Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
About the same time I was taking part in the Te Wero bridge compe-
tition, a friend of mine, Lewis Wadsworth, was playing around with
SketchUp's Fog function and managed to find a way to output depth-
maps straight from SketchUp.
A depthmap is an image that uses grayscale values to show which
areas in our model are closer to us (white) and which are more distant
(black). It can be used to give focal blurring to super-crisp, computer-
generated images. The resulting images have a DOF closer to what we
actually see in reality.
How to create depthmaps in SketchUp:
1.
Create a new scene with only two properties checked: Style and
Fog, and Shadow Setting. With this scene, you can turn any other
scenes into depthmaps instantly. View any scene first and then
click this scene tab.
2.
Open the Styles Browser to Fog and Shadow Settings. Set
parameters as shown in the following:
The important parameters are
Shadow Settings: Dark must be all the way - or nearly all the way -
to the right. Check Use Sun for Shading.
Fog: Check Display Fog. The right setting for Distance varies
from image to image, so play around with sliders. Do not use a
Background Color; specify black for it.
Styles Browser: Turn all edges off. Both Front and Back Colors are
white in Face Settings; select Display Shaded Using All Same in Styles.
In Background Settings, Turn Sky off, and the Ground too if you have
no physical ground plane. Set Ground color to white if it is on.
3.
Export a depthmap along with a colored image of the same
camera setting.
FiG 2.15 Depthmap settings in
SketchUp.
FiG 2.16 The depthmap generated.
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