Thea Render is about to be launched..(edit available now)

AdamB

I think it is unfair. Do you have latest LightUp version installed?
Please notify me if you experience problems with LightUp while having WxSU 0.3 installed. This message must be annoying to you. Does it show up every SU start?

I also hope Adam will test the SU-2-Thea plugin and revise his opinion or help me to resolve any potential problems.

This is about WxSU not playing well with SketchUp. Its not about SU-2-Thea per se - though I appreciate if you've built on WxSU, you'll run into this.

The problem is WxSU does some truly heinous hacks of Ruby to work under SketchUp. Specifically, it tries to hide the problem by lowering the priority of the thread in an attempt to make sure it doesn't run.. Firstly this is a shit solution. Secondly, as soon as somebody sleeps, the thread will be scheduled and if you've not got a WxSU window open, it just breaks.

I tried to get the author of WxSU to address the issue but didn't anywhere and got tired of endless support of LightUp regarding this issue.

tomasz

@adamb said:

I tried to get the author of WxSU to address the issue but didn't anywhere and got tired of endless support of LightUp regarding this issue.

Thanks Adam for the explanation. I am in contact with Peter and hope to have the 'sleep' issue resolved soon.

pilou

@Gaieus thx for the precisions !

dtrarch

Hi Tomasz

I have SU 7.1 free and SU 6 pro installed but SU2TH only shows SU 6 as an install option.
??
Good news is that SU2TH is very quick.

Thanks

Dave

tomasz

@dtrarch said:

SU2TH only shows SU 6 as an install option.??

Hmm. It checks "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Google SketchUp 7\InstallLocation", maybe you have installed SU just for a single user.. Quick solution - install it to C:\TempSU2TH and move all files to SU7\Plugins folder.

AdamB

@unknownuser said:

@adamb said:

I tried to get the author of WxSU to address the issue but didn't anywhere and got tired of endless support of LightUp regarding this issue.

Thanks Adam for the explanation. I am in contact with Peter and hope to have the 'sleep' issue resolved soon.

Well good luck..

I just downloaded your installer to check the WxSU version and ensure I'm not just becoming grumpy in my old age, and indeed WxSU still has this special code in "App.rb":


    # This is the main entry point to the WxSU;;App object.  This method performs some thread kludges 
    # so that wxRuby and SketchUp play well together.
    # After creating an App object with 'new', call 'start' to initiate wxRuby.
    # For example;
    #   WxSU;;App.new.start
    def start
      if (not is_main_loop_running)
        @thread = Thread.new { main_loop }
        @thread.priority = -1  # Kludge to lower the priority of wx; seems to work really well
      end
      return(self)
    end

Now wash your hands.

EarthMover

I had problems previously with WxSU when Chris Fulmer used it for one of his color plugins and I had to delete it.

It seems now the same problems for me with the SU2TH exporter. Once I use the exporter and call the WxSU plugin, I am able to export to Thea just fine, but to try and go back and continue working in the SU window, I am having SU freeze up. I tried it with three different scenarios, including a simple scene export with just a box. To go back and work in SU after exporting causes SU to lock up. It's the exact same thing that was happening after running Chris's plugin and for me. It was always traced back to the WxSU tie in.

dtrarch

Thomasz

Thanks

Will give it a try

Dave

tomasz

@earthmover said:

to try and go back and continue working in the SU window, I am having SU freeze up.

Yep. It is an issue that is present in SU7. Surprisingly It doesn't appear in SU6. I believe it is related to how SU deals with separate threads. I need to look at it much closer.

tomot

Its really sad! but a fact of life I suppose, that all these plugins sooner or later cause problems. Even my Windows Tools ruby which I wrote last year, now has problems running under SU 7. And it was not till I uninstalled Vray 01.05.30 that all my exiting SU problems went away.

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26342

Its almost enough to make me watch Idol or Survivor.....but not quite

dtrarch

Thomasz

Install for V7 worked as you suggested and thanks again.
Quick eval for Thea.
Very technical and full featured.
Not for the point and shoot user that wants a quick and easy output.
Kt as it stands actually seems easier to get to solution for Photon mapped output.
No object animation either.

Hmmm?

Dave

AdamB

@pixero said:

@unknownuser said:

@pixero said:

Anyone but me who gets a wxSU warning/error upon SU launch?
It warns about possible problems with other plugins like LightUp.

Can you post exact message, please?
SU-2-Thea uses WxSU 0.3 version in which interaction issues with other software has been resolved.

Here it is.
Maybe it's LightUp's own wxSU warning?

