[Plugin] Interactive Texture Editor for SketchUp [Prototype]

Artlandia

We have just posted a new prototype plug-in for SketchUp in Artlandia Labs. You can apply a pattern to a SketchUp model; then edit the pattern and see your model dynamically updated:

Interactive Texture Editor for SketchUp

Apply SymmetryMill patterns as textures to your SketchUp models. When you edit the patterns in SymmetryMill, your SketchUp models are dynamically updated.

Artlandia (artlandia.com)

Technically, the plug-in makes SymmetryMill (our web-based pattern design application) available inside SketchUp.

A typical example: apply a texture to a SketchUp model:

At this point, the prototype is mostly a toy, but we'd love to get some opinions from the experts on this forum (and regular SketchUp users too!): Should this plug-in be developed further? Would it be useful to you?

Your thoughts are appreciated!
Olga

thomthom

Interesting - but I'm not familiar with SymmetryMill and not 100% sure of what this tool does. I guess I need to play around with it for a bit.

Artlandia

@thomthom said:

Interesting - but I'm not familiar with SymmetryMill and not 100% sure of what this tool does.

SymmetryMill lets you take an image and convert it into a seamless pattern, in your web browser. The free (limited) version works with the built-in "demo" image and also doubles as a viewer for patterns created from any image by others. The full version lets you make patterns from any JPG/PNG/GIF.

And now we are trying to gauge if this tool would be useful for applying and live editing textures inside SketchUp.

Olga

Artlandia

We have posted a new version: SketchUp now remembers how your SymmetryMill textures were created. Select a surface painted with a SymmetryMill pattern and SymmetryMill will load the source image in the background and apply all the settings used to create that texture. So you can go back to editing your pattern at any time:

More examples on the lab page: applying artistic textures to an interior wall, choosing upholstery for a sofa, applying a digital camo pattern to a vehicle, ...

Download the latest version here.

Any other feature requests?

Thanks,
Olga

Sir

Without having tested it, I think this would only be useful if it created tileable textures

Artlandia

@sir said:

Without having tested it, I think this would only be useful if it created tileable textures

Tileable textures is what SymmetryMill does! Thanks! Olga

Artlandia

We posted a new version of our SymmetryMill plug-in for SketchUp. Compared with earlier prototypes, the new version (0.2.0) is quite stable, and can even be used for production work. We consider it an advanced beta before the final release. There are also three tutorials to go with it:

Let us know what you think! At this stage, we'd be happy to give a free subscription to SymmetryMill if you be the first to report a bug

And finally, would there be interest in holding a little contest? You would take a SketchUp model (yours or from 3D Warehouse) and apply a SymmetryMill pattern that you create (or grab for free from Pattern Central)... We could also give away a SymmetryMill subscription as a prize.

Please reply if interested (or email to info@artlandia.com) and we'll come up with some rules.

Thanks,
Olga

jpalm32

I think you need better examples. Not clear by the site what it does different then other plugins as it a[[lies to SU..
But could be me, it usually is.

Artlandia

@jpalm32 said:

I think you need better examples. Not clear by the site what it does different then other plugins as it a[[lies to SU..
But could be me, it usually is.

OK, how about this:

Select a surface in SketchUp.
Fire up the plug-in; get a SymmetryMill pattern applied to your surface as a material (texture).
Edit your pattern; see your model updated.

If you just need bricks/other building materials/other ready-made textures applied to your model, you don't need this plug-in (there are plenty of textures already available, many for free). But if you want your own patterns applied as textures, then consider SymmetryMill.

Re. more/better examples, we are working on that, but did you follow the links on this page?

Olga

pilou

What happen on a sphere ?

Artlandia

@unknownuser said:

What happen on a sphere ?

Well, SymmetryMill is supposed to do its job (which is interactive texture editing) with whatever texture mapping you choose. Here's what I get with the two methods I tried, projected and UV Tools (both with their own limitations):

Olga

BTW, nice art at the Renderosity gallery

jpalm32

OK then.
Do Projected, UV Tools

& Your Plugin.
That's what I'm talking about.
It would be sooo clear with all three...get it?

Artlandia

@jpalm32 said:

OK then.
Do Projected, UV Tools

& Your Plugin.

That's what I'm talking about.
It would be sooo clear with all three...get it?

Projected is already done, for a fashion model (that is, a generic case; see the end result at the bottom of the page). You'd map on a sphere EXACTLY the same way. UV Tools? Hmm, might be an idea.

But the point is that this plug-in's purpose in life is to work with whatever projection method you like. We can certainly add other examples too.

pilou

@unknownuser said:

BTW, nice art at the Renderosity gallery

THX

Artlandia

Thanks All for the comments. The "SymmetryMill for SketchUp" plug-in is now released as a free, supported product. Details are here.

Olga

emkay

Could user add gap on the material sides. Instead of making the texture seamless, user can insert/add gap (space)