Creating Virtual Concept Models in SketchUp - Google SketchUp Workshop: Modeling, Visualizing, and Illustrating - page 10

Stage 1: Choose an Approach and Understand the
Constraints
Objectives : Decide on the type of render and the method that will allow
you to achieve it.
Data : 3D model.
Tools : SketchUp.
From the start, we chose a “clay render” style, in order to place the accent
on the building volumes themselves and not on the extraneous details that
might hinder the reading of the whole scheme. The section view for this stage
is further accentuated by rendering it in perspective, something that is richer
and more dynamic than a simple 2D cut.
FiG 1.5 Simple white render of the
section cut.
SketchUp makes it easy to dynamically place section cuts, thanks to its
dynamic Section Plane tool. However, these cuts are “virtual,” and the model
always remains intact.
Unfortunately, rendering engines work on the entire geometry of the model
so that the section cuts would not appear in any renders produced by third-
party programs. This means we needed to turn to other methods to achieve
the desired result.
If you are using Artlantis, it is possible to get the same effect by using its
own Section Cut tool. Unfortunately, to get a monochrome model, it would
be necessary to replace all the materials one by one with a uniform white
texture, something that entails a considerable time investment. For these
reasons, we chose at this stage to work with Vray, to obtain a very high-
quality “clay render,” but this approach would require some modification to
the model.