SECTION 2
Low and High-Resolution Textures
In my previous article, I talked about the importance of 3D modeling and using high-quality 3D models. In this article, I will focus on the materials we assign to our objects.
First of all, I do not recommend using SketchUp’s default materials because they are low-resolution textures. While they may be fine for beginner-level training, they won’t be sufficient for more advanced work. Of course, you can import high-resolution materials into SketchUp and defined them, but just like plugins, they can slow down the software’s startup time. (I wouldn’t recommend it.)
Let’s clarify what I mean by low resolution. It is often abbreviated as "low-res." For example, there are texture resolutions like 512, 1024, and 2048 pixels. If you’re rendering an image at 3000 pixels and the material in the foreground has a resolution of only 512 pixels, it will appear blurry. That’s why I recommend using textures with a minimum resolution of 2048 pixels in your scene. (You don’t always need 4K textures.)
PBR Textures
So, where can we find these textures? Let’s talk about that. If you’ve noticed, rendering software now comes with built-in material libraries. If you use V-Ray, Enscape, or Lumion, you’ve probably seen these. Many materials are pre-configured with bump, reflection, and refraction maps—metals, fabrics, asphalt, etc. These can work up to a point, but eventually, you’ll realize they are not enough. You will need to create your own materials because your client's or employer’s demands will go beyond your default library.
This is where PBR (Physically Based Rendering) comes in. A material is not just about the diffuse (color) map. To create photorealistic materials, you need additional texture maps. If you use V-Ray, for example, try downloading a concrete material from the Chaos Cosmos Material Library and check the reflection and glossiness channels—you’ll understand what I mean.
To find high-resolution textures like these, search for PBR materials online. You’ll find many free websites, while some offer yearly subscriptions. You can also find high-resolution materials on manufacturers’ websites, but most of them are not PBR-ready—they only provide diffuse maps. In such cases, you’ll need to generate additional channels yourself.
I recommend learning some basic Photoshop skills since many textures found online or on manufacturer websites may have shadow artifacts. If you apply these directly, the repeated shadows and highlights will look unrealistic. You can search for "making seamless textures" to learn how to fix this.
Additionally, there are software tools designed to generate PBR materials. These tools can create missing texture maps automatically just by using a diffuse image. You can search for "Making PBR Texture" to explore free options.
UV Mapping
So, is our job done after creating a PBR material? Not quite… It’s not that simple!
If you look around, you’ll notice that materials are applied in an orderly manner—like the wood grain on a desk or the fabric on a sofa. To achieve the same level of accuracy in 3D models, we need to apply UV Mapping. This process ensures that textures are mapped correctly onto an object’s surface.
Some 3D software includes built-in UV mapping tools, while others require external plugins. For example, 3ds Max has a UV Map Modifier, allowing you to project textures based on an object’s shape. In SketchUp, however, there is no native UV mapping tool, so you’ll need plugins. One of the simplest options is SketchUV, which can be downloaded from the Extension Warehouse.
Lastly, even the best materials need to be applied to well-modeled objects. A low-poly or poorly modeled object won’t fully showcase the beauty of your material.
That’s all for now on materials! In my next article, I’ll be covering architectural render lighting techniques. Thanks for reading, i hope this was helpful.