Export shadows to pdf

eidam655

hello,

i actually wanted to ask something. is there any way of exporting (rendering) the shadows/shadow lines/areas into a PDF? is there any (ideally free) plugin for this? why doesn't sketchup do this automatically?

thanks for any answer,
~eidam

Gaieus

I do not often use this export option but it seems to export vector based data which does not contain shadows. May I assume that if you have pdf export options, you also have SU Pro? In this case, you could send your model to LayOut and export from there in hybrid mode which will make your edges vectors but materials (and shadows) remain raster so you get the "best of both".

pbacot

use png for this

eidam655

well, i'm asking because i would like to use the shadows (in their vector form) in post-processing in Illustrator/Inkscape... but so far it seems that hi-res png export with manual tracing is my best option. thanks guys.

Gaieus

Still I suggest to export to LO then. In hybrid mode, if you have sky and ground turned off, it will export with a transparent background but with the shadows cast on that background.

If you then turn shadows off in another scene/style, you can get the model without them and therefore easily select/isolate the shadows themselves in any other programs.

If you paint your entire model with a completely transparent png file and turn edges off, you can even export a the shadows only.

TIG

Shadows will never have a 'vector form', even when included in a 'printed' PDF they are 'coloring' only with no 'hard edges'.
If you want real edges to show the outlines of your shadows on objects then see my tool 'ShadowProjector' [ TIG-shadowProjector.rb in Plugins Index]...

DavidBoulder

May also want to look at 1001 shadow tools, although it may just project onto ground, and not onto building surfaces.
http://www.1001shadows.com/en/index.html

David

djh

@gaieus said:

I do not often use this export option but it seems to export vector based data which does not contain shadows. May I assume that if you have pdf export options, you also have SU Pro? In this case, you could send your model to LayOut and export from there in hybrid mode which will make your edges vectors but materials (and shadows) remain raster so you get the "best of both".

Thank you for this suggestion. Yes, one does get the "best of both".