Twilight Render User Forum

How to automatically blend your rendered image with the SketchUp View Image using Twilight Render V2 Pro, a.k.a. "create a Composite SketchUp View with my rendered image" #overlay #composite

Step 1:
You must enable the export of the SketchUp Scene view on a SketchUp Model-by-Model basis. It will take a little bit of extra time for Twilight to save the matching SU view as well as to start the rendering process each time you want to render your image, so this is a function you must deliberately enable for each of your SketchUp models.

• First, we recommend using pure white for your Front Face material in SketchUp, and a light blueish-gray for the reverse faces. Be sure your model is showing all front faces. This is so that if you capture the Monochrome SketchUp View instead of the materials view, the Overlay feature results are typically more aesthetically pleasing.
• Second, set view to monochrome (this step is not required, only recommended)
• Third, go to Render Windows>Settings Pull-down Menu>Advanced Render Settings>Enable check box for "Capture Screenshot for Overlay" and click "OK".

Step 2:

• First, verify the view is set to Monochrome (not required, but typically looks best for most of the Overlay modes)
• Next, verify Tonemapping settings are set to Simple, and Exposure and Gamma are set to 1.0 for each
• Finally, render on any setting you like, Low render settings are sufficient for creating very quick Overlay renderings.

Step 3:

• After the rendering is complete, choose the desired Composite SketchUp View mode
• Next, adjust Exposure and Gamma to achieve desired Composite view results
• Finally, save rendered image.

*Please note, overlays are only available when rendering the "Current View" due to SketchUp's limitations on saving the SU view.

Here's our website version for this composite overlay with Twilight Render and SketchUp tutorial.

wow wow nice. Thanks for the demo!

I was all set to use this feature for elevations (Meeting tomorrow) and suddenly today it no longer works for me. Had to go to to an AutoSave file so I reset the Save screenshot as you said must be set for every model. Went through the instructions again, but no overlay.

OK: I've got it back by pasting my autosave model back to the original file. Something is up with the autosave file that doesn't want to play along with Twilight.


... Ugh! It just keeps giving up. One run it's there. Next one not. Hard to depend on. Can't use it for serious work.

OK.. If I use Current View Render setting it seems to keep working. Using SU "scenes" set in the render window seems to stop working after awhile.

Currently, overlay only works with the Current Render View as you have discovered. However, after your comments about it I went looking and I don't see any reason it can't work with the other scene views. We'll see what we can do about getting that to work for the next release.

Ok, I have to retract my statement. It doesn't look like it is possible (which is why it is set up the way it is now).

The SketchUp overlay image is created by telling SketchUp to write out an image of the current view. This command is only available on what is called the "active view" (what you currently see in the SketchUp screen). The various scenes contain camera information but they don't have access to the "view", so there is no way to write out an image of the other scenes. So unfortunately there is simply no way to capture the overlay for any view except the Current View.

We will make sure to add this information to the tutorials and posts about this topic.

OK thanks. I thought I was doing it per scene for sure. That explains it.

I am glad I got it figured out. For all my bitching you deserve to see something. I set up these elevations on a plan sheet.

I reduced the image. Not sure of the best way to make it small enough for the forum.

Has a classic style look to it.

Fletch wrote:Has a classic style look to it.

Project: That tends to be a theme for many projects. Contemporary with classical elements.
Image: Actually if I could make all my construction drawings or presentations classical as in looking like C.A. Voysey's work I'd be happiest. And using the overlay method seems best to add delineation while cutting rendering time for design iterations, lower dpi (larger scale drawings).