Logo and Design Development

jaxcoffee · 18 Feb 2011, 19:18

Tried doing a search, and there is a lot of information on the subject, but I was hoping to narrow it down a bit, and get a straight answer.

I love using SketchUp for Logo development.

What is the best work flow for getting the best, highest resolution, and sharpest output once a model is created in SketchUp.

A step by step would be great.

Anyone?

Dave R · 18 Feb 2011, 19:55

I guess I would export a PNG file at fairly high resolution. Go to File>Export>2D... Set the Save as File Type to PNG and click on options. Untick the box for Use View Size (or whatever it says, I can't remember exactly) and change the export size to perhaps 3000 pixels or maybe higher.

Keep in mind that lines will be thinner. Changing size here will change how sketchy line styles render out which gives you some additional options for appearance.

bmike · 18 Feb 2011, 20:31

I guess some of it depends on if you want vector art or raster...

jaxcoffee · 18 Feb 2011, 22:05

Thanks guys,

Since most of what I do in SketchUp is mostly structural, and typically black and white, I would imagine Vector would be best. I believe raster files would maintain texture and color, or do I have those two mixed up?

I would like to know how to pick the difference between the two. I have not seen that option out of SketchUp. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me?

spence · 19 Feb 2011, 06:36

Jack,

Go to File, Export 2D Graphic, right under the box where you type in the file name is a drop down menu called Eport types. You can choose an EPS file which will go into most vector based programs where you can then manipulate the lines and the colors. Hope that helped

Edit: EPS files will go into programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Draw, Pagemaker, QuarkXPress, Xara Extreme and I think even Word

Gaieus · 19 Feb 2011, 09:51

As I see you are on SU Pro, you could even use LayOut to produce vector based graphics (although most what's said above is valid, too).

jaxcoffee · 19 Feb 2011, 17:01

@gaieus said:

As I see you are on SU Pro, you could even use LayOut to produce vector based graphics (although most what's said above is valid, too).

Could you instruct me on how to convert or recognize vector in LO? I have sent graphics to LO and it seems they export out much cleaner. Is it because they are converted?

Gaieus · 19 Feb 2011, 17:17

IN LO, you can render your SU model in raster, hybrid or vector mode. In raster mode, everything is raster. In vector mode, everything is vector (and your raster SU textures are converted into colours like in shaded without textures in SU). Hybrid mode will display your edges in vector mode and your textures in raster mode.

Now considering that you said that you only intend to use colours, either vector or raster mode would be the same.
When you export a PDF file, it will be a vector based PDF with your custom settings (high quality means 300 dpi but of course, dpi is irrelevant when speaking of vectors). This vector PDF can be used in various 2D editing applications.

If you export in png (and do not set ground and sky), it will export with a transparent background SU would not do on Windows natively (TT has a plugin though).

But as said above, since you are a pro user, you can also export in various vector based formats straight from SU, too.

jaxcoffee · 19 Feb 2011, 18:10

@gaieus said:

IN LO, you can render your SU model in raster, hybrid or vector mode. In raster mode, everything is raster. In vector mode, everything is vector (and your raster SU textures are converted into colours like in shaded without textures in SU). Hybrid mode will display your edges in vector mode and your textures in raster mode.

Now considering that you said that you only intend to use colours, either vector or raster mode would be the same.
When you export a PDF file, it will be a vector based PDF with your custom settings (high quality means 300 dpi but of course, dpi is irrelevant when speaking of vectors). This vector PDF can be used in various 2D editing applications.

If you export in png (and do not set ground and sky), it will export with a transparent background SU would not do on Windows natively (TT has a plugin though).

But as said above, since you are a pro user, you can also export in various vector based formats straight from SU, too.

Thanks for the instructions my friend.

I'm still a little confused. So I'm sending my model to Layout. Where do I go from there to make adjustments to make it raster or vector? I'm just not familiar enough with LO to know what the steps are.

What tabs do I need to look into, or where is it that I need to go to see a comparison of the two types?

This is why I was asking for a step by step workflow.

Thanks again for your time.

Gaieus · 19 Feb 2011, 18:40

When you select the inserted SU Viewport in LO, under the SketchUp model tab, on the tray (on the right) the rendering setting (and all others) become active.

If you go this route set your scenes in SU (in case of a 2d design, an ortho view and one of the standard views) then update the scene as well as the style that scene is using. and only then send it to LO.

prismcnd · 19 Feb 2011, 18:51

i believe it is under the "sketchup model" then the "styles" tab, in the bottom corner

jaxcoffee · 19 Feb 2011, 18:57

@gaieus said:

When you select the inserted SU Viewport in LO, under the SketchUp model tab, on the tray (on the right) the rendering setting (and all others) become active.

If you go this route set your scenes in SU (in case of a 2d design, an ortho view and one of the standard views) then update the scene as well as the style that scene is using. and only then send it to LO.

You see! LO as a default doesn't have the "SketchUp Model" tab window up, which I find very strange.

Just bringing that window up, makes all the difference in the world.

Hope the LO developers are listing!!

Thanks guys.

Dave R · 19 Feb 2011, 21:13

FWIW, the SketchUp inspector window has always been displayed by default on my installations of LO. I believe the default is to have all of the inspector windows out on the right side although they can be closed.