Overview

The native SketchUp material editor supports only a texture and a

transparency value – not necessarily su cient to create visually
stunning images such as the ones our users usually achieve .

This is why we came up with our very own material editor

speci cally for SketchUp, to make sure all of our users can enjoy
powerful tools such as Bump- and Re ectivity maps.

In addition to this Knowledgebase Article, you can also have a look

at this best-practices blog post  by Dan Stine.

Using some detailed Bump- and Re ectivity maps in SketchUp

Accessing the Material Editor

To open the Enscape material editor, either go to Extensions -> Enscape -> Enscape Materials, or click the Enscape Materials Button in the
Enscape Toolbar:

Enscape Material Editor in SketchUp

 This is the interface that will pop up, here showing a project with a number of materials already created, and also showing the material search
facility.

In your case, the window may look slightly di erent – the reason is that the Enscape material editor will always display the material that
is currently selected in SketchUp – as long as the material is used in your model.

This way, you can easily choose any material to adjust in Enscape by simply selecting it using the Sample Paint ( ) tool in SketchUp. The
Enscape material editor will switch to any selected material immediately.

Material Types

In general, there’s six types of materials you can select in the Enscape material editor:

Default
Grass
Carpet
Water
Foliage
Clearcoat

Default
The “Generic” material type is suited for any materials that aren’t supposed to be rendered
as grass blades, water surface, or have translucency applied.

It gives you control over the color, re ectivity, transparency, surface relief (height) and light
emission of your material.

This is the default material type and can be used for the majority of all possible materials.

The Generic Material Interface

Albedo

The Albedo area controls the basic color of the surface you’re designing. You can either
select a color, or choose a texture by clicking the [+] symbol. If choosing a texture, you’ll
also receive a “Tint Color” menu, allowing you to easily change the color of the texture
used. Control the amount of in uence on your texture using the “Image Fade” slider. Of
course, Enscape will use any UV information (texture placement) it gets from SketchUp.

The Albedo area with no texture applied Albedo area with texture applied
 Albedo Texture on Sphere

Video Textures

It is also possible to add a video texture to the Albedo texture slot. The following formats are currently supported: .mp4, .mpg, .m2v, .3gp,
.avi, .mov, and .mk,
When selecting a video le as the Albedo texture, transparency-related material settings become unavailable, although applying a mask
texture still remains possible. The adjustment or inversion of the brightness of the video texture is also unavailable, but Self-Illumination
remains an option.
 Video texture applied to Albedo texture slot

Self Illumination

The Self Illumination setting, when enabled, tells Enscape to

literally handle your material as if glowing, and emitting actual
light. You can choose a brightness between 1 and 100000 candela
per square meter (cd/m²), as well as the color of the light.

Self Illumination area

Checker texture applied to Self Illumination Color

Transparency

The Transparency area lets you control the opacity of your model,
or, in other words, the amount of light that can travel through the
surface, allowing you to see what’s behind it.
 The Transparency area

Texture
The Texture parameter allows you to control the transparency using a 2D image, a map. It refers to the Opacity value, so a black area (which
equals zero) on the image used will result in a perfectly transparent portion of the surface, while a white area will appear perfectly opaque.
Grey areas will appear partially transparent, such as glass. If you load a colored image, Enscape will automatically convert it to black and
white, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Opacity
The Opacity slider controls the overall transparency of the surface. If you’re using it combined with a transparency map, it will de ne the
maximum opacity, so white areas on said map will appear as opaque as you’ve set using this slider.
Tint Color
This menu allows you to choose a color that should be added to any semi-transparent areas of your material. Very much like colored glass.
Refractive Index
The Refractive Index slider determines by which factor light is being bent when traveling through a transparent surface. You know this e ect
from looking at a glass of water, or very thick glass.
Air has a refractive index of 1.0 – so light rays travel through it in a straight line -, water has an index of 1.33, window glass 1.52, and, for
example diamonds have an index of 2.42 – they bend light quite heavily.
For further information on this topic, feel free to have a look at the Wikipedia article .
Frosted Glass
If the Frosted Glass checkbox is enabled, Enscape will blur what’s visible through the transparent surface. The amount by which it’s blurred is
being determined by the Roughness value in the Re ections area.
 Transition from transparent sphere to one with transparency texture applied

Height Maps

The Height option in the Enscape Material Editor allows you to utilize so called Bump, Normal, or Displacement maps in order to
simulate bumps, wrinkles and dents and the lighting of these.

Bump maps can be any black and white 2D images. They tell Enscape to interpret a surface as protruding (bright parts of the texture)
or recessed (dark parts of the texture).

Normal map are a type of Bump map that require an image with RGB values. These RGB components correspond to the X, Y, and Z
coordinates, respectively.

Displacement maps are an enhancement of the bump mapping or normal mapping techniques applied to textures. Normally an
Occlusion Map is the type of image you will use for Displacement maps. The actual technique employed in Enscape is called quadtree
parallax displacement mapping for optimum performance. It’s worth noting that Displacement maps are incompatible with transparent
materials so the entire “Transparency” section becomes unavailable where a displacement map has been applied (including mask
textures). Furthermore, the brightness of Displacement maps cannot be further adjusted or inverted when editing the texture inside the
Enscape Material Editor itself.

