Graphic Design CoursesSometimes you may want to add a background to your Sketchup model in order to see it within a particular environment, or to give it a photo-realistic look. This is one of the many functions we explore in our SketchUp courses.
You can add image files to your model and adjust their position so that your model blends with its site surroundings. Or you could place an image behind a building so that it’s possible to study what will be seen from certain angles within the building.
The procedure is as follows: go to Window > Styles. Then click on the OK icon – this opens a dialog box for Watermark Settings. Click on the Plus icon and browse to where your image has been saved, and hit Open. Note that SketchUp will import various file formats as background images (JPEG, PNG, PSD, BMP and TIFs). Select either Background or Overlay, the former being more common. It’s also possible to change the transparency of the image or to choose whether to stretch or tile the image. You may of course need to initially tweak the image in a photo-editing program like Adobe Photoshop.
A related concept, which we’ll cover in a later blog post, is how to import an image as a reference when modeling – called Photo Matching. And also how to import your images as textures to be applied to surfaces, flat or curved.
For many examples of how SketchUp is used in various industries, have a look at the Trimble SketchUp website.
The procedure is as follows: go to Window > Styles. Then click on the OK icon – this opens a dialog box for Watermark Settings. Click on the Plus icon and browse to where your image has been saved, and hit Open. Note that SketchUp will import various file formats as background images (JPEG, PNG, PSD, BMP and TIFs). Select either Background or Overlay, the former being more common. It’s also possible to change the transparency of the image or to choose whether to stretch or tile the image. You may of course need to initially tweak the image in a photo-editing program like Adobe Photoshop.
A related concept, which we’ll cover in a later blog post, is how to import an image as a reference when modeling – called Photo Matching. And also how to import your images as textures to be applied to surfaces, flat or curved.
For many examples of how SketchUp is used in various industries, have a look at the Trimble SketchUp website.
And see many examples of our SketchUp clients’ work on our Facebook page.
Other related SketchUp Blog Posts:
