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Author: Charlotte Lee

Importing 3d Buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

Google Earth is amazing. It gives you a pinpoint-accurate satellite view of our planet in full colour, in all its glory, making it an excellent tool for SketchUp. This article takes a look at how to export 3D buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp. 

So, why would you export Google Earth to SketchUp? Because it gives you a real-life image of the world we live in, which means the drawings you base on it will be accurate as well. Read on to learn about how to import Google Earth into SketchUp and add a new, exciting dimension to your ideas, designs and drawings.

Overview of 3D Buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp

Take a look at Google Earth. Maybe find the place you’re at right now. As you’ll see, the 3D buildings in Google Earth give you 100% accurate digital representations of the real world in every detail. SketchUp does much the same thing, creating hyper-real designs using computer-aided design or CAD software. 

Google Earth lets you view and explore 3D buildings and other structures from a bird’s-eye view, from far above. SketchUp lets you create and modify 3D models in great detail, giving you finer detail than Google Earth. As you can imagine they’re a great match. Together they give you everything you need for attractive, inspiring designs.  

 

There are many cool benefits to using Google Earth to find 3D building models. There’s easy access to a vast library of 3D models from around the world. You can view buildings from countless different angles and perspectives. And you get the opportunity to explore them, and the fine details involved, via a flexible virtual environment. 

 

There’s more. Bring 3d buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp and you’ll find SketchUp enhances 3D models from Google Earth by adding more detail and realism. You can add exciting textures and materials, and modify or customise models to suit a specific design project or satisfy your creative curiosity. When you combine models you can draw complicated multi-building designs quickly, beautifully, and convincingly. 

 

All this means you effectively spend less time doing more, and the results are stunning. This in turn makes it easier to get your ideas across, convince stakeholders, and get sign-off on your designs. 

 

Next, how to import Google Earth into SketchUp.  

Exporting 3D Buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp

So how do you export 3d buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp? Luckily it’s a simple process with just a few steps. Here’s a super-simple bulleted guide to exporting 3D models from Google Earth to work on, play with, and create from:

 

  • Open Google Earth

  • Find the 3D building you want to export into SketchUp 

  • Click on the File menu 

  • Select ‘Save Place As’

  • Choose the .kmz file format, the official Google Earth file extension 

  • Save the file to your computer

  • Open SketchUp

  • Click on the File menu

  • Choose ‘Import’ and pick your saved KMZ file

  • Follow the instructions to import the 3D model into SketchUp

How can you tell which are the best models to export? Go for models with a high level of detail, so you know for sure you get everything you need. Reject models with too much texture or loads of random detail you don’t need. And find a model offering accurate proportions and dimensions.

Is there anything to avoid? It’s best to steer clear of these when exporting from Google Earth to SketchUp. Don’t export models with missing or wrong textures. Reject complicated models that’ll be a challenge to work with. And avoid models whose dimensions or scale are wrong. 

Importing 3D Buildings from Google Earth into SketchUp

SketchUp is brilliant at importing 3D models from Google Earth, very useful when designing for a real-world location because it is so accurate. It gives you such a good 3D representation of buildings and the things surrounding them. The building itself is correct, as is the size and shape of the land it sits on, the terrain, trees, roads and everything else. 

Next, here’s a handy step-by-step guide to importing 3D models into SketchUp:

  • Open Google Earth 
  • Find the building you want to import into SketchUp
  • Use the navigation tools to place the camera so you’ve got a really good view of the building
  • Go to the menu bar then File > Save > Save Place As
  • Choose the file format.kmz
  • Save the file 
  • Open SketchUp 
  • Go to File > Import
  • Choose the .kmz file extension from the drop-down menu of file types 
  • Choose your saved .kmz file 
  • Click Import
  • Your imported 3D model is inside SketchUp, ready to work with 

Next in our guide about how to export Google Earth to SketchUp, how do you use imported models in your SketchUp projects? 

SketchUp puts the imported image on a layer of its own, which means it’s easy to turn on and off. You might want to scale it up or down for your project using the scale tool. It’s a simple task. 

Now you can use the imported model as a realistic reference to make your own 3D model of the building or simply use it as an inspiring starting point for creativity. As you can tell it’s a great way to save time and effort making things from scratch. 

There are some best practices to get to grips with when working with imported models in SketchUp. Always keep the imported model on a separate layer of its own, so you can turn it on and off easily. The scale tool is the simplest way to resize the model to suit your project. You can make the model simpler therefore easier to work on by stripping out all the unnecessary elements. This reduces the file size. It’s a good idea to group the imported model to make it easier to work with, splitting it into components. And you can have fun using materials and textures, both of which will make your work unique and add excitement to the finished design.

Tips and Tricks for Working with 3D Buildings in SketchUp

If you’ll be playing with 3D buildings in SketchUp, we have some expert tips to help you make the most of the tool. For a start, you’ve got a suite of top-class tools, all easy to use, which’ll help you modify it to suit your goals. 

You can use the Move tool to move, rotate, and scale your model in seconds. The Push/Pull tool is the best way to extrude or depress parts of your model in just a few clicks. The Eraser tool rubs out parts of the model you don’t want. And the Paint Bucket tool applies your colours and textures. 

We also have some amazing plugins for enhancing 3D models, taken from the enormous library of plugins designed to support SketchUp excellence. CleanUp3 identifies and removes any stray geometry you don’t need, delivering faster performance and smaller file sizes. The SketchUp plugin applies textures accurately even when your 3D surface is very complex. And Profile Builder 2 makes fantastic custom doors, windows, and other architectural elements in no time. 

How about our tips for Optimizing 3D Models for Rendering and Visualization? You can play with the Materials panel to add inspiring textures and colours. The Shadows panel cleverly changes the angle and intensity of sunlight for accurate shadows and shade. The Styles panel lets you make your own custom styles, and the Layers function is all about organising models, making them a lot easier to work on. 

Let’s get going!

