# Getting started

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FxMayG_fQ>" %}

Two steps to quickly get you started with Skatter:

1. [**Download Skatter here**](https://lindale.io/skatter?download)
2. **Install it, then start the 15 days trial**\
   Once the trial is expired, you can [purchase a license here](https://lindale.io/skatter#buy)

## Tutorial

### 1. Create a new composition

In Skatter, we call a distribution of objects a *composition*. A composition has many parameters (density, distribution type, filters...) and controls *what* is scattered ([objects](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/scattered-objects)) and *where* ([hosts](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/hosts)).

A SketchUp model can contain many compositions. For instance, a landscape architect could create a composition for grass, another one for a tree grove, yet another one for gravel on the ground, and so on.

There are several ways to create a new composition:

* Click the *New composition* <img src="https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkBdWY_-mMmBMyRLK9k%2F-MkBegLl0Q4c36Eha0nW%2FSkatter_logo_24.png?alt=media&#x26;token=44229c69-7cc2-4164-94ee-a2dbbbb008dd" alt="" data-size="original"> button in Skatter's toolbar
* Click the *Composition manager* <img src="https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCwkgs1u1YC5ImSdcq%2Fcompositions_manager_icon.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b730e9f1-33de-4bd0-9b05-02f81edd3c97" alt="" data-size="original"> button in Skatter's toolbar and then click the <img src="https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCwp18QMH9JdaY7Em1%2Fcompositions_manager_add.png?alt=media&#x26;token=31a0b8f3-1d95-46d6-a9d5-8fc08b190bbf" alt="" data-size="original"> icon
* Use `Extensions > Skatter 2 > New composition` in SketchUp's menus

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCuUCAFoj7l5rxX-w_%2Fcreate_composition.gif?alt=media\&token=ea2c8272-7206-436c-8c0b-8cf159ace8af)

A composition is made of three main parts:

* The *What*: the [objects](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/scattered-objects) that you want to scatter. For instance, a tree model that you want to clone many times to create a forest.
* The *Where*: the location where you want to distribute these objects. In our forest example, that would be the terrain. These are the [hosts](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/hosts).
* The *How*: the parameters used to define how the objects are distributed. This can be the density, the objects' orientation, and other parameters used to fine-tune the distribution, such as [masks](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/masks) and [filters](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/filters).

### 2. Pick a host

We call the geometry that will receive scattered objects "[hosts](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/hosts)". Here, we select the terrain as a [surface host](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/hosts#surface-hosts).<br>

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCu8VcuSbwRzDsKmwW%2Fpick_surface.gif?alt=media\&token=d99e76a6-a331-4d93-ac4b-22fde72fbc28)

### 3. Pick objects to scatter

Now, select which [objects](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/scattered-objects) will be automatically cloned thousands of times by Skatter. We call each copy of an object that is scattered on the host an *instance*.<br>

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCub6V4dsWI-xg9FLn%2Fpick_objects.gif?alt=media\&token=bf2b9fe6-048f-4300-942e-6a082d4988b7)

### 4. Generate the composition

Click the Generate button to create the instances in the SketchUp model

Congratulations, you just made your first Skatter composition!<br>

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCufIo_kDQ2IdQXFcg%2Fgenerate_in_model.gif?alt=media\&token=19b1216c-cc64-4c82-b9e7-187f4b1bfea2)

Alternatively, switch to [Render only](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/generating#render-only-generation) mode. This time, instances won't be generated in the model, but they will be sent directly to your render engine (V-Ray in this example).&#x20;

This is very useful when you want to generate thousands of objects without slowing down SketchUp's viewport.

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCuis9dgEpGneihUyQ%2Fgenerate_render_only.gif?alt=media\&token=cda53e13-7807-417f-b84a-aad8dfb301c0)

### 5. Draw a mask

There are [many types of masks](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/masks) available to restrict where objects can and cannot be scattered.

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkC3TkHbsmQ0Z98TfiZ%2F-MkCuo6X_SpZ40Im6ckU%2Fmasks.gif?alt=media\&token=c478f229-f46e-4821-97f8-3054e2e51399)

### 6. 3D Bazaar

Browse the [3D Bazaar marketplace](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/3d-bazaar) to find pre-configured Skatter compositions, like grass, trees, etc.

![](https://777932824-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MJXK0YXrcDUpbe_Du_o%2F-MkNLlZEwsnH0LLEXkaG%2F-MkNX3qYwPqURaESzeqf%2F3dbazaar.gif?alt=media\&token=954c4bf1-e1ac-4e63-b391-089e5bde8591)

### 7. Explore

You can now play with each setting to understand what they do.

All the parameters are described in [the manual](https://skatter.help.lindale.io/manual/things-to-know), but there's nothing better than experimenting by yourself!<br>