Re-learning SketchUp & V-ray

In interior design, there are numerous ways to present your design to the client. It can either be free hand, 3D renders, or a combination of both. That would require knowledge in numerous programs not taught in college. (I’m not sure if its taught now, but back then we didn’t have this). One of the programs is SketchUp. It is a 3D modeling computer program that is useful for interior design. It has a free version called – SketchUp MAKE, and a paid version called – SketchUp Pro.

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SketchUp is my favorite program in 3D modelling. Here are the reasons why:

  1. It’s free to use. For beginners, the SketchUp MAKE will suffice. The 3D Warehouse 3d models are also free.
  2. I could import my plans from Autocad (in .dwg file) to SketchUp, scale it, and then build up the walls from there. (This is for Pro version)
  3. Getting models is easy. It has its own 3D Warehouse accessible from the program itself. There are also numerous websites that provides free/paid models in .3ds & .skp files.
  4. Customizable. I could use any photo I want and use it as a material in SketchUp. For example, if I don’t want to use the default wood textures in SketchUp, I could import a wood texture that I got online and use that.

With SketchUp, I feel like I’m just playing a game of Sims on my laptop. Here is a sample 3D model that I did:

To make it look realistic with all the lights, shadows, etc. You need to use a Rendering plug-in for that. I use V-ray for SketchUp for this. This is not free, but there’s a trial version so you could try it out & decide if this works for you. There are other rendering plug-ins for SketchUp, but I’m used to V-ray. Here is the sample 3D render in V-ray:

Post-processing in Photoshop.

It’s been a while since I’ve last used SketchUp. The time where I used it extensively was way back in 2012, I started relearning again last December 2016. Added that I’ve bought a new laptop the same time, I finally got the chance to render in V-ray since my laptop can finally render quickly. Back then, a simple render would take 8 hours, now it would take around 1-2 hours.

To learn more about SketchUp, here are some useful links:

To learn more about V-ray for SketchUp, here are some useful links:

I hope I’d improve my SketchUp & Vray skills this year! So I could make tutorials and teach others as well. ♥

Just Add Water + Ink

After a week, I’m still on the #JAWInk2017 & #CampJAWI high. ♥ This event was great! We went on Saturday at around 1pm and the venue was crowded compared last year! There were a lot of booths again selling watercolor & calligraphy materials.

Community Art Wall.

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First agenda was to visit Agueda Manila‘s booth again. Thanks to Dandi for reserving the square pieces for Hannah and I! ♥

Lezz do this. Colors were food coloring.

Finished product ♥ Mine on the left / Right is Hannah’s.

Community art wall again. These are 4″ x 6″ postcards created by various watercolorists. The freckled girl left of Sailor Moon is Hannah’s. The pink gerbera left of the hydrangea one is mine. ♥

#Art Tambay at Craft Coffee again.

Since there were no tables available at the event itself, we decided again to hang out at Craft Coffee. Hannah & I were the first ones of the #January Girls to arrive. We took over the long table at Craft, woohoo! January Girl members present were: Me, HannahJean (Thanks again for the watercolor huhuhu), Monique, and our new member (haha) Naresa!

Here are some of my instagram posts that day:

It was so much fun! I also got to meet other Watercolorist ph members as well. ♥ I can’t wait for the next one! As for now, I need to try out the watercolor that I got from seamountainco. ♥ You can order your own handmade watercolor from seamountainco through this link.

IKEA Kitchen planner

Currently busy working on a freelance project. I’m doing the kitchen right now. (This post is already delayed by 2 months that I’ve already done this part of the house lol.)The client wanted it all to be IKEA. It’s a good thing that I checked their website for more info. They have an app for planning & 3d modeling with their products!

IKEA kitchen planner.

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The IKEA kitchen planner is a nifty tool that helps you plan & visualize your kitchen. You can input the exact measurements of your kitchen & just select the items that you want to put in the plan. It’s user friendly! Here is a sample plan that I did:

Sample plan.

The middle part is open because I can’t find a counter in their selection. They have their own standard size for the cabinets, but everything else is customizable. From the handles, cabinet door color & style, to the accessories. Here are the 2 different views in 3D:

3D view. Reminds me of sketchup.

3D view #2 with the finishes.

It’s not perfect, but it will suffice. It gave me enough info on the measurements of their cabinets for planning. Another cool thing about this is that you could see the total cost & list of products you chose. You could register to save your work, and then log-in at their physical store so that their Kitchen Specialists can help you plan & design before buying.

That last sentence made me a bit sad though. We don’t have it here in the Philippines. This project is located in Singapore. Anyway, I can’t wait for IKEA to open in the Philippines. I wonder when will that be though.

I hope this app is useful for you! Cheers. ♥