It’s easy to see why so many architects,designers, and engineers have been beginning to use SketchUp on a daily. It’seasy to use, client friendly, and doesn’t cost you a dime to get things up andrunning. What once was at the butt end of every 3D visualization joke is now apowerhouse in the industry, and poised to grow even stronger as it continues tobe supported by its developers and its user community.
And when paired with the right renderingplugin, SketchUp transforms into a 3D rendering and visualization tool that hasthe potential to rival design software that has long been dubbed superior.
These are the top rendering plugins forSketchUp, all must-have addons that might even have you tossing the rest ofyour creative suite in the trash.
Build more, do more, dream more with a library of SketchUp third-party extensions and add-ons from Extension Warehouse. IRender nXt is the premier rendering extension for people wanting high quality rendering, full integration into SketchUp, and a really responsive support team. We have a number of other SketchUp renderers and add-ons you will want to add to your click-arsenal of SketchUp extensions to improve your SketchUp productivity.
1 | vRay
Yes, the most ubiquitous and arguably powerfulrendering engine has made its way to SketchUp. In fact, it’s been here for awhile, and has been transforming people’s SketchUp models into photorealisticrenderings and animations for a number of years now. vRay for SketchUp is easyto install and get started with, offering the power of the world’s most usedrenderer to the speed and flexibility of the most commonly used modeler.
2 | Brighter 3D
Brighter 3D is a high-quality rendering pluginthat has supported SketchUp since 2008. It uses an unbiased rendering algorithmthat provides plenty of power and the ability to quickly produce renders forcritique, feedback, and easy tweaking. There is a free version of Brighter 3Dfor those looking to test the waters before diving in head first. And whileBrighter 3D is developed by a small team and occasionally presents bugs, it islightning quick, affordable, and incredibly easy to use - all three thingsSketchUp itself is credited with.
3 | SU Podium
SU Podium is a favorite among architects andinterior designers for the ease in which it can produce detailed and life-likearchitectural visualizations from a detailed SketchUp model. Their developmentphilosophy has always been to simplify their interface to work best withSketchUp’s streamlined approach. This has resulted in a marriage that is aseamless as it is fruitful, giving designers the ability to translate theirwork into results without the need of an expensive rendering consultant.
4 | LumenRT
LumenRT provides a robust and easy tounderstand toolset that works best for designers and artists who rely heavilyon landscape and terrain to improve the realism of their rendered scenes.LumenRT doesn’t actually have a specific plugin for SketchUp, but the models youbuild in Google’s modeling software can be easily imported into Lumen, where itcan be set up with the material libraries, lighting and entourage capabilitiesof LumenRT.
5 | Maxwell
A name that is almost as well known as vRay.Maxwell has been around since before SketchUp was even a name, so it’s easy tosee why this renderer is help in such high regard by 3D rendering andvisualization artists. It’s the household name of household names, and thereasons why are in the quality of results Maxwell produces time and time again.The plugin for SketchUp is no different, offering professionals somethingfamiliar to hang on to as they push and pull their way through their 3D models.
6 | Caravaggio
Named after one of the most well-known ItalianBaroque painters, Caravaggio 3D is a simple, lean rendering plugin that isdefinitely worth a look. They offer a free trial (200 renderings) to see ifit’s something that might add value to your work. The plugin works directlywith your SketchUp model and has material and lighting editors for finetweaking and final production.
7 | Indigo Renderer
Indigo boasts one of the most impressivereal-world lighting physics models, even when pitted against some of the biggernames on this list. The plugin for SketchUp works just as you’d hope, and willtransform your models from blocky lines and shapes into magnificent works ofart. Yes, it is that good. If you’re looking for a product to do most of thework for you and make you look like a seasoned professional, jump now and give IndigoRenderer a try.
These days, there’s plenty to like about the little 3D modelingprogram that could. SketchUp has transformed in the past decade - from bastardbrain-child of a couple hippie University of Colorado ‘graduates’ tofull-fledged visualization powerhouse. The journey was not an easy one, it itsrise to competent modeling program has been aided by its compatibility withsome of the most powerful plugins and pieces of rendering software the marketoffers.
SketchUp is here to stay, and might be just what you need toget your feet wet in the 3D modeling, rendering, and visualization industry.Master these plugins, and be on your way to producing images and animations theRhino bullies on your block only dream of.
And no matter where you stand in your skill level as acomputer-savvy rendering artist, SketchUp has something to offer. It’s fast,nimble, and...er...sketchy. It’s as easy a way to put ideas on paper as it is atool to design and produce. The user-friendly nature of its parts and pieceslend themselves to be easily approached by beginners, and fun to master forprofessionals. Get to know SketchUp, so when you open up this war chest ofauxiliary plugins, you’ll be ready to make full use of their potential.
Here are the best plugins for Google Sketchup.
