Best inside SU renderer under $200
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Don't forget Podium, works inside and is $179.00. the new version 2 coming out, now in free beta, seems to be quite an improvement. Pretty simple to use and I have found it to meet my needs. I have not seen or created many examples that someone will mistake for real time photographs, but it is good, specially for interiors.
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..and Kerkythea's free. No kidding. I like to know the reason why many are overlooking the free program unless they feel support will be lost. I'm sure you can get other features in the paid programs but Kerkthea can turn out some great professional renders with minimum post pro. You should look into it. Don't underestinate free.
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Why don't you test a software like Thea render? Runs out of SU, but I found speed improvement and quality.
Is an Unbiased rendering software like Twilight, so these both for interiors are great,You can download the demo, and test all of them, and see what is good for you!! instead of think in a top price.I have IRenderNxt, and also Podium, Twilight and Thea, I use IRenderNxt and/or Podium for some kind of clients, and when I have work as a freelance I use Twilight and/or Thea
And for exteriors Vue (e-on software)
I have some clients that they only want NPR renderings, so I use Piranesi.All are very good, I have used all of them, always depends on the work, the client.
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Thank you all for your advice, I will slowly go thru and check out each of these options one at a time to see what works best. I'll use the same model with each option and see what each option creates.
Thanks Again,
Matte -
I've been following this thread and am interested in any new developments/opinions from the OP?
Would love to hear what you ended up with.
Thanks,
O2bwln -
I will post the comparison images each renderer did as soon as Im done, along with seamed good and bad things about each one. But to let you know I am not looking for which type of renderer will do a perfect image after days and days of calculations. I'm looking for something more realistic, so I am doing quality at 5, 15, 30 min. and an hour. Im looking for something to add extra "feel" to the scenes with lights placed where needed. Ill also let you know what was good and bad about each type of light from the different packages. My present goal is to limit it to the two "best" and then look more under the hood of those two. Hopefully it will not take to much longer. Im having a problem reinstalling IDX renditioner at the moment. And there was one other I wanted to test. But the ones for Shaderlight, twilight, indigo, and podium are done already. I'll keep you posted.
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@lapx said:
..and Kerkythea's free. No kidding. I like to know the reason why many are overlooking the free program unless they feel support will be lost. I'm sure you can get other features in the paid programs but Kerkthea can turn out some great professional renders with minimum post pro. You should look into it. Don't underestinate free.
one reason for that can be the fact it does not work inside sketchup. twilight seems to be their attempt to overcome this limitation.
I would emphatically recommend podium, especially if your focus is the project not the render. it's a one-click renderer and results are fantastic with very little effort.
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@edson said:
one reason for that can be the fact it does not work inside sketchup.
Good point...
But I can see that Matte also have given Indigo a test and according to my knowledge, it doesn't run inside SU either...
@edson said:
twilight seems to be their attempt to overcome this limitation.
Somehow I find this a slightly odd way of putting things...
Unlike others, we've never tried to hide that the render engine behind Twilight is Kerkythea...@edson said:
I would emphatically recommend podium
Emphatically...
Why...??
I understand it from your personal point of view, Edson, since we still haven't succeeded making a Mac OS platform of TWR, however, please also remember that it's the KT engine running behind all versions of Podium prior to v.2... -
@frederik said:
@edson said:
twilight seems to be their attempt to overcome this limitation.
Somehow I find this a slightly odd way of putting things...
Unlike others, we've never tried to hide that the render engine behind Twilight is Kerkythea...He's not implying otherwise, Kim. All he's saying, is that KT doesn't run inside SU, and TW does. Which, of course, is true.
@frederik said:
@edson said:
I would emphatically recommend podium
Emphatically...
Why...??
I understand it from your personal point of view, Edson, since we still haven't succeeded making a Mac OS platform of TWR, however, please also remember that it's the KT engine running behind all versions of Podium prior to v.2...He knows. Like almost every SU user, including myself, out there knows. Why do we know? Because the Podium team never concealed the fact Podium 1 runs on KT. And because you keep telling us. Over and over. Which is okay, obviously. The bitchy attitude, however, isn't. So stop it, please. And don't give me "I don't know what you're talking about".
