CHAMPAIGN, IL — Artlandia, Inc., developer of popular pattern design software, has released a new plug-in that makes Artlandia's cloud-based pattern design editor SymmetryMill available as an interactive texture editor in SketchUp.
The plug-in extends SketchUp's built-in texture library and lets the designer interactively create and refine custom patterns and textures for specific models or products, such as apparel,furnishings, interiors and exteriors of buildings and vehicles--a task that is becoming ever more important for gaming, product design, advertising, and other fast developing areas of 3D modeling.
Launched in September 2012, SymmetryMill, which works in web browsers, joined Artlandia's line of SymmetryWorks and Symmetry Shop plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. It made professional patter design tools instantly accessible to anyone creating repeating patterns without requiring expensive software or learning complex math-based design techniques.
The latest plug-in seamlessly connects SymmetryMill to SketchUp. SymmetryMill's repeating patterns instantly become SketchUp's materials (textures). Editing a pattern automatically updates the linked SketchUp model. SymmetryMill pattern textures further behave as normal SketchUp materials, which can be applied with SketchUp's Paint Bucket tool, repositioned, distorted, painted on complex SketchUp models, and be otherwise employed as usual.
The plug-in is fully compatible with both the free and the full (paid) version of SymmetryMill and is immediately available free of charge for both the free and the Pro versions of SketchUp 8 on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux; it can also be installed in SketchUp 7.
A subscription to the full version of SymmetryMill itself is priced at $69 per year ($5.75/month) or $99 ($4.12/month) for two years. Other subscription options, discounted student are also available.