So now you know how to export Google Earth to SketchUp. It makes the whole design experience faster, more enjoyable and more flexible, and enhances your creative life in so many ways. 

Take a look at the tutorials you can tap into to learn more and know how to do everything better, faster, and easier. 

If you’re not using it already, take a look at our guidance about SketchUp free versus SketchUp Pro. Which will suit you best? The Elmtec team has been supplying people like you with professional hardware and software for more than 25 years. We’re your one-stop shop for everything to do with SketchUp, including a huge store of knowledge, all the experience you can need, plus top-class support.   

What is 3D Rendering Software

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

A render is a digital version of a 2D or 3D model created by computer software. The resulting image can be hyper-realistic or not, depending on what you’ll be using it for. Real-Time Rendering is used for interactive graphics and gaming and creates images fast. Pre-Rendering is best when speed isn’t so important, usually best for photorealistic animation and visual effects. The images can be viewed by anyone without special hardware or software. 

How does 3D rendering software work? Modelling means making a computer model of an object. Layout involves placing objects in a scene.  And 3D rendering makes complex computer calculations based on light, surfaces and more to generate a stunning image in a process called rasterizing. 

3D graphics software was born in 1978 with a product called 3D Art Graphics, a set of 3D effects coded by Kazumasa Miyazawa for Apple. Today’s computers are so much more powerful, with  the processing power for exceptionally complex rendering. Here’s what you need to know about 3D rendering.  

Overview of 3D Buildings from Google Earth to SketchUp

A render is a digital version of a 2D or 3D model created by computer software. The resulting image can be hyper-realistic or not, depending on what you’ll be using it for. Real-Time Rendering is used for interactive graphics and gaming and creates images fast. Pre-Rendering is best when speed isn’t so important, usually best for photorealistic animation and visual effects. The images can be viewed by anyone without special hardware or software. 

How does 3D rendering software work? Modelling means making a computer model of an object. Layout involves placing objects in a scene.  And 3D rendering makes complex computer calculations based on light, surfaces and more to generate a stunning image in a process called rasterizing. 

3D graphics software was born in 1978 with a product called 3D Art Graphics, a set of 3D effects coded by Kazumasa Miyazawa for Apple. Today’s computers are so much more powerful, with  the processing power for exceptionally complex rendering. Here’s what you need to know about 3D rendering.   

Benefits of 3D Rendering Software for Your Business

So why is rendering software such a good idea? For a start, it makes visualisation so much more exciting, simply because the images you render are so perfect. They’re super-clear, lit realistically and incredibly life-like. Your clients and colleagues will know exactly where you’re coming from instantly because rendering makes it so much easier to get ideas across accurately in a way that inspires people.  

Rendering software saves time because you can quickly test different designs, making swift changes in real-time and showcasing the results so beautifully that there’s no risk of misunderstandings. It’s ideal for making fast virtual prototypes and test builds too, minimising the number of revisions you need to make along the way. And it’s great for automating the repetitive things you don’t want to spend time on: variations on the same design, generating multiple views of the same thing, setting how the natural light falls.   

The software also gives you enhanced design quality and accuracy. It makes intricate, precise designs and challenging ideas a lot easier to achieve, and faster. You’ll be able to design very high-quality products and deliver exceptional services, which means you’ll enjoy your work more.  And of course, saving all this time and effort ultimately saves money. 

Make every presentation an excellent one. Convince stakeholders faster. Improve your turnaround times. Be more competitive. It all happens when you’re doing a dazzlingly good job with 3D rendering tools. 

Use rendering software to simulate an infinite number of lighting conditions, bring every kind of environment to life, and make any material look real. The results are gasp-out-loud good, loved by everyone from animators to gaming designers, architects to landscape designers, and construction companies to engineers.  

Types of 3D Rendering Software

Is there more than one kind of photorealistic rendering software? It’s a yes. There are three sorts of 3d rendering tools to choose from, each with its own focus.    

Photorealistic rendering software gives you extremely realistic images and animations. Simulating real-world lighting and materials to perfection, this kind of rendering is mostly used by architects, product designers, and advertising agencies. 

Non-photorealistic rendering software is the best choice when you want to be more artistic, is used by designers working in animation, gaming and film. Paint with it, draw with it and much more – it lets you use all sorts of expressive styles.  

Real-time rendering software is perfect for making interactive and immersive visualisations in real time. Think video games, virtual and augmented reality, and the impressive walk-throughs used by architects. 

How to Choose the Right 3D Rendering Software for Your Business

It’s an exciting choice but how, exactly, do you make it? Like any business buying decision, you’ll begin by exploring your wants, needs and goals. What level of realism are you aiming for? What sort of projects do you work on at the moment? Will that change? If so, when? 

What do your clients and prospects expect? What are your closest competitors doing? Where do you want to be in five years’ time? What are your financial projections? And finally, what’s your budget? 

 

Next, find out as much as you can about your options. What are the features, benefits, capabilities and limits of the software you’re thinking about? Is there support for enough file types, how many rendering choices do you get, how easy is it to use, is there support and if so how good is it? Is there anything crucial you really need to do that it doesn’t do? 

 

It’s good to factor learning resources in as well. Does the software come with tutorials, videos, courses, documentation, and customer support? Will the provider help you get started? What sort of license will suit you best?   

 

Once you’ve bottomed all this out you’ll be in the perfect position to make the right decision: photoreal, non-photoreal, or real-time 3D animation.   

Inspired? Let’s go

Now you know what 3d rendering software is. It’ll save you time and money, and give you and your clients an inspiring way to explore designs, ideas, prototypes and creations. There’s a version to suit every kind of 3D design project. You design better and love the results more. 

If that sounds good, why not test-drive 3D rendering software for your business? Go to a provider you can trust and you’ll get so much more than a download. At Elmtec we have the SketchUp expertise you need to get up to speed fast, and we give you the support you need in getting the most out of the 3D rendering software you choose.