Height maps are incredibly valuable for realism in your images and this can not be overstated enough!

Height maps can make for incredible surface detail and noise, without actually a ecting or adding more geometry. You can use this
feature for noise on concrete surfaces, wood, tiling, or even full reliefs! This can go a long way in convincing the viewer that they are
looking at a realistic picture.
Textures that are available online, either paid for or free, will generally have a Normal, Bump / Height, Occlusion map included or available
additionally to the basic Color texture.

It is also worth noting that normal based self-shadowing of material surfaces implemented. This feature further improves the depth
perception of materials, especially with displacement maps. It’s active for sun light only when the Rendering Quality level is set to “High”.
On Rendering Quality level “Ultra” arti cial lights will also cast normal based shadows.

Applying a Bump map Applying a Normal map Applying a Displacement map

As powerful as this feature is, it’s very easy to setup. Just select an

image le using the – button. A Bump map doesn’t even have

to be black & white, as Enscape will take care of that for you.

Normal Maps must have an RGB value in them.

The Bump Map Settings options

As already mentioned, Displacement maps would be best served
with an occlusion map if available.

You can switch between using a Bump, Normal, and

Displacement map via the Type drop down option.

Select the Intensity (Bump and Displacement) or Amount

(Normal) of the e ect, using the respectively named slider.
Negative values for bump maps. will invert the e ect, causing dark
areas to stick out and bright areas to be pushed in.

Displacement Maps will only adjust the amount, whether

negative or positive values, in the same single direction from the
minimum height value.

PRO TIP
When using a Bump map, if there’s already an Albedo texture applied to your material, you can just click
“Use Albedo“. Enscape will then assign the color texture to the bump value. This o ers a uniquely
streamlined way to set up existing projects for Enscape: If you want to apply a bump e ect to, e.g. an

existing wood material, simply select the material in SketchUp using the tool. Click “Use Albedo” in the
Bump area (and, if desired, in the Re ections area as well), select the right intensity with the “Amount” slider
– Done!

Re ections

This area is all about the microscopic roughness of your material,

determining how much of the environment you’ll see re ected in
its surface.

The Re ection settings area

 Roughness
The smoother the material (Roughness -> 0%), the more it will re ect it’s environment. The rougher the material is, the more it will di use
incoming light.
Texture
Again, you can also use 2D Images as a ‘Roughness Map’ to control the roughness value per location on your surface.
Metallic
The Metallic-slider tells Enscape to treat the surface either as a non-metallic (e.g. plastic, ceramic..) re ective surface, or as a metallic one.
Let’s say metallic surfaces behave more like a mirror, re ecting a clear image of their surrounding, while non-metallic surfaces show more of
their actual surface, re ecting the environment rather vaguely.
Specular
This value controls the amount by which light is being re ected when hitting a non-metallic surface at a steep angle, as opposed to light
that’s hitting it rather from the side.
If you’re not too familiar with this setting, it’s best to leave it around 50% for realistic results.

Sphere with checker texture applied as a Roughness Map

Grass
The Grass type material, as seen in the material editor, looks almost the same as the
Generic type. While it’s lacking the Transparency part, it instead features a Grass Settings
area. Apart from the Albedo area, which you can use to color your grass (also using a
texture), the Height– and Re ections parts are only useful if you plan to toggle the Grass
Rendering setting on and o (this can be found in theEnscape General Settings ->
Performance -> Grass/Carpet Rendering option).

'Grass' selected as material type

Grass Settings

Height
The Height slider will stretch the sprites being used as grass blades, making them appear larger, making for higher grass.

Changing the grass height

Height Variation
The Height Variation slider adds a random factor to the grass height. This makes for a wilder looking, ragged grass.

Randomizing the grass blades

Wind Settings
The Grass material is now also a ected by the global Wind setting found in the in the Visual Settings -> Atmosphere tab. You can adjust
 both the wind Intensity and Direction Angle, and this a ect can be seen working when adjusting the Intensity slider, as well as when
moving around in the Enscape Viewport and will be included in Video exports.

Wind Settings in the Visual Settings window

TOP TIP

Grass will only animate whilst you are moving around the Enscape viewport, as well as for about a further 2 seconds once
entering a rest state. You can have grass animate constantly, even when at rest, via the General Settings dialog. There you will
nd a Performance option that contains a checkbox named Restmode. Uncheck Restmode to have animations on, even when at
rest.
Carpet

The Carpet material acts in the same way as the Grass Material, in that it can be applied to a horizontal surface only, and the Height and
Height Variation are controlled in the Enscape Material Editor.

Carpet material applied in SketchUp using an underlying texture le in the Albedo slot.

The Height and Height Variation Settings title is amended with Carpet when Carpet is selected as the Type in the Material Editor.

