How to Download Skatter for SketchUp and Why You Should Try It
If you are a SketchUp user who wants to create realistic and stunning scenes with vegetation, crowds, carpets, and more, you should definitely check out Skatter. Skatter is a powerful scattering extension for SketchUp that allows you to render huge amounts of objects without slowing down your model. In this article, we will show you how to download Skatter and get started with it in a few easy steps.
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What is Skatter and What Can It Do for You?
Skatter is a Scattering Extension for SketchUp
Skatter is a plugin that lets you scatter objects on surfaces or along curves in SketchUp. You can use it to create realistic landscapes, cityscapes, interiors, and more. You can use any object as a source, such as components, groups, or proxies. You can also use presets from the 3D Bazaar library, which contains high-quality render-ready assets.
Skatter Features and Benefits
Skatter has many features that make it a versatile and powerful tool for SketchUp users. Some of the main features are:
Render only mode: Skatter sends all the scattering information directly to the render engines, bypassing SketchUp. This way, you can render millions of objects without affecting your model's performance.
Zones: Zones let you group similar objects together, like patches of flowers in a field or lawn.
Distribution: You can choose from different distribution types, such as random, uniform, grid, faces, or vertices.
Transforms: You can randomize the objects' placement by using translation, rotation, scale, and mirroring.
Materials: You can randomly assign different materials to the objects to introduce variations.
Masks: You can use masks to filter instances and create complex patterns over surfaces.
Boundaries: You can avoid harsh boundaries by gradually transitioning between areas.
Altitude & Slope: You can limit the distribution of objects based on altitude and terrain slope parameters.
Look at: You can make all the objects point to a target position or the sun's position.
Skatter also has a clean and intuitive user interface that lets you easily fine-tune your parameters. Skatter is also non-destructive: you can go back and edit your work at any time.
How to Download Skatter and Get Started
Download Skatter from the Official Website or 3D Bazaar
To download Skatter, you have two options:
You can go to the official website and click on the Download trial button. This will let you try Skatter for free for 15 days.
You can go to the 3D Bazaar website and browse the library of assets. Many of them come with ready-to-use Skatter compositions that you can instantly apply in your scene. To use them, you need to have Skatter installed on your computer.
Install Skatter and Start the Trial or Buy a License
To install Skatter, you need to have SketchUp 2017 or later on your computer. Then follow these steps:
Download the Skatter RBZ file from the website.
Open SketchUp and go to Window > Extension Manager.
Click on the Install Extension button and select the Skatter RBZ file.
Restart SketchUp and you should see the Skatter icon on the toolbar.
Click on the Skatter icon and a dialog box will appear. You can either start the trial or buy a license. A license costs $99 and it is valid for two computers.
Create Your First Skatter Composition in SketchUp
To create your first Skatter composition, you need to have a surface or a curve to scatter objects on. You also need to have an object to use as a source, such as a component, a group, or a proxy. Here is an example of how to create a simple grass field:
Select a surface that you want to cover with grass.
Click on the Skatter icon and the dialog box will open.
Click on the Pick button next to Hosts and select the surface again. This will make it the host for the scattering.
Click on the Add button next to Sources and select an object that you want to scatter. You can use one of the presets from 3D Bazaar or your own component or group. For this example, we will use a grass blade component from 3D Bazaar.
Adjust the parameters for distribution, transforms, materials, masks, boundaries, altitude, slope, and look at according to your preference. You can see a preview of the scattering in SketchUp's viewport.
When you are happy with the result, click on the Generate button. This will create a Skatter group in your model that contains all the information for rendering.
If you want to render your scene, you need to have a compatible render engine installed on your computer. Skatter supports V-Ray, Thea, Corona, Twilight, Indigo, Enscape, Shaderlight, IRender nXt, Raylectron and Kerkythea. You can find more information on how to set up your render engine for Skatter on the official website .
Conclusion and FAQs
Conclusion
Skatter is a must-have extension for SketchUp users who want to create realistic and complex scenes with vegetation, crowds, carpets, and more. It is easy to use, fast, and powerful. You can download Skatter from the official website or 3D Bazaar and try it for free for 15 days. If you like it, you can buy a license for $99 and enjoy unlimited scattering possibilities.
FAQs
Q: How many objects can I scatter with Skatter?
A: There is no limit to how many objects you can scatter with Skatter. However, the number of objects that you can render depends on your computer's memory and your render engine's capabilities.
Q: Can I edit my Skatter composition after I generate it?
A: Yes, you can edit your Skatter composition at any time by selecting the Skatter group and clicking on the Edit button in the dialog box. You can also use SketchUp's native tools to modify the host surface or curve.
Q: Can I export my Skatter composition to other formats?
A: Yes, you can export your Skatter composition to other formats by using SketchUp's File > Export > 3D Model option. However, this will convert all the scattered objects into real geometry, which may result in a very large file size and slow down your model. It is recommended to use render only mode for exporting.
Q: Can I use Skatter with other extensions?
A: Yes, you can use Skatter with other extensions that enhance SketchUp's functionality. For example, you can use Artisan to sculpt organic shapes for your host surfaces or curves, or Profile Builder to create parametric assemblies for your sources.
Q: Where can I find more tutorials and resources for Skatter?
A: You can find more tutorials and resources for Skatter on the official website , 3D Bazaar , YouTube , Facebook , or SketchUcation . You can also join the Skatter community and ask questions or share your work with other users.li>
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned how to download Skatter for SketchUp and why you should try it. Skatter is a great extension that can help you create amazing scenes with ease and speed. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below or contact me through my website. Thank you for reading and happy scattering! 44f88ac181
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