Accent lighting in Sketchup

[Scott Salyer]

Hello all, We recently started designing with sketchup free. Haven't been able to add lighting efffects such as under cabinet lights. Is this something that can't be done? Would sketchup pro allow us to add lighting? Thanks for any comments. Scott Salyer

[Dave Richards]

No, SU5Pro won't allow you to do that sort of thing either. SketchUp has only the sun for casting shadows. There is a Ruby script called SU2K that will allow you to output a file that can be used in a rendering application called Kerkythea which could be used to create the lighting effect you're after.

Edited to add: Here's a drawing I did in SU and then rendered in K. It's an early rendering for me and not very good but it gives an idea of how I added lights.

[Scott Salyer]

Thanks Dave, Do you know of a design program for MAC that includes lighting effects? Scott

[Dave Richards]

No, I don't. Unfortunately Kerkythea isn't available for Mac.

As far as design programs go, I haven't seen any that are as capable and intuitive to use as SU and also do lighting effects. I'm sure there are rendering applications available for Mac but I doubt they are free. I'm not sure how you'd get a usable file out of the free version of SketchUp that could be imported in the rendering app. You could buy SU5Pro and then you'd get the export options you'd need.

[Greg Hairston]

Dave,
How much does that program cost.

Greg

[Dave Richards]

Which one? Kerkythea or SU5Pro?

Kerkythea is free. SU5Pro is around $500.

[Greg Hairston]

Kerkythea...... I have Sketchup.

[Dave Richards]

Did you find Kerkythea, Greg?

[Brian Triplett]

Dave,

What type of light are you using in K to produce those Lighting effects inside the lamps?

Thanks,
Brian

[Dave Richards]

Brian, I drew in spheres for the bulbs in SU and gave them a distinctive color--pink or something--so I could easily identify them. I edited that material in K to make it white and made it an emitter. that makes the spheres behave like lightbulbs.

For the shades I used the paper texture, edited it for color and transparency and painted both sides of the "glass". I think I also played with the translucency of the shade material.

I did this a while ago and I don't recall the exact settings. I am pleased with the way the lamps worked but I need to redo it and add some additional lighting for the sideboard.

One thing I've found useful is to add rectangular "panels" in SU. I paint them with colors that aren't used elsewhere so I can find them in K. Then these panels can be turned into large emitters. This makes them act as large diffusers or softboxes. It is easier for me to think about lighting this way as it is the way I would set up a studio shot if I were photographing a real piece of furniture or whatever.

[patrick anderson]

Thanks Dave, Do you know of a design program for MAC that includes lighting effects? Scott

you want to look at cheetah for the mac
http://www.cheetah3d.com/

[Brian Triplett]

Ok Dave, you are going to have to explain the light think in little more detail if you don't mind. I thought you just put in lights, how do you change something into an emitter? Also why do you need the su2k ruby, why not just export using *.3DS?