SketchUp Plugins

I redesigned and renovated my kitchen for almost a year.  We were finally down to installing the back-splash tile, a couple of pendant lights and a counter-top.  The process for selecting the type of tiles (glass), the color mixture (white, green tea, mars, and amber), and the size (2" x 12") was a lengthy process.  

Now, with almost all of it in hand, it is time for brass-tacks: what are we going to do?  "Random!" we say. Which has the minor footnote of being nearly impossible to do right and stand up aesthetically: there needs to be balance, harmony, etc.  To get that, you need to iterate.  And iterate.  So, I had no choice but to write the Randomize Materials plug-in.

Sample

The images below are quick mock-ups of the backsplash, with colors randomized based on a white:green:amber:mars ratio of 16:8:4:4.  I went through about 20 randomizations to get one I thought worked well.  The model was built in SketchUp then exported to Kerkytha 2008 for basic PhotoMap rendering.

Get the Plug-in

Download it from here: random_materials.rb

Install the Plug-in 

Learn how to install plug-ins here.

Run the Plug-in

  1. Select entities.
  2. Activate "Randomize Materials" the script from the Plugins Menu.
  3. Choose a material to use in the random set.
  4. Enter the material's desired proportion (as a whole number).
    E.g. If you want two parts green and one part red, enter 2 for green and 1 for red; for equal parts, enter 1 and then 1.
  5. Hit okay
  6. Repeat 3-5, or hit cancel to randomize based on the previously selected items.

This will randomly change the face material of the selected entities. To randomize again based on the same materials and proprotions, select "Rerun Randomize Materials" from the menu.

Problems

You may be doing things wrong. Gasp.

Complain about the Plug-in

Bugs? Intelligent suggestions? nino.walker [{at}] gmail