Rendering in SketchUp: From Modeling to Presentation for Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design

Backgrounds/Backdrops

Using the IRP settings to insert backgrounds or render HDRIs is useful, but does not always provide an accurate appearance. Adding custom backgrounds during postproduction will give you greater control over the backdrop look.

To execute this method, you’ll need background and backdrop images. A search for panoramic, backgrounds, and skies on CG Textures.com will yield some results. Many IRP websites include background image downloads.

There are two approaches to including backdrops, depending on whether the scene is exterior or interior.

Exteriors

Exteriors benefit from skies, cities, and neighborhood backgrounds. The biggest challenge can be masking out the original sky of rendering. Rendered trees inevitably are in the selection causing the tree edges (where they meet the sky) to overly dither when masked, distorting their appearance once a background is inserted. In those cases, use a path (Pen tool) and take the time to remove the sky with precession while considering the effect on tree edges.

1. Create a duplicate layer of the rendering. Turn the original render off.

2. Mask/select the sky/background on the duplicate render layer and delete it (Fig. 32.15).

3. Insert the background image behind the layer (Fig. 32.16).

4. Scale and move the image to fit.

5. Match and color-correct the background. For many sky images, adjust the Hue/Saturation; desaturating and lightening the image usually works well (Fig. 32.17).

6. Add haze to the image (Fig. 32.18 ...