Thanks you all for your kind comments. it’s the first render I have been truly happy with, but there is always room for improvement.
I’ve really just started exploring the possibilities of IRender Plus with the soft shadows, bump mats, procedural textures etc, and am gradually working through the Accurender tuts as IRender is based on this program.
This was my first go at using the interior lighting tut, I found on the Accurender site
Biebel to answer your queries
There are a few good examples on the IRender site http://forums.renderplus.com/gallery/, which are improving all the time.
I tend to look at the Accurender http://gallery.mcneel.com/?g=43site for a pointer to what IRender is really capable of. Accurender have just updated their gallery this weekend.
The work flow - import Autocad if necessary - model in Sketchup, set material reflections, glow, lights etc in Sketchup with IRender, adjust settings ie chose Sketchup settings and or environs in IRender, or a mixture, and then choose radiosity, followed by raytrace, or just raytrace.
You can save the environs etc and re load for another model. There was no post tweaking to the render, but you can use the tone operator. I just used the default setting
I’m in the process of producing a tut for this render to show the settings used, it will give you more of an idea of my workflow.
I don’t know what the render time was, as it was running in the background while I did my real work designing pubs in Autocad LT. I’ll re render to find out. I very rarely get the chance to use Sketchup and IRender.
Oh and would you believe it, the very very first IRender I did just appeared in Oct 3D World magazine, in a review of Vray with a comparison of the basic IRender and TurboSketch Studio, fame at last!!, but anonymously as no credits, but that may be a good thing. It seems a little unfair as in my opinion they should have compared Vray to IRender Plus.
NB For people using Macs Oct 3D World has the full Cheetah3d 2.6.1 CD included.
Richcat