Adding model to landscape photo

Bluesy

Hi:
This should be a direct link to a youtube tutorial by Aidan Chopra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRM7WXU5GrY. There are some other related tutorials, which you will see when you access this url.

Thanks, this was really useful and I'm going to watch a lot more of his tuts. My problem though is trying to get the scenery around my models. I have drawn them, but now need to place them on a backdrop of water and trees.

d12dozr

@bluesy said:

Hi, I've been using SU for a few weeks now and have learned a lot and although I know I have tons more to learn, I am on a bit of a tight schedule and need to find out two things. First, is there a way to put my model (it's a boathouse) in water with some nice trees etc around? I'd like to put it in a real photo if possible and then render it so that it looks somewhat realistic. My other query is about textures. I have searched everywhere and cannot find a really good wood plank (like decking) material. All the ones I have found either tile horribly or are just not the right colour. I realise I have a LOT to learn, but just for now, can anybody help...please?

Susan, have you decided on a render engine? This is relevant to knowing how to model the water, but usually this is just a rectangle with a water texture applied.

The easiest way to add trees in the background of a model is to use an image behind the model...in fact here are some excellent backgrounds by forum member Olishea to get you started: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=238687#p238687

Here are some wood textures to get you started:
Install the "Materials Bonus Pack" from Google

Search our "Components, Materials & Styles" forum for Seamless wood: http://forums.sketchucation.com/search.php?keywords=seamless+wood&terms=all&author=&fid

Hope that helps!

Gaieus

This one was rendered with the free rendering application Kerkythea. Do you have something like this in mind? (Well, it is not a boat house but you can get the concept)

honoluludesktop

Gai, Wow, is the reflection in the water part of a background image, or is the water part of the model?

Gaieus

Well, that is not my render just picked it from the Kerky gallery (I remembered it from the forums from some years ago however - that's why I was particularly looking for it - and yes, the water is part of the model).

There is a little freeware however with which you can ad some nice water reflection to any image:
http://www.xiberpix.net/SqirlzReflect.html

mitcorb

@Gaieus: Man, that is a cool link. Just wish I could use it directly in Sketchup

Bluesy

[quote="Gaieus"]This one was rendered with the free rendering application Kerkythea. Do you have something like this in mind? (Well, it is not a boat house but you can get the concept)

Thank you, this is exactly what I'm talking about. However, I downloaded Kerky the other day and just couldn't get going with it. I tried to import textures but they wouldn't show in the textures box. I followed the tutorial to the T, but I still couldn't get it to do anything. I feel like an idiot because I'm sure this isn't very difficult.

By the way, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this website, you guys are so quick to respond and helpful.

Gaieus

What textures did you try to import? There are a couple of texture packs available on the Kerky website already and there are more shared in the Materials section of the forums - like this water pack for instance (I'd suggest Majid's pack as that is an almost complete one for all sorts of water types from ponds to sea).

designerstuart

in addition, if the textures you find are the right sort of thing, but the wrong colour, you can edit them in sketchup using the materials palette.

mitcorb

Quote Bluesy:
"By the way, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this website, you guys are so quick to respond and helpful."
That is the trademark of this Forum. I know of a vanishingly small number of other sites this helpful and responsive. Of course, that could be due to my vanishingly small brain

Bluesy

@mitcorb said:

Quote Bluesy:
"By the way, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this website, you guys are so quick to respond and helpful."
That is the trademark of this Forum. I know of a vanishingly small number of other sites this helpful and responsive. Of course, that could be due to my vanishingly small brain

Well I'm sure it's not as small as mine, I'm going crazy here, just don't seem to be able to do anything right. Can't load new materials, can't load new components (keeps navigating to the 3D Warehouse), don't understand how to use Kerky...thinking of giving up.

Chris Fullmer

I think it is a big task to master in a day or two personally. Its not as easy as we would like to wish it was. There is some learning curve involved, but once you start getting it down, you progress exponentially. So don't give up forever, keep at it. Just take it step by step. What is the first thing you need help with? Getting components into the model correctly? Or the kerky image? Or something else?