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@unknownuser said:
@edson said:
twilight seems to be their attempt to overcome this limitation.
Somehow I find this a slightly odd way of putting things...
Unlike others, we've never tried to hide that the render engine behind Twilight is Kerkythea...kim,
it is your right to find it odd but this is exactly what I am trying to say: twilight is KT inside sketchup and with much simpler operation. what is odd about this? it is even a kind of compliment to the KT guys who understood the limitations of what they were offering.@unknownuser said:
@edson said:
I would emphatically recommend podium
Emphatically...
Why...??
I understand it from your personal point of view, Edson, since we still haven't succeeded making a Mac OS platform of TWR, however, please also remember that it's the KT engine running behind all versions of Podium prior to v.2...emphatically, yes a 1000 times because no other renderer has allowed me to concentrate on the architecture and come up with quite decent renders that are more than enough for me. I cannot say this much about any other app. and V2 (which, by the way, no longer uses the KT engine) is proving to be even better than v1.7.
no application or render plugin I know of produces the renders podium does with so little tweaking.
as for twilight, it does not exist for me as there is no mac version YET (how can this take so long!!!). I hear good things about it and have no problems recommending it to my students who have windows machines.
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@unknownuser said:
The bitchy attitude, however, isn't. So stop it, please. And don't give me "I don't know what you're talking about".
Didn't mean to sound "bitchy" - but point taken...
@edson said:
what is odd about this?
Perhaps I'm being nit-picking, but like I wrote, I find the wording "seems to be their attempt" a little odd...
I don't see TWR as an "attempt"... I feel we've succeeded and have made a very good application...
Furthermore I don't like the word "seems" in connection to the word "attempt"...@edson said:
emphatically, yes a 1000 times because no other renderer has allowed me to concentrate on the architecture and come up with quite decent renders that are more than enough for me. I cannot say this much about any other app. and V2 (which, by the way, no longer uses the KT engine) is proving to be even better than v1.7.
I respect your personal preferences, but feel that your wording is very strong and in a somehow derogatory manner toward other render applications (not only TWR and KT)...
Remember that you're a Global Moderator (equal with an ambassador) for the SCF...@edson said:
as for twilight, it does not exist for me as there is no mac version YET
Yet there's a lot of mac users who are able to run TWR...
@edson said:
(how can this take so long!!!)
Because you simply can't compile the code from Win to Mac...
But it's being worked on...
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dear kim,
first of all, let me emphasize that this is meant as a friendly and respectful exchange of points of view. some people here may think we are starting one of those lengthy internet fights... we know better than that.
@unknownuser said:
Perhaps I'm being nit-picking, but like I wrote, I find the wording "seems to be their attempt" a little odd...
I don't see TWR as an "attempt"... I feel we've succeeded and have made a very good application...
Furthermore I don't like the word "seems" in connection to the word "attempt"...I can only be tentative about this because I have not had the chance to test twilight. thus "seems" and "attempt". there is no demeaning intent in the use of these terms.
@unknownuser said:
I respect your personal preferences, but feel that your wording is very strong and in a somehow derogatory manner toward other render applications (not only TWR and KT)...
Remember that you're a Global Moderator (equal with an ambassador) for the SCF...I did not mean to be derogatory. I am merely stating the truth. I challenge anyone to prove what I am saying about podium wrong. if you can show me an application that is simpler to operate and produces the same results I will switch to it on the spot.
all moderators here have their preferences and make them public very often. I have never been disrespectful to any application, plugin or member of the forum. although making my preferences public, I have recommended TW and KT many times before and will continue to do so as no app fits everyone.
@unknownuser said:
Yet there's a lot of mac users who are able to run TWR...
good for them. as for myself, I think virtualisation sucks for demanding applications. I am not going to be forced into windows just because some apps do not have a mac version. it means not only owning a licensed wmware copy (which I do) as well as windows and sketchup pro win (which I don't).
@unknownuser said:
Because you simply can't compile the code from Win to Mac...
