IRender Tutorial - Getting Started
This IRender Tutorial will take you through the basic steps of
Render nXt
's
IRender
rendering engine.
Downloads and Installation
There is a 30 day Trial Version for RPS products. This is a fully functional version, with watermarks or other text added to indicate that it is a trial version.
Follow the links on the Downloads Page to download the latest version.
Start SketchUp
When SketchUp starts,
- Click "IRender_nXt load" from the Plugins menu.
The IRender_nXt should appear:
-
If it does not appear, go to "View" on the "Toolbars" menu and make sure the IRender_nXt (or IRender_lite, if applicable) toolbars are checked.
Do a test rendering
With a very small drawing, or just "Bryce" in the empty drawing, click the "Render" icon.
- Render - starts a new ray trace of your current model and settings.
This will load the Rendering Settings dialog.
For now, ignore the settings and click Start Rendering
This should create a rendering of your drawing.
- (It will not be very exciting because there are no lights or reflections.
Step 1 - Get Basic Room
- Click Open Sample Models (
) to bring up the 'Load Sample Drawing' dialog.
- Pick 'Room-Tutorial.skp'.
- Click Render (
) to render the room.
Step 2: Make the floor reflective
- Right click on the floor and select
Edit Material
.
- In the 'Reflection and Highlight' box, slide the 'Intensity' slider to 0.75.
- Click OK
- Render again. (
)
Step 3 - Adding a mirror
Create Mirror will create a mirror component for you to place in the drawing.
- Select the Create Mirror Component icon: (
)
- Set the 'Reflection' slider to 95%.
- Click Create and Place to place the mirror in your drawing.
- Render the model.
Add mirrors to the drawing
Ray Trace image with mirrors
For more information on reflective materials, see the
Reflection Tutorial
.
Adding lights
IRender works with
- Standard SketchUp lights.
- Custom light fixtures created with the Light Fixture Wizard
- In addition, you can make your own lights by placing lamps in these or other components.
Step 4 - Create table & floor lamps
First, add a table lamp:
- Click the Create Light Fixture icon (
). The 'Light Fixtures' dialog will appear.
- Select the 'Table' tab to create a table lamp.
- On this tab, you can set the type and color of the shade and base, the physical dimensions of your lamp and its parts, and the intensity and color of the light emitted.
- In the 'Component Placement Mode' box, select 'Single'.
- Click Create Lamp to create the lamp component and place it in your model.
Now to add a floor lamp:
- Open the 'Light Fixtures' dialog again and select the 'Floor' tab.
- Here you can customize the lamp, as with the table lamp.
- Select single placement mode, click Create Lamp, and place a floor lamp.
- Render again. (
)
Rendering with Lights
Step 5 - Create Spot and Point lights
To make it easier to see the spotlight and point light we are about to place, delete the lamps from step 4.
First, we will create a spotlight:
- Open the 'Light Fixtures' dialog again and select the 'Spot' tab.
- Set 'Lamp Length' to 60 degrees. This will make it easier to see where the spotlight is pointed.
- Click Color and change the color to yellow. This will distinguish light cast by the spotlight from the point light.
- Click Create Lamp and place the spotlight on the side wall.
Next, make a point light:
- Open the 'Light Fixtures' dialog again and select the 'Point' tab.
- Click Color and change the color to white.
- Click Create Lamp and place the point light on the side wall, away from the spotlight.
- Render again. (
)
Spotlight and point light
Spotlight and point light effect
Step 6 - Aim the spotlight
Aiming the lamp.
- To aim a lamp, right click on a lamp, and select IRender:: Aim Lamp
- The lamp will automatically point at the cursor position.
- Snap the cursor to a face, edge, etc. at which you want to point the lamp.
- Click the left mouse button to point the lamp, or click escape to stop the operation.
- Render to see the effect of the aimed lamp.
Step 7. - Create a ceiling light
- Add a ceiling and a left hand wall.
- Open the 'Light Fixtures' dialog again and select the 'Ceiling' tab.
- Click Create Lamp and place the rectangular light on the ceiling.
- Render again. (
)
Adding a ceiling light
Raytrace of ceiling light
Summary
This tutorial showed you how to add reflection and lights to a SketchUp model.
You can improve the final result by adding additional lights, placing a material on the walls, etc.
See the other tutorials below for more information on reflection and lights.
Documentation, Help and Forums
Video Tutorials
IRender Tutorials
- click to see other Tutorials
Documentation
Help Systems
-
IRender reference guides
Help
Forums
Forum Support
For additional support, visit the IRender nXt Forum
If you have any questions, post them on the Forum, or just visit to see what others have to say.
Video Tutorials
Video Tutorials
See also
External links
