Real Animations in Your SketchUp Model with Animator – SketchUp Plugin of the Week #38
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One of the new perks on my Patreon page is the ability to vote on the extension that I cover each week. This week, my supporters on Patreon selected Animator as the extension we’re going to talk about!
This week’s extension allows you to create animations with moving geometry in SketchUp!
Plugin Name: Animator
Plugin Developer: Fredo6
How Much does it cost? Free
Where do you get it?
You can download this extension from the SketchUcation extension store
Tool Functions
SketchUp has always had the ability to create animations by moving the camera. However, it never really had the functionality to animate the movement of geometry.
Fredo6 created an extension that allows you to generate animations with moving geometry, as well as moving cameras. The way it works is it contains its own animation menu framework that opens up when you open the extension.
On the left hand side of the screen, you have a timeline toolbar that allows you to add different movements and animations to geometry, as well as edit the timeframe of the animation.
At the top of the screen, you have a menu that allows you to add things like new clips and scenes, as well as the ability to add different animations to your timeline.
It allows you to set multiple different movements of objects at once, allowing you to creating things like moving construction equipment, rolling wheels, and just about anything else you can think of.
Once you’ve created your animation, you can export to video files, as well as having compatibility with several different rendering softwares.
The user interface is a little intimidating, but once you get an idea of how it works, you can generate great results, and it has a lot of features included.
That’s where we’re going to wrap up this plugin overview. If you liked this video, click that like button down below. If you’re new, click that subscribe button for more SketchUp videos every week.
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About Justin Geis
Hi, I'm Justin Geis, and I'm the founder of The SketchUp Essentials. I started using SketchUp as part of my work as a general contractor in 2008. I quickly realized the power of the software and started using it for personal projects. I started The SketchUp Essentials as a place to share easy to follow SketchUp tutorials and tips to help everyone harness the power of 3D Modeling in their lives. When not working with SketchUp, I enjoy playing soccer and spending time with my wife and our two dogs.
