Other Features in the pull down menu

1. Generate scripts

    Generate has two useful purposes. Generate essentially is a manual way for Podium to create a .script file that can then be run in the Podium Render Manager. This allows you to run the .script later if you like. It also gives you an alternative, in case OOPR does not get initiated automatically during the rendering process.

    If you click Generate from the SU Podium V2 pull down menu, Podium will generate a folder that has a number for a name (the number is the current date) and in the folder there will be a .script file. You can save the folder anywhere on your computer but you will need to access it therefore, save the folder to an easy to remember location. Generate will create a .script using your current Options settings (for example resolution size). The textures of the particular model will also be saved in the same folder as the .script file. You can later Add the .script file to the Podium Render Manager enabling you to render scripts whenever you choose. You can even stack scripts in the Podium Render Manager (OOPR) to render the scripts in sequence.

    To run .scripts inside SketchUp, open Podium Render Manager (OOPR) by choosing Render Manager from the SU Podium V2 pull down menu . Then use Add File and select the .script file from the folder that was created. Then select Start if the rendering does not automatically commence.

    Alternatively, you can open OOPR from outside of SketchUp and Add the script file without invoking the Render function.

    • Windows users - go to program files (x86)/ google/ google sketchup (7 or 8)/ plugins/ SU_Podium_V2/Programs/ and click on OOPR.exe.
    • Mac users - go to MacIntosh HD--Library--Applications Support--Google SketchUp (7 or 8)--SketchUp--Plugins--SU Podium V2--Programs and click on OOPR.

    Once you have the OOPR window open, click on Add File and add the .script file. Rendering will commence when you do that.

    Using Generate is also one way to trouble shoot a model that hiccups in Podium.

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2. Tools

    Tools is accessed from the SU Podium V2 pull down menu. There is no tool bar icon for Tools. Tools is provided to help you analyse and reset the SketchUp model for Podium material and light properties.

    Analyse Model - this feature will Analyse the SketchUp model and return a dialog box which will display information about Podium properties. The information includes: Podium V2 Light Sources and Materials properties in the model. Analyse will list how many point lights, LEM and reflective faces are in the model. It will also list the names of the materials that have Podium V2 properties on them. It will also display any materials that have that have a combination of LEM and reflection properties on them. Reflection and LEM properties on the same material will result in black rendered textures or crashes. Furthermore, Tools now detects textures that are .psd and .pdf files which do not render.

    Analyse will not display properties that are created by Automatic Materials.

    Reset Materials - Reset Materials will completely delete all Podium V2 material properties in the current model. So, do not use this feature without first making a copy of your modeling and renaming the copy. In some situations, it may be easier to Reset Materials for the whole model instead of finding each individual material properties. Use this tool after you run Analyze. Reset Materials is irreversible.

    Toggle Point Lights - This tool will turn off (and back on) all the point lights (omni lights) in your model. As with Reset Materials, make a re-named copy of your model before using this tool.

3. Render Manager

Render Manager will invoke the OOPR user interface without you having to start a render process. This is handy if you want to render scripts that you created using Generate.

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4. About

About will display a web page that will show the SU Podium V2 version number that you are using. There will be other pertinent information in this web page.