You can disable LightUp warnings like this by opening the Ruby Console and typing:

Sketchup.write_default("LightUp", "Warnings", false)

But be aware that currently WxSU does have fundamental problems working with other plugins.

tomasz

@dtrarch said:

Quick eval for Thea.
Very technical and full featured.
Not for the point and shoot user that wants a quick and easy output.

Unbiased methods give excellent results without touching any settings. TR1 is especially efficient with exterior shots. Biassed method requires serious knowledge, but once set-up correctly is way faster then unbiased.

@dtrarch said:

No object animation either.

The exporter is still in beta stage and lacks animation and environment settings. During open beta all bugs should be ironed out and missing features added.

reymond

how is the speed?
is as fast thea as vray?
does someone know that?

I use Maxwell, is not as fast as vray but a perfect quality.

dedmin

just try it - there are more things to consider than the speed. Price, platforms, plugins, interface, possibilities and variations. If You use Thea You can easily use Kerkythea or Twilight. You can use it with SketchUP or with other plugins or with any application that can export 3ds or obj. You can use it on PC, MAC or Linux. You have biased and unbiased render in one package. Price as of now - €161.16 Thea Render application license + 2 node licenses.
Give me a better offer?

dtrarch

Thomasz

Problem with SU 7.1 here too.

Lockup on run and had to re-install the plugin again as well.
Could use some "Camera" pre-sets as used in Thea as there seems to be over exposure in the default Thea render settings.
f stop shutter speed iso etc.

Truth is that KT, Twilight are plenty good enough for most presentation work.

Thea is of course the next step up for close in and interior killer PReal for those who need that level of output.
Sort of KT on steroids.

Pricing is fair but not compelling.

Dave

Richard

@reymond said:

how is the speed?
is as fast thea as vray?
does someone know that?

I use Maxwell, is not as fast as vray but a perfect quality.

Be mindful it ain't anywhere as easy to get a grip with!!

Frederik

@richard said:

Be mindful it ain't anywhere as easy to get a grip with!!

Que...???

Would you mind elaborating a bit more on this, Richard...?

From what I've seen on the Thea Forum, users find the UI (in particular the Material Editor) really easy and intuitive...

Richard

@frederik said:

@richard said:

Be mindful it ain't anywhere as easy to get a grip with!!

Que...???

Would you mind elaborating a bit more on this, Richard...?

From what I've seen on the Thea Forum, users find the UI (in particular the Material Editor) really easy and intuitive...

Mate I'm just responding to red's point that he has maxwell! Although the response to Thea is good though for me (I'm not a manual reader) so finding the UI no where near as easy to use as MR studio.

Albiet Thea has some amazing features, lighting setup for points and spots is BRILLIANT!!!!! The general workflow is unfortunately very clicky, the material editor has some great points though at the same clicky again. Hiding stuff in drop downs is for me not ideal.

I have to be honest I probably got a bit disappointed on first trial and still riding on that - for some reason get pig headed about reading manuals, I normally give up at that point and deem a workflow unintuitive. I understand a lot of tool tips are missing and realise this will ease things a great deal.

One thing I would love to see is the option when opening studio is a button that straight up says Unbiased / Biased / Hybrid mode - if selecting Unbiased about 60% of variables disappear.

I guess too it's hard when your spoilt with simplicity!!

Having to adapt to a seeingly more complex workflow for the want of some VERY creditable enhancements is just something I might have to get my head around! As I said i have probably just felt some disappointment that some things seem to have been made overly more difficult than possible!

Though will still stand by my point to Red that maxwell's workflow is remarkably much easier so beware of that!! And possibly simply by the way everything is on show and one doesn't need to hunt!!

Rant Rant Rant!!

Frederik

Thanks for taking your time to elaborate on your first post...
Much appreciated, mate...

I haven't played with Maxwell for some years, but back when I did, I gave up because I found it far to complicated... (besides, my focus was on other render apps.)...

@richard said:

...the material editor has some great points though at the same clicky again.

I won't and can't deny that there are some "clicky-clicky" elements in Thea UI, but I'm also quite certain that Giannis and the team will find new and more intuitive ways to avoid these and many of these will thereby be illiminated over time...

@richard said:

I have to be honest I probably got a bit disappointed on first trial and still riding on that...

I appreciate your honesty...
However, Please remember that Thea Render is in first open beta stage...

@richard said:

I guess too it's hard when your spoilt with simplicity!!

I agree 100% with you here...
Moreover, when you're used to a certain workflow it can be difficult to adapt another UI (I.e. if you're used to work with Adobe's various apps. it's difficult to adapt Corel's apps., although they do the same and have many equal functions)...

@richard said:

Though will still stand by my point to Red that maxwell's workflow is remarkably much easier so beware of that!!

I've taken your point further and I know that Giannis and the team will listen to your comments and work on new ideas to make things easier...