But it's being worked on...that does not seem to be case with the developers of podium, idx renditioner, indigo, lightup, vray, artlantis, etc. they all managed to it.
regards,
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@unknownuser said:
Please remember that KT is available in native mac format - hence the reason why Podium has been available in mac format...
However, it's not just the render engine that needs to be available for mac and according to my knowledge, it's the user interface in TWR that has proved to cause some headache...
I'm sure this is about to get solved and you can try it yourself...yes. it seems that dealing with the UI is one of the challenges podium developers face.
as I have stated before, I am eager to try TW. it is a good idea to have several options for different situations. for that reason I have acquired LightUp which I am about to start testing soon.
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@edson said:
...some people here may think we are starting one of those lengthy internet fights... we know better than that.
Absolutely...
I didn't want to start such a fight...Besides... I acknowledge that each tool has it's place in the toolbox...
(Podium is doing a good job with many models, TWR is needed for other projects, etc...)@edson said:
that does not seem to be case with the developers of podium, idx renditioner, indigo, lightup, vray, artlantis, etc. they all managed to it.
As you know very well, I'm not a programmer...
Please remember that KT is available in native mac format - hence the reason why Podium has been available in mac format...
However, it's not just the render engine that needs to be available for mac and according to my knowledge, it's the user interface in TWR that has proved to cause some headache...
I'm sure this is about to get solved and you can try it yourself... -
@edson said:
some people here may think we are starting one of those lengthy internet fights... we know better than that.
That we do.
@edson said:
it is a good idea to have several options for different situations.
True. I have quite a few renderers - including TW - and while I don't use all of them often, I quite like every last one. They all have their strengths.
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Hi All,
I dont know how to properly upload text and images, I am going to attempt to cut and paste from "word", I hope this works?Nope no luck? Does anyone have any advice on uploading a group of images with text notes? Make a PDF and Insert?
Thanks Matte
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Yes it is not really objective. I think you should objectify the test or do not bother as it can show bias. Even with Cornell box one need to compare biased with biased and unbiased with unbiased.
For instance shaderlight is beta at moment without GI and artificial lighting.... Podium depends, and for that matter Twilight as well, on what preset one uses...etc... LUp is very easy to set up so can't inderstand your struggle.I have seen so many of these and none really gives me any more insight. It just show that you know how to set up one renderer better than the other.
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If anything this proofs the fact that render engine comparison is difficult.
If you want to compare render times/quality, scenes must be stagged similarly and illuminated in same way... now some engines use totally different materials and lights even render settings are far from matching. Comparing biased and unbiased render wont help the situation, some renderers like twilight can do both in different quality levels. I think a complex scene is more suitable for a workflow testing than render time/quality testing, as there is so much things to control.
If I may suggest, take a relatively simple scene like cornell box or a variation of it (a recreation of a jotero cornell box is available here also as obj). Use different materials, rough, glossy/blurred, metals, glass... Controlled environment will reveal most obvious faults in engine, like energy loss errors and so. Hope this helps and good luck. (btw, if you end up using cornell box, Thea will offer you couple scenes - ready to render - just to get some good reference renders) -
I agree 110% with both Notareal and Sepo...
I couldn't say this better myself, so allow me to take a quote from Pete (aka Solo):
@unknownuser said:
...you must realize having the tools does not make one a carpenter, meaning that there is a level of artistic talent and desire needed in order to set up a scene, composition, lighting, texturing, modeling, and so forth that requires one to have a genuine interest and find much enjoyment in what one is doing in order to succeed...
Although you've tested some different render applications, you must also acknowledge that it's difficult to compare the applications without a real deep insight experience with each of the different applications...
It's a really interesting topic, which is brought up from time to time...
I'd say that any user should go with whatever application they feels most comfortable with and also suits their needs the best...
Since they all offer some kind of a trial version, where the user can test the application, it should be possible to check it out...
Moreover... Altough you may feel one application is easy to adapt and also will meet your requirements, may be a completely different experience for another person...In a few years time, things have changed, current applications have (most likely) been upgraded and new applications have seen the light...
But - perhaps the most important part - you have developed your skills and thereby you may need other tools and more advanced applications to accomplish the projects you get...
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