Another Ad

We're having so much fun with the SketchUcation ad that we decided to run another.

New Ad

We are running a banner ad at the top of the SketchUcation forum. We'll see if this helps new clients find us.
(Click refresh if you don't see it. We share this space with other advertisers)

Transparency Video

Dennis has made a new video to help you understand transparency settings better.

Take a look: Transparency

Or, See all Videos

NprTools - new version

May 24, 2009

* Added Soft Sun capability
* Added dialog to change application to Launch Files
* Added progress bar to display progress which saving and processing images.
* Added option to process only actual shadows, (Rather than surfaces which are in shadow because the surfaces faces away from the sun.)

See: New Version

What is your country's favorite dish?

On an unrelated side note, I have start this thread on the SUC Forum:

What is your country's favorite dish?

Soft Sun

Soft Sun is kind of the opposite of Soft Shadows.



The "soft" effect it restricted to the area which was already in sun, to produce softer lighting effects on the wall.

(This will be in the next version of NprTools)

User Soft Shadow Images

Users are starting to post Soft Shadows images to the NprTools Forum.

Check it out: NprTools Forum (and add some of your images, questions, and comments as well)

First NprTools Sale

We got out first sale of NprTools today. (Thank you for your confidence in our ability to continue to improve this product).

We will take the $24.95, frame it and put it no the wall!

Here is the winner of the Icon design contest for NprTools:

Rendering Giza images in SketchUp

We received a request yesterday for help rendering a Giza model in SketchUp.

See: Giza Models for more information

Giza is a CAD product for laying out office furniture. It can export DWG files which can be loaded into SketchUp. If you want to place office furniture into SketchUp directly, use ProjectSketch.

See: SketchUp Rendering

NprTools Beta Test Released

NprTools is ready for testing.



To download the trial version, go to Downloads

For more information, see: NprTools

Place any questions, comments, etc. here, or on this SketchUcation Support Forum Thread.

The Daily CatchUp from SketchUcation

I see that SketchUcation has launched a new daily journal of SketchUp News

See: The Daily CatchUp

Tileable / Repeatable Patterns

I spent the weekend implementing an algorithm to make tileable textures out of any image.

Here is an example:

Mud

The Paul Bourke Texture Site has a lot of nice textures, but they are not all tileable. Now with NprTools, you can make them tileable with a simple button push in SketchUp (GIMP and PhotoShop users can make textures tileable, but it is a lot more work.)

Original image - not tileable - since the left and right edges do not match.

Tileable image. It is not exactly the same, but at least it is tileable.

Tileable version placed in SketchUp

For more information, see Tileable Textures

Criss-Cross shadows

I don't really like this image much, but use your imagination to see what you might be able to do with this technique. (with a better starting model, and by adjusting the size, and color and transparency of the cross hatching)



The image base SketchUp image is washed out a bit (intentionally) so that the light and dark hatch patterns will be more visible and the sun is turned off (actually the sun intensity is set to 0).

White patterns are drawn where the sun would shine, and dark patters are drawn on areas which would be in shadows.

These and other settings, can be used to adjust the image until you like it.

Keep your eyes open for more information on NprTools.

Icons needed for NprTools

If you are good at creating toolbar icons, you may want to checkout this crowdSPRING project

We have started a project to design icons for NprTools. If you want to, you can submit entries on crowdSPRING.

I do not particularly recommend crowdSPRING for artistic designers. I suspect you have to do too much work with no assurance that your design will be selected. So proceed at your own risk.

However, it is a good way for software developers like us to get good icons without having to pay a lot for them. (This project pays $300.00 for 8 icons)

Podium rendering Contest

I see that Podium has completed their rendering contest.

Congratulations to the winners, and Kudos to all who took the time to create SketchUp models which would render well in Podium.

You can view the winners Here