FREE Maxwell Render for Sketchup (free version).

jason_maranto

I cover custom aspect ratios in video 4/8 of this playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC6E0E0B6921A94E5

Best,
Jason.

pbacot

Thank you Jason! I know I'd seen that before, but at the time I didn't know how I'd use it--so I guess it slipped my mind. That should do the trick.

Peter

Cubcrafter

I have been going thru this tread and the Maxwell for SketchUp looks like it could be a good render for what I want to do. I am an architect and I have no experience at all with rendering.
First I would like to be able to do clay renderings, but I do not know where to begin. I design R/C aircraft that I laser cut and kit and I would like to do a clay rendering of this attached image that I have done all of the work in SketchUp.

This is a Eindecker EIII at 1/3 scale - 135" wingspan. I would like to put clay renderings into the assembly instructions.

I have downloaded the free plugin and watched some of the videos but I didn't see anything about clay renderings.

Are there any tutorials or guides that could get me started with clay renderings.

Thanks,

Larry

Over view

What I would like to be able to do

Wing closeup

jason_maranto

In the plugin Scene Manager go to the "Output" tab and find the "Materials" subsection -- there you will see a checkbox to enable material overide, which when activated will allow you to load any MXM you might like to use for your clay material (I've attached a simple one).

You can get more MXMs from http://resources.maxwellrender.com and I have a large array of colors (183 based on the RAL system) you might find useful for clay renders here: http://resources.maxwellrender.com/scripts/Diffuse1_9227.zip

Best,
Jason.

basic_clay.zip

Cubcrafter

Thanks Jason,

This got me started. I assume that when I purchase the license the quality of the image will improve with the higher dpi.

Any tricks for using background colors in the SketchUp file to get better contrast with the clay render.
This looks like it will be fun and let me present my work in a new and interesting way, both my architecture and aircraft work.

Thanks,

Larry

First try

jason_maranto

It looks like you are using Skydome to render in that example -- you set your environmental lighting under the "Environment" tab of the Scene Manager. For this I would probabaly start with a type of "Physical Sky" with the Sun enabled.

Render quality is directly related to SL/time -- meaning higher SL/render time will result in better images. This is set using the "Settings" icon in the Maxwell Fire window. I tend to render to SL 18 for final clay renders...

Also be careful to manage camera focus parameters because strong depth of field effects increase render time -- I typically use a f-stop of 16 unless I know I need depth of field.

Best,
Jason.

Cubcrafter

Thanks,

I know just enough now to be dangerous so I'm going to watch those 8 videos on the web site again and go thru the manual. They will have more meaning to me now.

Thanks,

Larry

utiler

I have a question. I have edited the GE aerial image I bought into my model as well as applying transparency to my trees but when I run Maxwell, I can't work out how to show these textures / colours other than a highly polished highly reflective material!!!!

Is it something to do with my transparency?

jason_maranto

SketchUp (SKM) material opacity lower than 100% is interpreted by the Maxwell plugin as becoming more and more "AGS" (A simple material made to mimic glass reflections) as it reduces opacity. The solution to create these type of "false transparent" materials in SketchUp to Maxwell is to use images in PNG format that contain transparency data (as an alpha channel) for creating your SketchUp objects -- the Maxwell plugin will render these PNG based "SKM" materials as normal diffuse-type materials while respecting the transparency data in the images alpha channel.

Best,
Jason.

utiler

Thanks Jason, I'll give it a whirl!

utiler

Got it, Jason!!
Another thing; with the latest release I notice that when you click the Fire render button it starts rendering straight away... can that be changed? I recall the previous versions would allow you to edit the parameters of the render before firing up!!

pbacot

Just open the scene editor without hitting the Fire button... but I haven't upgraded yet. Doesn't that still work?

jason_maranto

In the Maxwell Scene Manager>"Options" tab>"General" subsection you should see a "Start Maxwell Fire" option, which you will want to set to "Manually".

Best.
Jason.

utiler

That's what I needed, thanks Jason!!

pbacot

Is the requirement for Silverlight 4 with Fire going to end soon? I now have the choice to watch movies or run Maxwell... Whereas it's so slow I would like to do both at once

jason_maranto

Silverlight is being phased out -- the Grass palette is a preview of this, as per this post: http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=357436#p357436

Best,
Jason.

pbacot

Thanks Jason! That's interesting and good to hear. Peter

utiler

Am I right in saying that Maxwell doesn't recognize section cuts and hence won't render floor plans?

jason_maranto

Maxwell does not currently recognize section cuts (because they are not real geometry) -- Maxwell has something similar called Z-Clipping, which can be used for floor plans... however it's worth noting that Maxwell also has some issues with non-perspective based camera views. So a true floor plan would be tricky (though if you are willing to accept a slight fudge factor it can be done).

Best,
Jason.

utiler

Thanks Jason,

Are you talking about the full Maxwell Suite or Maxwell for SketchUp?

As for non perspective based views I guess I could wind out the FOV to near 0 and render..?