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Using Poliigon Assets in SketchUp Pro
Using Poliigon Assets in SketchUp Pro

Import local V-Ray models and materials into SketchUp

Updated over a week ago

v1.1.0 for Windows + OSX (released 2023/08/17)
Supports SketchUp 21+ with V-Ray Rendering

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How to Install and Use the Extension

  1. Download the Poliigon Extension from above

  2. Open up SketchUp, and open the Extensions > Extension Manager menu

  3. Press on the "Install Extension" button at the bottom left

  4. Navigate and select the ".rbz" file you downloaded

  5. Enable the extension

Video Tutorial

Indepth How-To:

Background

Poliigon started supporting SketchUp direct model downloads in 2023, initially providing the file formats for quick rendering in V-Ray. However in order to provide the optimal experience using proxies in SketchUp, there was a cumbersome process of remapping paths. This extension solves this problem of model importing, while also making it easier to use your Poliigon textures as well with a quick one-click import button.

Model Importing

  1. Download the SketchUp V-Ray format of the model from the Poliigon website. You can find several models for free.

  2. Start an import by either pressing the Poliigon icon toolbar item, or going to Extensions > Poliigon > Import Asset.

  3. Select an skp file downloaded from Poliigon, ensuring it remains in the same folder as the related download files, and press "Open"

  4. Confirm final location of the object

Alternatively, you can also simply drag and drop your .skp file into SketchUp.

  • On Windows, the extension will still automatically correct any filepaths automatically.

  • On Mac OSX 2023, you will need to run Extensions > Poliigon > Auto-Resolve Paths once after an import of one or more models (as of v1.1.0 of the plugin, you only need to do this for drag and drop/native file importing)

If you now start rendering with VRay, you will find the higher density vrmesh is used.

Relocating Models

Some Poliigon models are actually groups containing multiple meshes, which each have corresponding vrmesh proxies used for rendering. When you import any Poliigon (.skp) model, it will be placed as an overall "group". You can double click into this group to move individual meshes around.

Models should come in locked by default (at the proxy level). To ensure your viewport model is not disconnected from the rendered proxy, do not unlock them.

Material Importing

  1. Download the Poliigon textures of your choice. You can find several textures for free.

  2. Optionally select a surface to apply the material onto

  3. Start an import by either pressing the Poliigon icon toolbar item, or going to Extensions > Poliigon > Import Asset

  4. Select any image map of a material, such as the COL map, and press "Open"

  5. Your material is now imported into the scene, visible in V-Ray's material library. If you had an initial selection in SketchUp, the material should now be applied to that selection.

Scaling materials in V-Ray

Imported materials are conveniently set up so it is easy to scale UVs across all maps at once. Once you already have a material loaded in your scene:

  1. Open the V-Ray Asset Editor from Extensions > V-Ray > Asset Editor

  2. Click and expand a material you have imported via the Poliigon Extension

  3. Select one (any) of the texture maps, as pictured below

  4. Expand the info property view on the right (click the + icon)

  5. Change the UV repeats; this is a shared property across all maps within the same material

Assign a shortcut

Using the Poliigon Extension constantly? You can assign a shortcut for the main importer function from Preferences > Shortcuts ? Search for Poliigon, and assign a shortcut to the "Import Poliigon Asset" command.

Known Issues

Mac OSX users on SketchUp 2023: After importing one or more models via drag and drop, you must manually run Extensions > Poliigon > Auto-Resolve Paths. You only need to do this once after importing a model. This operation runs over the open file to resolve all path issues, meaning you can perform multiple imports and then run resolve paths just once after the last import. If you import models via the Poliigon toolbar icon, you do not need to do this step.

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