ImagineFX_Issue_148_June_2017

Digital art revolution!
Images © Jort van Welbergen
edit
the interface
The user interface is pretty
standard, but it’s easily
modifiable by dragging parts
of the menu items around.
going
Pro
The standard package is free,
although you won’t be able to
export except as a DAE file. If you
want OBJ and FBX exports then
you need the Pro version,
which comes in at a
hefty £490.
sketchuP
Build entire worlds from the ground up, with
this super speedy yet simple 3D art program
ketchUp definitely belongs
in this roundup, especially
S when top concept artists
such as Donglu Yu and
Jort van Welbergen are using it for
professional (and personal) work. As a
piece of computer-aided design (CAD)
software, you’d be forgiven for
thinking that its sole purpose is
creating bog-standard architectural
designs. Well, in the hands of an artist
the possibilities are practically endless!
“I love SketchUp mainly
for its speed,” says Jort.
“Because actions are
relatively simple, the
number of key presses for
tools and actions are reduced, which
means you can work at a faster pace.
You won’t have to waste time looking
through menus and lists.
“Another cool, unique element of
SketchUp is that you can copy parts of
geometry, like cut-in detail, super
quickly – and make patterns quite
easily, too.”
Simplicity is both SketchUp’s
greatest strength and weakness. The
Price Free (Pro
version, £490)
Available PC/Mac
Company Trimble
Reviewed N/A
It’s perfect for kit-bashing
and making dynamic,
mechanical models
custom
Plugins
There are hundreds
of plugins for
SketchUp, which are
mostly free. Notable
ones are the Round
edge tool, the Loft
tool and the
Modded push/
pull tools.
interface may be pretty standard, but
it’s modifiable. However, if you want to
create complex, game-ready elements
like landscapes, materials or
animations, SketchUp isn’t for you. It
isn’t great for smooth and curved
surfaces such as cars, either.
But from a creative standpoint,
SketchUp helps you to generate ideas
quickly. “It’s perfect for kit-bashing and
making dynamic mechanical models
such as robots quickly, thanks to the
grouping system,” says Jort. “And, of
course, it’s great for all things
architectural. Even if I end up using
another program to finalise a model,
like MODO or Fusion360, I tend to use
SketchUp for my initial sketches.”
And it’s free – or at least the standard
version is. This will enable you to
transfer files between SketchUp, Maya,
3ds Max and Rhino. However, if you
want to export OBJ files to pick up in
Photoshop, then you’ll need the Pro
version, priced around £490. However,
we’d advise getting hold of the free
version first, to experiment with.
If you’re serious about getting
creative quickly in the field of concept
art, then SketchUp could be a powerful
tool in your arsenal.
June 2017
43