Time to play, Enscape vs V-Ray

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

Enscape vs. V-Ray 2023: An Architect's Guide to Real-Time Visualization

Enscape and V-Ray: Overview

In the world of architectural visualization, two powerful tools have emerged as favorites among professionals: Enscape and V-Ray. Both software solutions offer exceptional capabilities in creating stunning visual representations of architectural designs. In this blog post, we will compare Enscape and V-Ray 2023 to help architects and designers make an informed choice for their real-time visualization needs. Here to help us is an avid 3D modeler and renderer Henry from HBC Visual.

Henry has used Enscape for the last few years and loves the flexibility of the tool enabling him to create intricate designs like this.

So, where do we start?

 I guess it’s only right to start with the overall workflow and user interface as this what we see and use everyday!

Enscape and V-Ray 2023 differ significantly in terms of their user interfaces and workflow. Enscape focuses on simplicity and ease of use, with a user-friendly interface that allows quick setup and real-time rendering. It seamlessly integrates with popular design software such as Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD. V-Ray, on the other hand, offers a more robust and feature-rich interface, providing architects with fine-grained control over their rendering settings. V-Ray also supports a wide range of 3D modeling software, offering versatility and flexibility to professionals.

Henry, what's your take on both platforms?

I actually started my rendering journey with V-Ray, I think at the time it was in my eyes the best one out there and it really suited my projects needs. It’s a bit more of a complex layout I find and does take longer to pick it up but really offers some incredible detailing and high resolution images.

I found Enscape when I was looking for a real time rendering software a few years back for the team I worked with to learn how to use and was blown away by the simplicity of it. I had tried a few other software’s but Enscape seemed decent and the output was good. The user interface was easy to pick up and at the time the real-time rendering was a massive bonus!

Henry has used both V-Ray and Enscape over the years but now uses mainly Enscape for his SketchUp designs to go from 3D model to realistic render.

Enscape and V-Ray 2023 excel in real-time rendering, providing architects with the ability to visualize their designs instantly. Enscape’s real-time rendering capabilities are unparalleled, allowing architects to explore their models in a fully interactive virtual environment. With Enscape, changes made to the model are immediately reflected in the rendered scene, enabling efficient design iterations and faster decision-making. V-Ray 2023, while offering real-time rendering features, places a greater emphasis on photorealism and advanced rendering techniques. It provides extensive control over lighting, materials, and post-processing effects, enabling architects to create highly detailed and visually stunning renders.

I love the geometry displacement in V-Ray, it’s moved onto scatter now and some of those things I think wow if that could be in Enscape too, it would be amazing!

Enscape and V-Ray: Additional Features

Both Enscape and V-Ray 2023 deliver impressive rendering quality, but they have different approaches to achieving it. Enscape prioritizes real-time performance, resulting in slightly less accurate lighting and materials compared to V-Ray. However, Enscape compensates for this with its interactive capabilities, enabling architects to explore and present their designs in real-time walkthroughs, virtual reality (VR) experiences, and even virtual meetings. V-Ray, on the other hand, utilizes advanced rendering algorithms and physically-based lighting calculations to achieve unparalleled realism. It is often the preferred choice for architects and visualization experts who demand the highest level of accuracy and fidelity in their renders.

“I am yet to give real time rendering in V-Ray a go but I am curious, V-Ray has always been a great software to produce super high quality, photo realistic designs – I’ve heard the preview feature on V-Ray is a great addition to see your design in low-res before the full render” Henry

I have found Enscape to be much easier to pick up as a software and similar to use but it really depends on what you need to use it for, Enscape has been great for me for an interior designer.

When it comes to additional features and integration options, both Enscape and V-Ray 2023 offer powerful tools to enhance the architectural visualization process. Enscape’s simplicity extends to its plugin integration, seamlessly working within popular design software without the need for extensive configuration. It also provides a cloud-based collaboration platform, enabling architects to share and present their designs with clients and colleagues easily. V-Ray 2023, known for its extensive feature set, offers advanced capabilities such as global illumination, caustics, and subsurface scattering. It also integrates with various post-processing software, allowing architects to refine their renders further.

Enscape 3.5 launched recently with some incredible new features you can view here

So Enscape or V-Ray?

Choosing between Enscape and V-Ray 2023 depends on your specific requirements and preferences as an architect or designer. If real-time interactivity and ease of use are essential to your workflow, Enscape may be the ideal choice. Its seamless integration and instant visual feedback make it suitable for efficient design exploration and client presentations. On the other hand, if you prioritize photorealism and need fine-grained control over every aspect of rendering, V-Ray 2023 stands out as the industry-standard solution. Its advanced features and attention to detail make it a top choice for professionals seeking the highest level of rendering accuracy.

Ultimately, both Enscape and V-Ray 2023 are exceptional tools that can significantly enhance architectural visualization workflows. Exploring their respective capabilities, experimenting with trial versions

Thanks, Henry, for the great insight into your views from Enscape to V-Ray! Click below to follow him on Instagram!

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How to Save Image in V-ray in SketchUp

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

V-Ray is a popular plugin for 3D computer graphics software applications. It gives you one of the most exciting ways to render perfect visualisations of 2D and 3D models fast, in full photorealistic detail. Do you want to know how to save image in v-ray in SketchUp? Read on to find out the basics of V-Ray image saving, a step-by-step guide to saving images in V-Ray, and useful insight into the power of the V-Ray community. 

Understanding the Basics of V-Ray Image Saving

First, before you begin saving images in V-Ray, let’s explore the basics behind the software. V-Ray is a powerful rendering engine providing beautiful photorealistic results. Behind the scenes, the code harnesses various illumination algorithms like path tracing, photon mapping, irradiance mapping and directly computed global illumination to create real-feeling pictures and animations. 

Before you can save an image you’ll have to set up the scene, included the right level and type of lighting, choose your materials, and picked the perfect camera settings for the project. You can choose natural light or man-made light to create an infinite variety of lighting effects.

The tool displays the different scenarios you try as thumbnails, making it easy to apply them to your scene and decide which is the most suitable. Once all that’s in place and the render looks perfect, you simply save the image. To create an animation you join the separate frames created by the software together later to make an animated clip.