1 | VRAY
Everyone who’s set foot inside a design studio knows whatVRAY is. What many of us design nerds don’t know, however, is that VRAY isfully compatible with SketchUp via an equally as user-friendly plugin. Ifyou’re looking to get photo-realistic renderings out of SketchUp, VRAY isprobably where you’ll want to look first. It comes complete with a materialeditor (thank God because SketchUp’s is AWFUL), and all the other useful toolsyou’ll need to produce pro quality images and animations.
Better yet? You can get VRAY up and running in SketchUp forno charge to yourself (unless you consider signing up for an email newsletter a‘charge’ - which you might). VRAY serves up a base set of tools and materialsto you for free, with the option to put a bit of skin in the game for theirfull bevy of options and setting. It’s not a bad deal, and should give youenough to see if your SketchUp chops translate to the world of 3D visualizationas well.
2 | JointPushPull
Hi there SketchUp user. Ever get tired of that regular oldpush/pull tool and its rather stunted ability to...push and pull? Well, you’rein luck! JointPushPull is a modeling plugin that features 6 specific tools forturning your model into a digital gumby. The tools are joint, round, vector,normal, extrude, and follow. I won’t deep dive into what each tool does from atechnical standpoint, but rest assured: mastering this plugin will shave hoursoff modeling time. Hours you can spend learning VRAY for SketchUp because ifyou didn’t hear me before IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
3 | CurviLoft
So, you thought SketchUp was a child’s tool used for makingrectilinear garbage cubes? WRONG! With CurviLoft, you’ll have all the power youneed to start building curvilinear models that you thought were reserved forprograms like Maya and Rhino. Curviloft consists of 3 tools: loft by spline,loft along path, and skinning. In practice, the tool works similarly to the‘follow me’ tool, only rather than a simple extrusion along a path, CurviLoftis able to connect two different shapes along a path. That’s right. This isnext level.
Tools like CurviLoft should really be packaged in with thebase software. But since Google is too busy trying to map the entire world(universe?) in images and 3D models, I guess a simple download will have tosuffice.
4 | Podium
Podium is another rendering plugin a la VRAY, with areputation that’s slowly building towards James Bond proportions. I’m notreally sure what I mean by that, but trust me, it’s good. Podium offers a vastmaterial library off the bat, and like VRAY, offers a free trial that gets youstarted without ponying up any cash. Do this. Every renderer has a specifictaste and tolerance for their software, so taking the Porsche out for a testride before forking over a second mortgage is probably your best course ofaction. Take it from me: Podium is great. It’s an incredibly powerfulalternative to VRAY, and fits into SketchUp like a tailored Italian glove.
5 | Purge All
Keeping your model clean and organized in SketchUp can be anarduous and infuriating task. It’s also a completely necessary one, as yourlayers and model components can spread like the plague if your model gets largeenough. Purge All is a simple, yet essential plugin that pretty much doesexactly what you think. It purges all. This plugin is more robust and precisethan SketchUp’s default purging tools, and even gives you a full report of whatgot tossed in case that component of your silhouetted ex-girlfriend wavinggoodbye to you was something you were saving for a rainy day. Purge. Purgeoften. Good talk.
6 | Twilight Render
I’ll be honest. Twilight Render isn’t quite there yet. It’sa free rendering plugin that will give you decent image output and arespectable library of materials But be clear, VRAY this is not. I’ve includedit because software like TR are incredibly important to the growth of thevisualization industry. It’s a capable bit of software that works well withSketchup and allows people to - for free - become completely familiar with arendering tool. In fact, it’s a lot like SketchUp itself in that way.
If you’re a professional rendering artists working forShumaker Shumaker and Chu in Brooklyn, this isn’t the program for you. But ifyou’re Joe Everyman looking to breakthrough in a fun and rewarding industry,Twilight Render is your huckleberry.
7 | Mirror
It seems silly that a modeling tool as ubiquitous andcommonly used as ‘mirror’ has to be added onto a base modeling software, butsuch is the case. Mirror was created by Frank Wiesner then perfected by TIG inversion 3.1, and is probably the first piece of software you shouldFrankenstein onto SketchUp once you boot it up. It’s simple: select object tobe mirrored, select surface or line for which to be mirrored, mirror. I get it,SketchUp, you’re trying to be lean and mean, but could we splurge for a propermirror tool? All praise Frank Wiesner.
8 | Brighter3D
I love Brighter3D. It’s quickly becoming one of my favoriterendering engines for use with SketchUp. It advertises an easy-to-use interfacewith a simplified toolset but plenty of rendering power under the hood.Brighter delivers, offering seamless SketchUp integration and a snappy previewtool that give you an accurate sample image in a matter of seconds. It usesunbiased rendering technology to produce lightning fast results. The future isbrighter, indeed. Sorry. I’ll leave.