Carpet selected as the Type in the Enscape Material Editor Carpet Material Settings in the Material Editor

Water

Here are the available settings for Water in the Enscape Material Editor.
 Setting the Water Type for a material will tell Enscape to treat any surface it’s applied to as physical water, including waves & caustics.

Water Color
Choose a color your water should be tinted in. No textures to be used this time – water color is set globally.
 Separate faces and materials have been used in this image

Wind Settings

Control the water movement. Change the speed and the direction
your water is owing to simulate e.g. a river.

This can be set using the global Wind Settings to be found in the
Visual Setting-> Atmosphere tab, the same as for the Grass
material. These global settings can be overridden for Water
however, and this override is available in the Material Editor when
Water is selected as material Type.

Intensity
Control the speed in which the water is owing.
Direction Angle
Control the overall direction water is moving in.
Override Wind Settings option

TOP TIP

Don’t be surprised, water in Enscape will stop moving as soon as you stand still and stop moving the camera. This is intentional,
and will not happen in video exports or VR. You can have the water animate all the time by unchecking the Restmode option in
the General Settings dialog under the Performance option.

Wave Settings

Fine tune the look of your waves, whether it’s the overall scale to
match the proportions of your model, or just the height to control
whether your water looks rather wild or calm.

The Wave Settings sliders

Height: The Height slider controls the height – or intensity – of waves in Size: The Size slider controls the overall scale of your water. This way
water materials. you can adjust the water behavior for various project sizes, close ups
etc.

Detail Settings

Caustics Intensity
Under Detail Settings, Caustics Intensity controls the amount of
light that is being refracted through waves in water. Control this
 beautiful e ect using this slider. Keep in mind you will only see
this e ect as long as there’s a surface beneath the water for the
light to re ect o of.

No caustics to 100% caustics visibility

Foliage

When selecting “Foliage” as material type, the Enscape Material

Editor interface will look identical to when selecting “Generic” as
type.
The di erence this material type will cause is only visible on
single-face objects. Please make sure the object you apply this
material to doesn’t have any depth, and also that the material is
applied to both sides of the face.

If these conditions are met, Enscape will apply Translucency to

objects this material type is applied to. This means that, if the Sun
(yes, this doesn’t work combined with arti cial lighting) is located
behind said surface, it will be illuminated on both sides. This is
common in nature for example with leaves, which is why this is the
most common use case for this type of material.

You can apply a material to two sides of the same face

Regular material on the left, Foliage material on the right

Clearcoat
When selecting “Clearcoat” as material type, the Enscape Material
Editor interface removes the transparency option altogether.
The Clearcoat material imitates the type of paint that you nd on
car bodies. So, essentially the Clearcoat is a transparent resin
material, and the color is de ned via the Albedo option in the
Material Editor window.
This material, therefore, is shiny and re ective by default, although
you do have the option to dial back the re ective properties, as
well as add a bump map.

Clearcoat settings

Clearcoat material with Enscape orange selected as the base color.

Texture Editor

You can use up to four textures at a time

per Enscape material. Textures are being
used to control Color, Visibility, Surface
Detail and Roughness of a material.

By clicking any of the texture symbols at

the top of the material editor, or any of the
blue and underlined image le names next
to “Texture”, you’ll enter the actual texture
editor interface.

Here you can

All texture slots used & their texture buttons Choose the image le for your texture The Texture Editor
above the settings Change the brightness
Invert the colors of your image
Apply explicit texture transformations, if
you don’t want to use the ones
delivered from SketchUp
 The Texture Editor interface is the same
for any texture type. It’s meant to allow for
simple image editing operations without
having to leave the material editor.

Naming Keywords

Before introducing the Material Editor, Enscape would let you decide material properties using keywords you simply had to include in the
material name. This framework is still included in the Enscape feature set, and can be used freely alongside the material editor for greater
comfort.

These are the keywords to include in the SketchUp Material name to tell Enscape how to display it more realistically.

Keywords and their e ects

KEYWORD EXPLANATION

Water, Ocean, River Draws the material as a water surface.

Vegetation, Foliage, Leaf Adds translucency to thin surfaces (single face).

Emissive Emissive material based on the material color.

Grass, Tall Grass, Short Grass, Wild Grass Realistic grass material based on the underlying surface color.

Long Carpet, Short Carpet Carpet like material, either long or short, that take on the underlying color or texture le.

Keywords and their e ects

Those keywords change the material parameters without changing their color. The color is still de ned by the SketchUp texture. The
SketchUp default roughness is 1.0.
 KEYWORD EXPLANATION SPECULAR HIGHLIGHT

Glass, Glazing 0,0 –

Chrome, Mirror 0,0 Metal

Steel, Copper, Metal, Aluminium 0,3 Metal

Carpaint, Polished, Acryl 0,02 –

Ceramic 0,1 –

Marble 0,2 –

Plastic 0,5 –

Fabric, Cloth 0,8 –

Video Tutorial

Have a look how at useful tips & tricks regarding this topic.

Enscape Materials Tips and Tricks

WAS THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL ?

Yes No

Give us a short feedback: (required)

If you require a response to your feedback, then you will need to leave your email address: (optional)
SEND