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What’s new in Shaderlight 2.1
Shaderlight was first launched in October 2010 and has transformed the rendering workflows of thousands of SketchUp users around the world. Our commitment to delivering the most relevant, intuitive and simple to use rendering technology for SketchUp is clear as we announce the release of the latest version.
Light fixture library
In this latest update to Shaderlight, we’ve provided users with access to a library of real world light fixtures. Embedded in each SketchUp model is the IES lighting information from the manufacturer so that when rendered with Shaderlight Pro they illuminate a scene as they would be in the real world.
How it works…
Taken from Visa Lighting’s current collection of fixtures, the Shaderlight ready SketchUp models are available to download from Google’s 3D Warehouse. Simply import your chosen model into any SketchUp scene, hit render and Shaderlight will then render the correct lighting and colour shadow detail for each individual fixture.
These lighting fixtures with embedded IES light profiles will only render correctly using Shaderlight 2.1. This new release also allows users to embed IES files within their own SketchUp models making them easy to share on 3d warehouse and render with Shaderlight v2.1
Watch the video…
Frosted Glass
This new addition to Shaderlight’s material library is available to both Free and Pro users.
How it works…
Accessible via the Shaderlight material editor, users simply select their chosen finish using one of the presets available.
Improved render quality
We’ve dramatically improved the quality of interior renders, particular when using portal lights to illuminate the scene. Where previously Shaderlight rendered a slightly noisy finish, you can now achieve fantastic quality without changing a thing!
Autosave
Hopefully there’ll be no more lost renders thanks to the addition of the ‘Autosave’ function. If Shaderlight is closed accidentally, your last complete render is saved automatically and the next time you open Shaderlight it will appear in an autosave tab in the render window.
To get the latest features, simply download the update from here.
In case you’ve not tried them yet, here’s an outline of the new features included in v2!
Replace Me
Unique to Shaderlight v2 – Replace Me enables you to render detailed models without filling your SketchUp scene with geometry. Models that have previously slowed SketchUp are no longer a problem when replaced with a proxy and render perfectly in Shaderlight.
How it works….
Choose from our growing library of Replace Me models in Google’s 3D Warehouse or use the Replace Me creator tool to link your own proxy component to your chosen model from 3D Warehouse or on your local machine.
Place the proxy in your SketchUp scene and when you hit render, Replace Me imports the selected model in to Shaderlight, rendering it in glorious 3D!
We’ve partnered with DynaSCAPE, leading provider of technology solutions to the landscape industry, to give Shaderlight Pro users access to a selection of highly detailed models of plants and trees.
Take a look at the Replace Me model library on 3D Warehouse
Scene animation
The animation feature adds a new button to the Shaderlight toolbar and will enable users to create photoreal renders of their SketchUp scene animations.
How it works…
Once you’ve created a scene animation in SketchUp, Shaderlight will render it as a sequence of photorealistic frames. Select your chosen Shaderlight render settings and then use the animation interface to control frame rate and scene range.
Shaderlight will use the same transition time as SketchUp as well as supporting the camera positions, object and layer visibility so creating your animation couldn’t be simpler.
"I’m no rendering guru, and I certainly haven’t tried all the alternatives, but I can truthfully say that Shaderlight is responsible for the only successful photo-realistic rendering I’ve ever made."
Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist.
Read his SketchUp blog post
