Kerkythea help needed

Donovan

So I want to start rendering and as thinking of using Kerkythea. The "tutorials" are baffling and I'm not having much luck. Is there any SU/KT artists in Los Angeles /OC who would be willing to meet and help me get going for a fee? Yeah that's right I'm at my wits end and am willing to pay to play.... anyone up for it?
Thanks,
Donovan

Ecuadorian

I don't get it... For what you might be paying someone in LA to tutor you in Kerkyteha, why not give Twilight Render a try? It's basically "Kerkythea for the rest of us".

simon le bon

Hi Donovan,

I'm not far to be a beginner too in rendering. I'm using KerkyThea and I'm a registered user of Thea Render (a super product from the same team as Kerky)

I'm from France: it is a bit far from LA isn't it

What can I say is that if you are really interested in rendering, KerkyThea is an excellent choice. I mean it is not a 5 minutes renderer solution but a complex tool which introduce to top engines like Vray ...
I love TheaRender which is a sumptuous engine (and cheap ) and may be simpler than Kerky! But actually as it is in the rush of development, there very few help and tutorials available.

Well, come back to KerkyThea:

Understand the very first beginning is the point, and I agree that tutorials seem to begin for intermediate level.

Here are some of my (very helpy links)

The first one is in french but you know tool to translate I'm sure:

Les matériaux avec Kerkythea

from the same guy:
Le lighting avec Kerkythea

In the same idea, tutorials by our famous SCFer Majid:
Google SketchUp and Kerkythea – fast start 4Architects

Kerkythea – take a deeper look at materials

and a very instructive video set (in french I'm sorry) by another famous guy in SCF french section:
All Eulgrand's Videos

After that (may be only after)
I advise you to "read" (I mean page after page)
The difinitive Material Editor Guide by Patrick for KT 2007

And Don't forget these Kerky so useful links:
Kt2008 tutorials Master Listing

and to work with:
The basic K ball for all render methods

And this is may be the main tip I can give to you:
Probably the best way to learn is to open the materials done and shared by experimented users (in materials section) and analyze and dismount and make variations with them.

The second trick if you are in the hurry is to take a material not far from what you need and start from its construction to adapt it at what you need

hope that can help
and please no money!

Cheers, simonlebon

Donovan

Simon,
Thanks so much for the helpful advice, I'll use the links you gave me in the next few days. Today I need to do some shade study animations in SU, I just got Sony Vega Movie Studio installed yesterday and have yet to crack it open, so today is all about the animations and titles and music and stuff like that.
I'm dead serious about rendering and have been trying to decide on an affordable solution so it is natural I would want to give KT a shot. If I'm digging it Thearender would be a probable next software, I've been reading quite a bit and looking at different rendering results from all kinds of renderers that work well with SU. In the end it looks like I'm in for the long haul, I'm going down the modeling/rendering/animation worm hole, new software, new computer and moniters, the works. I have a background in landscape architecture and construction and am changing my focus to 3D site design and renderings. I can market this stuff and make my way in the world without much trouble. Over the last few years I have been doing a lot of design development with SU, working with other LAs and designers and it's working out very well for me, so I'm investing in new skill sets to build on the skill set I already have.

In any event, thanks again for your lengthy and informative post, if you are any indication of the general tone of sketchucation then it looks like I'm in the right place.

Ecuadorian,
Thanks for the advice, I have a demo version already installed on my computer and will be checking it out. I intend to learn several renderers over the period of the next year or so, I can already see a software jones coming on.

James,
I'll follow your link soon, from the title it looks like it would be just what I may need. Thanks for posting.

For anyone in L.A. I'm still game for pay to play instruction. I could really use a decent KT renderer in the near future, I already have projects that could use some renderings, and want to make them a regular part of my process. Post if you can help and we'll work out the details.
Cheers,
Donovan

solo

Willing to pay for flights, hotel, meals and lots of beer?

Seriously though, I think that a workshop where folks can meet and concentrate on one product like say Thea or Vray rendering in Sketchup could be a great thing. I'd be willing to help out where needed.