Visualization · Intermediate
Add entourage and context
How do I add trees, people, and cars without destroying performance?
Use 2D face-me components for most vegetation and people. They always turn toward the camera, cost almost nothing, and read convincingly in a still. Keep 3D detail for the few items close to the camera, put all entourage on its own tag, and scatter render-time instances instead of real geometry when the count runs into hundreds.
Before you start
The native SketchUp method
Uses only what ships with SketchUp: Face-me components, Tags, 3D Warehouse, Scale. No extension required.
- Default to 2D face-me A face-me component always turns to the camera, so one flat image reads as a tree from any angle.
- Reserve 3D for the foreground Only the few items nearest the camera need real 3D geometry.
- Check the weight on import A single Warehouse tree can carry more faces than the whole building. Check Statistics after each one.
- Tag all entourage One tag per category so you can hide the lot while modelling and show it for output.
- Scale to real height A tree at the wrong height breaks the whole image. Set a real dimension rather than eyeballing it.
- Scatter at volume Past a few hundred plants, use render-time instancing instead of copied geometry.
Where this usually goes wrong
- • Filling the model with high-poly 3D trees and then wondering why it will not orbit.
- • Leaving entourage untagged, so it cannot be hidden during modelling.
- • Entourage at the wrong scale, which destroys the sense of size in the render.
Native method vs extension
| Native method | 2D face-me components plus tags, with 3D reserved for the foreground. |
|---|---|
| What it costs you | Free and effective up to moderate quantities. |
| Extension option | Skatter distributes render-time instances at scale; Skimp reduces heavy imported vegetation. |
| Worth it when | Site-scale planting or dense crowds, where copied geometry would stop the model working. |
Extensions to consider
Options, not requirements. Facts last checked 28 August 2026.
- Skatter Paid · Lindalë
Scatters vegetation, people, vehicles, and other entourage as render-time instances rather than real geometry, so a densely populated scene stays navigable in the viewport.
Full profile and sources - Skimp Free tier + paid · mind.sight.studios
Imports and reduces heavy meshes before they reach the model. It previews GLB, USD, FBX, OBJ, STL, DAE, 3DS, PLY, and VRML files and lets you set a polygon budget on the way in.
Full profile and sources
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Part of these project paths
- Produce a render — Repair the model, set the camera, light it, and populate it into a presentable image.
More in Visualization
Reviewed 28 August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know and we will recheck the source.