Chris

mitcorb

No. Do not give up. Like Chris says, it does take time, and improvement will come. At least I understand that from the model side of the equation. I am squeaking along in the rendering side due to my current signature line.

Bluesy

[The easiest way to add trees in the background of a model is to use an image behind the model...in fact here are some excellent backgrounds by forum member Olishea to get you started: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=238687#p238687

Here are some wood textures to get you started:
Install the "Materials Bonus Pack" from Google

Search our "Components, Materials & Styles" forum for Seamless wood: http://forums.sketchucation.com/search.php?keywords=seamless+wood&terms=all&author=&fid]

Amazing. Thanks so much. having a bit of difficulty downloading the Materials Bonus Pack (it directs me to the 3D Warehouse - is it supposed to do that?)

Bluesy

@chris fullmer said:

I think it is a big task to master in a day or two personally. Its not as easy as we would like to wish it was. There is some learning curve involved, but once you start getting it down, you progress exponentially. So don't give up forever, keep at it. Just take it step by step. What is the first thing you need help with? Getting components into the model correctly? Or the kerky image? Or something else?

Chris

Chris, thanks for the words of encouragement. The first thing I need help with is getting the components into SU and also materials. It seems to be labour intensive, but I'm sure it shouldn't be that hard. For example, I've been downloading various woods and then clicking on 'Add Texture' in the materials box one by one. Isn't there a way of getting a whole load of them to go in at the same time? I tried dragging files into the 'Materials' folder, but that didn't work either. As for components, how do I keep them organized? I opened the CAM6.pkg file and just dragged the files into the 'Components' folder, but they have gone in very haphazardly. Surely there is a way to do this properly. It seems to my that people have thousands of materials and components, so I'm thinking there must be an easier way. As for Kerky, I don't know where to start with that. Perhaps I should just read some more tutorials, unless you have a few easy 'how to get started' tips?

d12dozr

@bluesy said:

Amazing. Thanks so much. having a bit of difficulty downloading the Materials Bonus Pack (it directs me to the 3D Warehouse - is it supposed to do that?)

Are you clicking this highlighted link in the bottom right?
(click image if scrollbars appear)

Bluesy

@d12dozr said:

@bluesy said:

Amazing. Thanks so much. having a bit of difficulty downloading the Materials Bonus Pack (it directs me to the 3D Warehouse - is it supposed to do that?)

Are you clicking this highlighted link in the bottom right?
(click image if scrollbars appear)

Thanks, I just tried that and it downloaded. Then went to SU and tried to add one of the new textures with the bucket tool, but just the regular materials that came with the program were available. Am I supposed to put the downloaded file somewhere else? I can see eyeballs rolling all over the place!

Chris Fullmer

I'm with you on this one Susan. I've never liked the components since they worked so hard to integrate hte 3dwarehouse. I just don't get along with my component browser anymore. I have these same issues evrytime I try to download a pack of stuff.

mitcorb

You need to get those materials into the Materials subfolder of Sketchup, wherever it is kept on a Mac, such as C:\Program Files\Materials. If you are downloading a pack of materials, I assume it is in a .zip file. If it is a single material, I was recently reminded that it is a .skm file.
I may come back and provide a link to a thread that may explain some of this. I have connectivity problems, so I have to post and come back to edit.

EDIT: Ok this is similar to downloading plugins, except you are acquiring materials.
You could actually name a special folder and simply move it from your desktop to the materials folder. But see this thread: http://www.forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=35746

d12dozr

@bluesy said:

Thanks, I just tried that and it downloaded. Then went to SU and tried to add one of the new textures with the bucket tool, but just the regular materials that came with the program were available. Am I supposed to put the downloaded file somewhere else? I can see eyeballs rolling all over the place!

Well for me (on Windows), its an .exe file so just install it like any downloaded program...you don't have to do any thinking about what folder to put it in at all