you, visit the featured artists' section of the Mandelbulb website to see the types of things you can do with this software.
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Autodesk Software (Free but Limited)What We Like
What We Don't Like
Autodesk offers virtually its entire software line free for non-commercial use to 'students and community members.' However, you don't have to be enrolled in a school to download them. If you want to work in the industry eventually, knowing Autodesk software is a valuable skill, so this is a highly recommended path. The only limitation is that you can't use any of the software in commercial projects. Among the educational downloads are 3DS Max, Maya, Inventor Professional, and AutoCAD.
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