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Saving Images in V-Ray

What steps do you go through to save images in V-Ray in SketchUp? It’s nice and easy. ‘Save Image’ lets you set or change the File Path, and ‘File Path’ lets you choose the file location and type to save your V-Ray rendered image. The file types are png, bmp, tga, hdr, sgi, jpg, exr, pic, tif, and vrimg, letting you save the image in different formats. Bear in mind the File Type option is only available once you’ve set a valid File Path. 

How do you set up the scene and adjust the settings?  Scenes let you save different views of a model and switch between them. Import a SketchUp model into LayOut and the scenes you’ve created are ready for you to use, good news when you want to show the views in a LayOut document. To change the view to a scene from a model, select the SketchUp model in the drawing area, open it, select the scene name from the drop-down list in the Viewport area, and choose a scene name from the Scenes drop-down list. 

Adjust your perspective and scale in Perspective view, where the model isn’t to scale. Switch to Parallel Projection view, displaying something called an ‘orthographic view’. This is where you set a scale for your model, inside LayOut. Choose your model entity from the drawing area. Open SketchUp’s Model panel. Click the Ortho button or context-click the entity and de-select the Perspective option from the context menu. Once your model entity view is orthographic, you can choose your scale options. Choose or type in the scale you want, or add your own custom scale to the pre-set choices. 

When you need the model to stay at a constant size, choose ‘Preserve Scale’ in the Resize checkbox. Simply re-select it to resize the model to your bounding box.

Next, some handy tips and tricks. First, think about your model’s orientation, which affects how realistic your lighting will look. Models need to be properly aligned, and you’ll also need to make sure you’ve chosen the right light source.

The fine details matter a lot. Spend time pinning them all down. Gaps between boards, for example, can cause havoc because V-Ray is so powerful it renders absolutely everything, even the smallest details. Remove anything unnecessary but keep important detailing. 

Tidy and clean things up with model optimisation before using V-Ray. This removes any unnecessary details that’ll otherwise slow the render process down. If an element of your design doesn’t serve a genuine purpose, take it out. 

Name your materials in SketchUp so you’ll remember them. Otherwise assigning materials to a design can get pretty confusing. Be specific and name them in a way that means you can’t get them mixed up. ‘1’, ’2’ and ‘3’ are a lot less memorable than ‘green tiles’, ‘grey slates’ and ‘blue mosaic’, for example. 

Join the Community: V-Ray Forum and Videos

Other users are one of your best V-Ray resources. And that means the V-Ray forum and V-Ray videos are excellent destinations. The forum is a large and enthusiastic community of users who share their experiences and knowledge about how they use V-Ray. You can ask questions, share your designs, and request feedback from other people who use the tool. There are also plenty of clear video tutorials to tap into, easy to follow and fun to discover, plus expert tips for making the most of V-Ray. 

At Elmtec we have more than a quarter of a century’s experience, making us one of the best-loved distributors of hardware and software for professionals across a wide variety of sectors. You can trust us, as your digital distribution partner, to do the right thing in every circumstance, so come to us for your V-Ray and SketchUp downloads. 

Our specialist team is made up of highly qualified people, perfect when you want the best product knowledge, the widest industry experience, and the best support.  

Now you know how to use V-Ray for SketchUp...

If you’ve been inspired by this article, it’s time to have a go at V-Ray for yourself.  If you haven’t even tried SketchUp itself yet, you’re in for a real treat. You can either start with a free trial of SketchUp or dive right in and go for SketchUp Pro, packed with brilliant functionality to bring your design ideas to sparkling life.

What Software Do You Need for 3D Printing: A Guide to Choosing the Right Tools

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

3D printing gives designers an inspiring way to make quick prototypes, improve their designs, make exceptional presentations, and create beautiful and useful objects.  To make the most of the 3d revolution, it’s good to know how it works. So how do you get the software to 3d print? What is 3d printing software? And what CAD software for 3d printing should you choose? This guide reveals all about the software you need to make ‘amazing’ happen. By the end of it, you’ll know what’s what, and you’ll be empowered to make the best decisions. 

What Software Do You Need for 3D Printing?

First, how do you get the software to 3d print?  There are three different tools to take into account to get started with 3D printing. For a start, you’ll need 3D modelling software to design a printable 3D model of the object you want to make. There are plenty of choices and the top choices are Autodesk Fusion 360, SketchUp, Tinkercad, and Blender.

You’ll also need some good slicing software, which digitally slices up your object into incredibly thin layers for the 3D printer. It outputs clear instructions for the printer to follow, printing out the object layer by layer. The most popular are Cura, PrusaSlicer, Simplify3D, and Slic3r.

 

Printer control software is the third part of the equation, the thing that controls your 3D print machine and its settings. You use it to upload sliced print-ready files, change the print settings, and keep an eye on the job’s progress. You might want to take a look at Repetier-Host, OctoPrint, or Pronterface, all popular options. 

3D Modeling Software for 3D Printing

There are some choices to make around 3D modelling software, so let’s look at a few of the best.

Autodesk Fusion 360

Created for professionals, Autodesk Fusion 360 is just as good for beginners. A feature-rich quality tool, it includes the varied features you need for designing printable 3D models. You’ll be able to use parametric design, sculpting, mesh editing and more to get great results. The software is free for startups making less than $100,000 a year and free for individuals.

SketchUp

SketchUp is a famously user-friendly and very popular 3D modelling software tool. Because it’s so easy to learn it’s a top choice for beginners as well as widely used by professionals, particularly in architecture, interior design, and garden design. The software comes with excellent 3D printing capabilities and a free version so you can experience it for yourself. The Pro version takes the imagination to new levels with more advanced features.

Tinkercad

Tinkercad is another freebie, a popular 3D modelling software loved by beginners. As well as being simple to use, it offers a suite of essential tools for creating basic 3D models. While it’s not as feature-rich as some it’ll make your first 3D modelling and printing experiments nice and easy, a good place to start.  

