To install the exporter, copy SkIndigo_07.rb into your Sketchup/Plugins directory.
I should be posting a tutorial within a few days.
I have posted the "How To" list (found in the About SkIndigo menu item) on the 0.7test5 forum but I will post it again here. There is one small change related to resuming a render from an .igi file.
Version 0.7test7 Changelog:
#Changed: Re-enabled Bidirectional Path Tracing
#Changed: export file extension from XML to IGS
#Added: Option to save igi file in render settings
#Added: Advanced user functions accessible through Ruby Console
#Changed: Materials are now listed in alphabetical order in Material Editor
To use the Advanced User Functions (barely tested), open the Ruby Console Window and type:
Indigo.adv -> opens inifile.txt
Indigo.ren -> opens /renders directory
Indigo.igs -> opens your last exported igs file for hand-editing
Indigo.tm -> opens IndigoToneMapper.exe (must be in same directory as indigo.exe)
Indigo.web -> opens the Indigo website in your browser
Indigo.mdb -> opens the WIP Indigo material database by arneoog
Indigo.res -> select the IGI and IGS files to resume a render
HOW TO:
Render with Sun and Sky Light
1. Turn on shadows
2. Turn on Sun and Sky in SkIndigo Render Settings
Render with Custom Lights
1. Use either an RGB Light or a Blackbody Light material in your scene.
2. RGB lights will emit light according to the material color
3. Blackbody lights will emit light according to the temperature
4. Light is only emitted from the front side of the face
Render with Uniform Background Light
1. Turn on Background in SkIndigo Render Settings
2. Scene will be lit with a uniform background light matching the current Sketchup background color
Render with Environment Map
1. Turn on Environment Map in SkIndigo Render Settings
2. Set your Environment Map using the SkIndigo menu item
3. You can use EXR maps in Lat_Long format or FLOAT maps in Spherical format
Monochrome Render (Clay)
1. Change Sketchup render mode to monochrome
2. Choose Clay to render clay mode or any other material
3. Choose Default to render using the current default material color
Adjust the Rendered Image Tones
1. Make sure you have downloaded the Indigo Tonemapper application.
2. Load the appropriate .igi file using the Indigo Tonemapper application.
Create Transparent Material
1. Enable transparency in Sketchup material settings using the opacity slider
2. Set the material type to SPECULAR
3. The opacity slider will change the amount of RGB absorptivity. Set to 0 for no absorptivity (i.e. clear glass).
4. SPECULAR materials should have thickness to render properly.
Create Material with Specular Highlights
1. Set the material type to Phong
2. Set the index of refraction to >1.0
3. Use the exponent value to control the glossiness.
Create Diffuse (Lambertian) Material
1. Set the material type to Diffuse
Use BLEND materials
1. Set the material type to BLEND
2. If a texture is applied to the material, it will be used as the clipping map
3. If no texture is applied, the blend factor will control the weight of the materials
Use Sub-surface scattering
1. Enable transparency in Sketchup material settings using the opacity slider
2. Set the material type to SPECULAR
3. The opacity slider will change the amount of RGB absorptivity. Set to 0 for no absorptivity
4. Enable SSS with the material editor
5. Input the Uniform scattering coefficient or the 3 RGB scattering coefficients separated by spaces
4. SPECULAR materials should have thickness to render properly.
Use Material Presets
1. Presets are intended to give you approximate starting values that you can further refine to suit your needs
2. These values will be updated in future releases as the Indigo material library continues to be developed
Use Textures
1. Apply textures directly to individual faces, not groups or components
2. Currently, textures distorted with the position texture tool are not supported
3. JPEG and PNG textures are supported but PNG textures may cause Indigo to crash
Use Bump and Exponent Maps
1. You can select any texture that is currently in your model
2. The map will be positioned using the same coordinates as the currently applied color texture. If no color texture is applied, the bump map will not render correctly
3. If you wish to use a bump map different then the color texture,they should be the same size or you will get strange results.
4. Your maps will have to be manually exported to the TX_EXPORTNAME directory if they are not currently applied to a visible face in your model. Right-click on material in Paint Bucket
5. Set bump or exponent gain
Resume a Render from an .igi file
1. The Indigo path must be set. This is done when you export your model with Auto-render enabled.
2. From the Ruby Console Window type "Indigo.res"
3. Locate the Indigo IGI file and then the Indigo IGS input file.
TIPS:
1. Use Sketchup shortcut keys! Especially for assigning properties to materials
2. Be sure that no faces are reversed. Use monochrome mode to check for reversed faces
3. Use layers to separate geometry and lights. For example, put different lighting set-ups on different layers. If you are doing material tests, put unnecessary objects on a hidden layer
4. Always export your model to the Indigo directory. This allows use of Auto-render
5. If you are getting strange shadows in your render, try disabling smoothing. Also, check orientation of faces
6. Modify the aperture size to control depth of field
7. If your image is blurry, use the Set Camera Focus Tool
Indigo 0.7 features currently not supported:
1. Peak spectra
2. Henyey Greenstein phase function
3. Dermis and epidermis media
4. a and c texture coefficients
5. Comprehensive nkdata list
6. Instancing
7. Primitives and rectanglelight
KNOWN ISSUES/BUGS:
1. Distorted textures not yet supported
2. Textures applied to groups and components not yet supported
3. Quick Export and Low Priority modes are experimental and may be prone to bugs.
Happy Easter!
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