[REQUEST] Mask Creator

Dave R

Is there a plugin or is it possible to make one that would create a mask from selected components/groups in a model. I'm thinking of something that would put a silhouette of the selection set between the camera and the model. The silhouette would be white with its edges hidden and perhaps it would be placed on its own layer.

It seems to me that TIG has some sort of plugin that might be similar but if I remember correctly, it projects a silhouette behind the selection. I can't remember what it is called, anyway.

Here's a quick example of what I want to create.

In this image I made mask of one piece of furniture in front of the table. I did this by brute force which isn't all that elegant or quick. I know a mask could be created in PhotoShop but the results wouldn't be the same. Look closely at the lines where they run over the mask. SketchUp extends the lines and in this case adds the endpoints. If I made the mask in PS, those extensions and endpoints would be cut off. I could make the edges of the mask soft but that would also result in softening the edges of the material, too, and it wouldn't be the same.

Rich O Brien

Thomthomthomthomthom's BlackOut?

[flash=600,400:eie8h76b]http://www.youtube.com/v/VWs3zHMmX8Y[/flash:eie8h76b]

Dave R

Hmmmm..... Maybe that could work. I'll give it a try. Thank you.

Dave R

Nope. It doesn't seem to do what I'm after.

Rich O Brien

You want to see the 'extensions' on the masked object?

Dave R

I'd like to have the foreground object mask white instead of black so the edges on the objects on the background will be drawn by SU as normal and their ends will be visible. Besides, I can't get it to create a mask of the foreground model without affecting the one in the background. And I could edit the black to white but the lines are still visible.

Rich O Brien

I presume i you tried this method...

[a] blackout foreground object with background object hidden and save image

[b] hide foreground object and unhide background object a set face style to Hidden Line and save image

[c] Set face style to textured and save image

Now compile mask and texture to remove area and Hidden Line as overlay with some erasing here and there.

utiler

Are you trying to do this in Layout or SU, Dave?

Dave R

Andrew, this is just in SU for simplified image post processing. I hadn't thought about it but it could be useful coupled with LO, though, too.

Perhaps I should have posted these other two images in the first place.

This is the piece of furniture that created the "mask".

And this is the two images combined. The combining is dead simple. I created a layer on top of the image of the round table which was set to Multiply. Then I copied the line drawing of the small piece and pasted it onto that layer.

The round table is shown in one line style while the small piece is in a different style.

I could see applications for this for combining wire frame or back edges images of some parts of a model with images of other parts of the model in other styles. And by creating the mask in SketchUp, one could quickly export the desired images and throw them together in the image editor without taking a lot of time there.

utiler

I see. I thought you wanted to create a transparent shape in front of the stool.

cool stool too.

Dave R

Thank you. I wish I could take credit for either design.

I'm actually trying to come up with a nearly post-processless process for creating images from SketchUp utilizing more than one style at a time. Whether it's different line styles or different face styles I'd like to have a process that is idiot proof so I can do it.