Blender

Blender is a free 3d modelling tool. Designed for more experienced users and packed with features, this one is a particular favourite with designers in the animation and special effects sectors. It comes with excellent advanced 3D printing capabilities, making it ideal for designing and printing complicated 3D models.

Slicing Software for 3D Printing

Now you’ve made your 3D model, it’s time to virtually slice it into thin layers for the print machine to output one by one. Here are some of the best-loved tools for the job.

PrusaSlicer

PrusaSlicer is open-source and free for everyone to use. It’s designed specially to suit Prusa 3D printers so if yours isn’t a Prusa, it might not be the best choice. It provides you with advanced features to tailor the print settings to your project, supporting several extruders as well as advanced support structures.

Simplify3D

Simplify3D is a premium choice loved by 3D printing fans. This slicing software comes with cool advanced features for custom print settings and optimising the results, supporting a variety of extruders and custom support structures. Simplify’s detailed print previews are great. 

Slic3r

Slic3r is a simple free tool with a variety of features for customising print settings. Supporting a choice of extruders and advanced support structures, beginners find it easy, and quick to learn. 

Printer Control Software for 3D Printing

How do you control your 3D printer and manage printing tasks? What is 3d printing software? It’s all about printer control, and we’re happy to recommend these. 

OctoPrint

OctoPrint is free and designed to work with a variety of 3D print machines. You can upload sliced files, monitor print projects and change the print settings remotely, a handy option when you’re working on the move. 

Repetier-Host

Repetier-Host is free as well, designed to work with a range of machines. With all the functions you need, it’s particularly good for people wanting a simple, easy-to-use tool.  

Pronterface

Pronterface is also free, works with multiple machines, and lets you do all the 3D printing essentials. It’s particularly popular with people wanting clear, simple printer control. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to use all three types of software for 3D printing?

Yes. Every 3D print project involves making a 3D model, slicing the finished model up for printing, and then managing the print process itself.

Can I use different software for each step of the process?

Yes. As long as they’re compatible with each other and work together without any problems, it’s fine to use different software for each 3D printing step.

Can I use free software for 3D printing?

A: Yes, and there’s a choice of tools for the three stages of the job: great 3D modelling software tools, slicing tools, and 3D printer control software.

Time to give it a go

Now you know what’s what. Whatever you’re printing you need a design tool to design the item, a slicer that prepares it and tells the printer what to do, and a way to control the printer and print settings. What CAD software for 3d printing you use is your choice. You might want to test drive a few of them to see which feels best and most suits your skill level. Your final task? To design, prepare and print a brilliant 3D object from start to finish. You’re going to love it! 

Why upgrade from SketchUp Pro > SketchUp Studio?

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

SketchUp is a 3D modelling software that is widely used by architects, engineers, designers, and hobbyists. SketchUp Pro has been the go-to version of the software for many years, but recently it has upgraded its deluxe version called SketchUp Studio. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of upgrading from SketchUp Pro to SketchUp Studio.

Enhanced Features and Tools

SketchUp Studio offers a wide range of enhanced features and tools that are not available in SketchUp Pro. For example, Studio includes the ability to generate reports, import and export data in various formats, and collaborate in real-time with other users. It also includes the Trimble Connect extension, which allows users to access cloud-based storage and collaborate with other users in real-time.

More Plugins and Extensions

SketchUp Studio also comes with more plugins and extensions than SketchUp Pro. The Studio version includes a suite of extensions that are designed to help users streamline their workflow and increase productivity. For example, Scan Essentials provides the ability to import, view and interact with point cloud data in the SketchUp modelling environment, while the V-Ray plugin can be used to create photorealistic renderings.

Improved Customer Support

SketchUp Studio users also benefit from improved customer support. Users can access a dedicated support team that is available to answer questions and provide assistance with the software. This can be particularly helpful for users who are new to the software or who need help troubleshooting issues.

More Cost-Effective

While SketchUp Studio is more expensive than SketchUp Pro, it is still a more cost-effective option for users who need access to the additional features and tools that come with the Studio version. For example, purchasing a SketchUp Pro licence and several extensions can be more expensive than purchasing a SketchUp Studio licence, which includes all of these features and tools.

Future-Proof

Finally, upgrading to SketchUp Studio is a future-proof investment. As technology continues to evolve, software updates and new features will be introduced. By upgrading to SketchUp Studio, users can ensure that they have access to the latest and greatest features and tools as they become available.

In conclusion, upgrading from SketchUp Pro to SketchUp Studio offers many benefits for users who require enhanced features, improved customer support, and a more cost-effective solution. With access to more plugins and extensions, real-time collaboration features, and a dedicated support team, SketchUp Studio is the ideal choice for users who want to take their 3D modelling to the next level.

How to Draw 3D Garden Design: A Step-by-Step Guide

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

So you’re inspired by the great outdoors, and keen to create a stunning garden design to enhance your own living space, a client’s outdoor area, or a project for college. How to Draw 3D Garden Design? You’re about to enter the exciting world of SketchUp, a place where drawing is fluid, fast and intuitive and the results are awe-inspiringly real. Whatever your background or skills, SketchUp will bring your garden ideas to vivid life. This simple guide reveals all about the process of drawing a stunning 3D garden design quickly and enjoyably. Read on to discover how to pick the right tools within SketchUp, create a garden layout, add plants and textures, and fine-tune your work. 

 

Choosing the Right Tools for Your Garden Design

Your first step into garden design with SketchUp is choosing the right tools: the right software, extensions, plugins and shortcuts. First of all, you need the software itself, so go download it from the official site. There’s a free version that’s feature-rich and fun to use, a great way to experiment without spending a penny. Or you can dive right in and test-drive the Pro version, which is packed with every exciting feature you can imagine. 

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to explore the plugins side of SketchUp life. There are lots of excellent SketchUp Garden Design Plugins to use, available in the famous  SketchUp Extension Warehouse and providing exciting capabilities. 

