@peerman said:

[...] I'm also not sure how I can start a render? Is that the force viewport update or am I missing something. The help page on github is not really helping as well. [...]

I added a Workflow section in GitHub README: https://github.com/SamuelTS/SketchUp-PBR-Plugin#workflow

@peerman said:

Hi Samuel,

I get this:

PBR::Chromium.executable
/Users/peter/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/pbr/Chromium/Mac/Chromium.app/Contents/MacOS/Chromium

I can get inside the plugin folder and find the chromium app but I can't start it. All priviliges are correct for the files read and write are set for all files within the pbr folder. Maybe if I replace the Chromium app with a newer one from the internet it works? I will try today.

Thanks!

Best,
Peter

Hello Peter,

File: exists. Read/Write: granted. OK. Now...

Open a Terminal in OS this time and paste this:

chmod +x '/Users/peter/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/pbr/Chromium/Mac/Chromium.app/Contents/MacOS/Chromium'

It should make Chromium file executable.

Best regards,

The new PBR plugin version (1.3.4) :

• Keeps camera position in Viewport.

• Increases material library to 9 elem.

• Fixes an exposure issue in Viewport.

Hello. PBR plugin version 1.3.1 is available.

What's new?

• Plugin comes with a tiny PBR materials library. Donate to make it grow!

• When you save, open or create a model: Viewport is automatically updated.
  Technically, nginx Web server has been replaced by Chromium Web browser.

As part of an update, remember to disable plugin before uninstalling-reinstalling it.

@peerman said:

Hi, I really want to test this plugin but when I install the plugin (or after restarting SU) I get the message that Chromium cannot be found "Get latest". I'm working on a Mac. I can change materials but force viewport update crashed SU. I'm also not sure how I can start a render? Is that the force viewport update or am I missing something. The help page on github is not really helping as well.

I hope you can help/fix. The plugin looks promissing! Thanks!

Best,
Peter

Hi Peter,

Viewport use Chromium. Viewport opens automatically.
I don't have a Mac, this is why its support may be buggy.

It seems you have a problem related to path or chmod.
Please open Ruby Console in SketchUp and paste this:

PBR;;Chromium.executable

Then give me back console answer with a screenshot.

Thanks!

A new version is available, 1.3.3.

• Add exposure control in Viewport.

• Add one material to "PBR" library.

• Disable Viewport update on save.
  It was too slow. I recommend to set a shortcut for menu entry "Force Viewport Update".

A new version is available, 1.3.2.

• Add macOS support. Test n' report.
• Add 2 new materials in PBR library.

I understand now. Thanks for the trick!

@filibis said:

@samuel_t said:

• Plugin comes with a tiny PBR materials library. Donate to make it grow!

Take a look at these websites for free (CC0) textures: Pixel-Furnace, CC0Textures, freepbr. You can provide link to these sites maybe?

Hello filibis, thanks a lot for these links.

@filibis said:

I think you should indicate that we need to open a collection to use PBR materials you provided. People may not find PBR folder you generated easily.

I added following sentence in official README:
Additionally, you should have a new "PBR" materials collection in "Materials" tray. Enjoy!

@filibis said:

In addition to 'saving, opening and creating' a model, when we "apply all changes" in the PBR material editor, Chromium pops-up and updates the view as well.

You are right. I forgot to mention this case.

@filibis said:

HDR images working fine Can we rotate them somehow? That would be cool

I don't understand. You want to rotate HDRi?

@jql said:

Thea has viewport rendering which, for single monitors brings sketchup to life. Your plugin, as it is realtime, would be amazing with viewport rendering.

Yeah. There is an expensive workaround: to buy several monitors. More seriously, I will try to find a way to synchronize PBR Viewport with SketchUp.

Thank you for your idea.

Overlay feature request is out of my skills for now. Maybe another dev can, since code is open-source.

@nlipovac said:

Right like that JQL, I am quite impressed by this plugin and like to Blender is Eevee this would be a great plugin for SU if it would be implemented as an overlay to SU.

By "overlay", you mean a top window a bit like PBR Material Editor? Fullscreen or splitscreen?

@nlipovac said:

Hi, I have one question.
What is stopping you in developing this plugin as synced rendering plugin for Sketchup (or maybe as an overlay to SU window)? Is this far-fetched for me to think like this?

At dev. beginning, I've thinked about a PBR Viewport synced with SketchUp...
That implies using internal browser but external browser is more up-to-date.

Next PBR plugin version will include a (micro) library of royalty-free PBR materials.
These will be available in "Materials" tray. Render-example with "Wooden Palisade 01":

This should allow new users of plugin to become familiar with PBR materials.

Good news! PBR plugin becomes really handy with the new version (1.3.0).

Features

• Change environment map from SketchUp "Extensions" menu.
  Tip : Changing environment map changes ambient light map.
• Metallic & Roughness maps are separated in Material Editor.
• Access online help document translated in FR from Viewport.

Bugfixes

• Fixes pan (middle button) control issue in Viewport on Firefox.
• Fixes a little gamepad control bug. Improves maybe performance.

As part of an update, remember to disable plugin before uninstalling-reinstalling it.

@jql said:

It's easier for most users to have a separated roughness and metallic maps as they are very common, instead of the metallic-roughness map required by the plugin. [...] is there any chance the separated maps could be implemeted?

~~I agree it's easier but it's not so much long to pack metallic and roughness maps in third-party software. For example, it takes less than one minute in Photoshop following these instructions:

1. Open roughness map in Photoshop.
2. Convert Grayscale to RGB Color.
3. Unlock (roughness) layer.
4. Select (roughness) layer. Open Blending options.
5. Uncheck all Channels except G(reen).
6. Place Embedded... metallic map.
7. Select metallic layer. Open Blending options.
8. Uncheck all Channels except B(lue).
9. Save as... metallic-roughness map.~~

Update: Since PBR plugin v1.3.0, Metallic and Roughness maps are separated in PBR Material Editor.

@jql said:

Also, I found you removed support for emissive materials, which would be a shame, as I use them for all my lighting applications in Thea for Sketchup and would find them cool to test on this pbr plugin.

Today, I think it's better to implement glTF KHR_lights extension. So PBR plugin users could:

• Add and place lights in SketchUp (Maybe as hidden geometry? I'm looking for solutions.),
• Set light type (point, spot, etc.) and properties (color, intensity, etc.) again in SketchUp,
• Export lights (embedded in glTF file) to PBR Viewport and possibly to other platforms...

@ashreves said:

I get this same error, but I'm not on a network drive, and I'm just hitting the save button (not saving to another location and this happens. I've got backup upon backup in the same folder, and usually adds to the 0 extension (0-0 / 0-0-0...).

I had same error (CFileException 0) but since I run SketchUp as admin, this error is gone!

@dawrightau said:

NB for any other frustrated sketchup users wanting to export models from Sketchup tp blender for any reason try the 3ds export. It has worked best for me.

You should try this combo:

1. Export to glTF from SketchUp with SketchUp glTF Exporter extension.
   Plus, if you want to export PBR materials from SketchUp: Get my plugin on this sketchUcation thread.
2. Import glTF into Blender with glTF Blender Importer add-on.