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    Export shadows to pdf

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    • eidam655E Offline
      eidam655
      last edited by

      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

      I'm using SketchUp 2017, V-Ray 3.4

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      • GaieusG Offline
        Gaieus
        last edited by

        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".

        Gai...

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        • pbacotP Offline
          pbacot
          last edited by

          use png for this

          MacOSX MojaveSketchUp Pro v19 Twilight v2 Thea v3 PowerCADD

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          • eidam655E Offline
            eidam655
            last edited by

            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.

            I'm using SketchUp 2017, V-Ray 3.4

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            • GaieusG Offline
              Gaieus
              last edited by

              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.

              Gai...

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              • TIGT Offline
                TIG Moderator
                last edited by

                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]...

                TIG

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                • DavidBoulderD Offline
                  DavidBoulder
                  last edited by

                  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

                  --

                  David Goldwasser
                  OpenStudio Developer
                  National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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                  • D Offline
                    djh
                    last edited by

                    @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".

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