Skatter, for example, is SketchUp’s most powerful scattering extension, a tool that’ll render enormous amounts of greenery fast, automate any repetitive changes and load more, all inside SketchUp itself. VRay is exceptional rendering software loved by architects and exterior designers, giving you hyper-real results that look amazing. And Enscape is a render plugin loved for unifying the modelling and visualisation processes into one for high-quality visualisations without having to stop the flow. They’re just three of the best, there are many more to discover. 

Next in our guide to how to Draw 3D Garden Design, there are some cool Keyboard Shortcuts to play with. Learn them and you’ll save even more time – and be even more productive. You can use the M key, for example, to pick the rectangle tool, P for the pencil, and click Spacebar to hop between the Select tool and the last tool you used. All this makes your design life flow smoothly and intuitively. It won’t be long before you can design as fast as your imagination, and that’s where the real magic begins! 

Creating the Layout of Your Garden Design

Now you’re ready to start drawing. The first step is to make a basic garden design layout to work on. So first of all, draw the garden’s outline using your rectangle tool, and use the push and pull tool to turn the outline into a 3D space. The different sections of the garden are created with the line tool, the perfect way to make instant boundaries which you can also extrude to make different levels, things like a patio, a lawn, and beds. You’ll achieve the basics in no time at all but you might want to spend time experimenting with this stage until you become fluid and fully confident.  

Adding Plants and Textures to Your Garden Design

Simply creating your basic garden layout will give you the insights you need to take things to the next stage. So next, start placing plants and adding textures to bring the drawing to life. Again it’s remarkably easy and once you’ve sussed out how it works, you’ll be delighted by what you can achieve. 

Use the paint bucket tool to place attractive textures on the surfaces. Maybe you’ve sketched out a dividing wall and you’d like to see what it looks like made from natural sandstone, brick, or wood. It’s easy to change and evaluate textures and there are so many to choose from. If you prefer you can easily edit and manipulate them to create textures of your own. 

There’s a wealth of pre-made textures in the SketchUp Extension Warehouse, including a huge range of plants and grass styles, along with brilliant plant libraries to download, install and play with. To add a single plant or a group of them to your garden design, use the Place Component tool for instant ‘wow’.  

Fine-Tuning Your Garden Design

The structure’s there, you’ve added plants and textures, and now you’re ready to fine-tune the design, adding the sparkle that makes SketchUp garden design so special.  At this stage how to Draw 3D Garden Design is all about making things as realistic as you can to delight your clients, colleagues, lecturers, and any other stakeholders. 

The Shadow Settings tool is a brilliant way to change the direction and intensity of the shadows that fall in the space you’ve designed and do it realistically. It gives you a reliable way to check the design doesn’t accidentally create chilly areas that are always in shadow, places where the light can’t reach. 

The Styles tool is another cool one, making it easy to change the overall look and feel of your work, either using a choice of excellent pre-set styles or creating your custom styles. Each predefined style is a collection of specific settings that define a drawing’s edges, faces, and backgrounds.

The Walkthrough tool gives you an exciting virtual tour of your garden design, a really good way to check everything as it should be and you haven’t missed anything important.  

Frequently Asked Questions:

Lastly, let’s answer some of people’s most popular 3d garden design questions. 

How long does it take to learn SketchUp for garden design?

It depends on your level of experience, as well as how complicated the design is. If it’s a relatively simple design and you’re good at picking up new knowledge, you should be able to draw it quickly. Give it a few weeks of practice and you’ll be fluent and fluid, able to create complex exterior designs quickly and with confidence.

Can I import my plant models into SketchUp?

Of course. It’s such a flexible tool, built to let your imagination run free. Importing your models into SketchUp is easy. You just create a plant model, for example, in 3D, save it as a compatible .skp or .3ds file, and then import it to SketchUp to use in your design.

Is SketchUp easy to use for beginners?

Like any detailed tool, it takes time to get to grips with SketchUp. The learning process is great fun and there are plenty of really good learning resources and tutorials to tap into. You’ll learn fast, enjoy the process, and be impressed by the quality of your results.

How to Draw 3D Garden Design - Wrapping it all up

You’d love to explore a powerful tool that helps professionals in your sector make attractive, real-looking 3D garden designs. SketchUp is perfect for the job. The output is impressive, beautiful, detailed and convincing, which is exactly what you need to bring your ideas to life. Pick the right tools, make a realistic garden layout, add convincing plants, bring textures to the party, fine-tune it all and there you go. It is that simple. No wonder SketchUp is such a popular garden design tool. 

How to Activate Enscape in SketchUp

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

SketchUp 3D modelling software sits at the heart of a world of wonderful work by designers, architects and engineers. It’s also simple enough for everyone to learn, feature-rich and flexible, and lets you design and model absolutely anything. Real-time rendering and visualisation are an important part of the story, and Enscape is a top choice of software for the job. This article reveals all about how to activate Enscape in SketchUp and bring an exciting new dimension to your design life. 

How to Activate Enscape in SketchUp

Installing Enscape in SketchUp

Your first task is to install a plugin to activate Enscape in SketchUp. It’s very easy: 

  • Go into SketchUp 
  • Find the Extensions menu
  • Click on Extension Warehouse
  • Use the search box to find Enscape
  • Click Install to download the plugin
  • Follow the usual steps for downloading
  • Click the install button
  • When it’s installed, restart SketchUp and Enscape will pop up in the toolbar 

Activating Enscape in SketchUp

After installing Enscape in SketchUp it’s time to activate the software, another simple job: 

  • Go into SketchUp 
  • Find the Extensions menu
  • Click on Enscape
  • Click License
  • Enter your license key code
  • Click Activate License
  • That’s it. Enscape is activated in SketchUp

Using Enscape in SketchUp

Enscape is activated in SketchUp and you’re ready to go. Here’s what you do: 

  • Go into SketchUp
  • Make a 3D model 
  • Click the Enscape button in the  toolbar
  • Enscape opens in a new window
  • Rendering and visualise your 3D model in real-time, customising Enscape’s settings via the   Settings button in the Enscape window

Enscape for SketchUp Frequently Asked Questions:

How much does Enscape cost?

Enscape has a choice of pricing plans from £33.90 a month for a single user, and there’s a free 14-day trial. Check out the Enscape website for more information about pricing.

Can I use Enscape with SketchUp for free?

Enscape doesn’t work with SketchUp free. It works with SketchUp Pro and SketchUp Studio because they have the extra features and capabilities needed.

Can I use Enscape with other 3D modelling software?

You can use Enscape with other modelling tools including Revit, Rhino, and ArchiCAD.

What you’ll get from Enscape

Now you know how to activate Enscape in SketchUp. It’s time to experience its real-time visualisations and fully rendered 3D walkthroughs for yourself, from every angle. You get a bi-directional geometry exchange between your CAD or BIM and the renderer. NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling improves walkthrough performance. 

There’s breathtaking virtual reality for your stakeholders to walk or fly through. You get fast  topography and speedy geometry imports in Site Context mode, complete with real-world context. You can change the cloud settings and more with Enscape, the power behind truly inspiring 3D models and visualisations. When you want to convince the people who matter it’s a top tool. When you want to see how your designs will look in reality, it’s essential. 

Enscape is just one of countless inspirational plugins and extensions. Between them they enhance your SketchUp experience by speeding it up, improving the flow, firing your creativity, and making it easy to communicate your ideas. Get designing with SketchUp, get real with Enscape, and learn how to make the most of the experience with a huge collection of learning resources, videos, and tutorials.

Blender vs SketchUp – Which is the Better 3D Modelling Software For Woodworking?

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

It’s exciting choosing the right software tool for the job – but it can also be baffling. Here’s an important question for you: which is best, Blender vs SketchUp for making woodwork plans? This article gives you the insight you need to make the best decision for your circumstances. By the end of this expert guide, you’ll know what both of them do, and you’ll understand how they compare with one another in terms of their capabilities and features. 

The first thing to say is that SketchUp and Blender are very different. Blender is created mainly for 3D video and game animation, and SketchUp is mainly used by people like architects, interior designers, woodworkers, builders and garden designers. Read on to become your Blender vs SketchUp expert – and bring your designs and drawings to sparkling life. Let’s go.

Benefits of Using Blender

Blender provides brilliant advanced 3D modelling capabilities, being really powerful 3D modelling software containing an exciting collection of tools and features. It’s great for creating complex models and scenes and includes cool tools for creating beautiful animations and exciting special effects. This means it’s a popular choice for people working in animation, VFX artists, and game developers.

 

It provides support for a host of file formats, which means it’s simple to import and export files from other software, including SketchUp. And because it’s Open Source – in other words, free for anyone to use – it comes with a big, friendly and accessible community of experts to tap into. This also means the tool is constantly updated and improved by dedicated volunteer developers. The capabilities and features are always evolving, so the experience is always fresh, and there are plenty of handy resources and support to help you learn and grow. 

 

Blender supports the 3D pipeline from end to end with modelling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, video editing and game creation. Advanced users use the software’s API for Python scripting for application customisation and creating special tools. The software is ideal for individuals and small studios. Because it operates cross-platform you can run it on a Linux, Windows, or Mac machine – and the OpenGL interface means the  experience is both smooth and consistent. 

Benefits of Using SketchUp

SketchUp is known and loved for being super-easy to use and exceptionally user-friendly, great for beginners with all the functionality needed by professionals. It’s extremely simple to navigate, with easy-to-use tools and a smooth, streamlined workflow that’s brilliant for collaboration. All this means it is perfect for architectural modelling and visualisation, woodwork, construction, landscaping and exterior design, the go-to software for making convincing, beautiful 3D models of buildings and interior spaces as well as outdoor projects. 

As far as visualising and presenting design concepts is concerned, SketchUp is excellent. The realistic drawings you create help convince clients and other stakeholders, saving time and hassle. It comes with an enormous choice of cool plugins and extensions to enhance its capabilities. And there’s an equally extensive choice of tutorials and video guides to tap into, to learn faster and use the tool even more flexibly and creatively. 

 The result of all this is a premier quality 3D design tool that delivers exciting 3D modelling for everyone, thanks to simple, robust tools that enable infinite creativity. It’s a popular choice for architects and interior designers, industrial and product designers, landscape architects, civil and mechanical engineers, and people working in theatre design, movies, and game development. You design in 3d, create accurate documents in 2d, and your working life isn’t just easier, it’s more flexible and more fun. 

Last but not least SketchUp comes with easy collaboration at its heart, a seamless way to create, manage, share, discuss, and perfect design projects of every kind. 

Blender vs SketchUp – Which is Right for You?

So what drives your decision? SketchUp is more about textures and lighting effects, with the ability to create great animations and 2D technical drawings. There’s an intuitive vector drawing, plus precision rotating and scaling, and in general, it’s super-easy and fast to learn.  

Blender offers more features but it’s a bit more of a challenge to learn if you’re a beginner. The tools are focused more towards animation and video games and it comes with a High-End Production Path Tracer, camera, and object motion tracking plus great simulation tools and excellent GPU rendering for animation. It also provides top-class sculpting and fast modelling, and the user interface is customisable. 

Blender is free with some paid options. There’s also a free version of SketchUp as well as paid options. And SketchUp offers different versions. As well as SketchUp Free there’s SketchUp for Schools and the most flexible and feature-rich of all, SketchUp Pro. 

SketchUp comes with an enormous collection of free pre-made models to download and use, held in their famous 3D Warehouse, plus amazing educational resources and tutorials of every kind. These, and SketchUp’s plugins and extensions come with no charge.  Blender plug-ins are called add-ons, found in Blender Market, and many are paid for, not free.  

SketchUp includes cloud storage via Trimble Connect, but Blender does not. SketchUp modelling is unusually intuitive thanks to the push and pulls tools, and it is at heart a 3D programme that can be used for 2D blueprints, and for importing 2D blueprints to convert to 3D. You can organise models into layers and arrange objects and groups hierarchically, perfect for woodworkers. 

SketchUp offers amazing rendering in photo-realistic settings, and you can place models on Google Earth to see how they work in context. Blender enables organic modelling, hard surface modelling, low-poly modelling, polygonal modelling, sculpting, curves, and surface modelling via two rendering engines. It’s easy to add backgrounds, pre-made materials, shadows, textures, and light. While it is a 3D modelling program it’s also good for 2D animation, storyboarding, and 2.5D effects.

For 3D animators Blender lets you rig characters, build loop animations, and animate entire stories. Simulations, where you work with complicated materials like fire and water, are easy to achieve within the 3D space.

Overall, while SketchUp is focused on larger businesses Blender is excellent for small businesses and freelancers. While SketchUp is available for Windows and Mac, Blender is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. 

Now you can see the way to make the best choice around Blender vs SketchUp for making woodwork plans. In conclusion, when you want a fast and easy learning curve and intend to use the tool for woodworking, SketchUp might be the best option. If you’re an experienced animator Blender might be your favoured tool, harder to learn in the first place but potentially better for your kind of work. 

At the end of the day, it’s a good idea to test-drive them both for yourself, and see which suits you best. You can get the free version of SketchUp here. 

3D Printing Software for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on by Charlotte Lee

You’re keen to discover the magic of 3D printing – but you have some questions. Is there such a thing as 3d printing software for beginners?  If so, what are the choices, and how easy are they to use? This article dives right into the world of 3D printing design software for beginners, giving you the information you need and explaining how to choose the perfect tool for your situation. Read on, find out all about it, and you’ll be ready to set off on an exciting journey of discovery. Whether you’re a pro designer or a newbie, whatever sector you happen to work in, here’s where your design world gets even more interesting. 

The Basics of 3D Printing Software for Beginners

First in our guide to 3d printing software for beginners, free or paid-for, let’s nail down the basics. To print 3D models you need two things: software and hardware. Your 3D print machine represents the hardware side of things and, like all hardware, it won’t work without software to control and run it.  

What is 3D Modelling?

Next, let’s define 3D modelling. 3D modelling is used widely in all sorts of industries including animation, gaming, architecture, garden design, and actual 3D printing. It simply means drawing accurate, realistic three-dimensional digital representations of objects. It’s done using specialist software that gives you the capacity to not just draw in 2d but create remarkable life-like 3d versions. These in turn translate into models that can be printed in three dimensions by specialist print machines using molten plastics to print an object in slices, layer by layer. 

Different Types of 3D Printing Software for Beginners

3D printing software comes with all sorts of different features and capabilities. If you’d like to test drive free 3d printing software for beginners, you might like to give Tinkercad a try. It’s really good for beginners to 3D printing, a no-cost web-based 3D modelling tool that’s super simple to get the hang of with a variety of tools and features, ideal for everyone from school age to professional designers. Used by more than 50 million people, it’s a good starting point. 

Fusion 360 takes things a bit further with more advanced 3D modelling capabilities, making it a popular choice with professionals. This also means there’s more to learn but the learning curve is well worth conquering thanks to cool features like convincing parametric modelling, impressive simulation, and awe-inspiring rendering. Fusion 360 is cloud-based. As well as handling  3D modelling it’s an excellent CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB platform for professional product design and manufacturing. You can use it to design, engineer and create more or less anything thanks to the tool’s exceptional electronics and PCB design capabilities. 

 

Blender enables the whole 3D pipeline right from the earliest modelling, rigging and animation stages through to simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, video editing and game creation. Blender is also free to use, frequently chosen by artists and animators because of its sheer versatility and large collection of excellent tools and features. It’s naturally a bit more challenging for beginners but if you’re used to learning new software, you should enjoy experimenting with it. 

Choosing the Right 3D Printing Software for Beginners

So how, exactly, do you make the best choice for the things you want to print in 3D? If you’ve never used 3D printing software before, it makes sense to choose the tool that’s the easiest of all to use. You can always go for more feature-rich and complex software once you’ve learned the bare basics. 

Cost is always an issue, which means no-cost programs are a popular choice for beginners. Some are completely free, and others cost quite a lot, making them an investment you won’t want to make until you’re confident it’s the right tool for you. Experiment first, pay second. 

 

Think about the features you need. You might not know what’s best for you until you give a few different tools a try. If you know exactly what you need, invest time in figuring out which package gives you the things you need most. It’ll depend on what you want to use the tool for. Just make sure it’s compatible with the 3D printer you’ll be using, and works properly on your machine’s operating system.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need 3D modelling experience to use 3D printing software for beginners?

Luckily there are some wonderfully simple and intuitive 3D modelling software choices that you should be able to get to grips with quickly. Take Tinkercad, for example, designed with easy use in mind and popular with schools as well as professional designers.

Can I use any 3D printing software with my 3D printer?

You’ll need to make sure the tool you choose is compatible with the 3D printer you’ll be using. Some are designed for a specific printer brand or type and don’t work with all 3D pint machines.

How long does it take to learn 3D printing software for beginners?

It depends. If you’re used to learning new tools you’ll learn faster than if you have no experience in learning new software. If it’s a complicated program it’ll take longer to get to grips with than a simpler alternative. Some are very easy, like Tinkercad, and take a few hours to learn. Others, including Fusion 360 with its advanced features, may take you longer to become fluent.

Are there any free 3D printing software programs for beginners?

Tinkercad and Blender are just two of many free 3D printing software programs available, both worth testing to see if they suit your kind of project.

Time to experiment...

Now you know you can get free 3d printing software for beginners, it’s time to test-drive 3d print software for yourself. Before long you’ll be confident in bringing your designs to dramatic 3D life, fluent in 3d printing design software for beginners and ready to take your knowledge to the next stage. Pick the right tools, dedicate some time to learning and the amazing world of 3D printing is open to you. We hope you enjoy the learning process that transforms drawings into beautiful three-dimensional life. 

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