Struggling to learn about rendering.

[T_Osborn]

I feel really stupid. For the past several months I've been teaching myself the use of Sketchup (the free version) as an aid in designing woodworking projects. After many hours of trial and error, I'm becoming pretty functional, though far, far from proficient. Lots more practice will help (I hope). I have no prior experience with design or drawing software--I'm only a finish carpenter, currently unemployed. Sketchup's developers surely succeeded in creating fairly intuitive, yet powerful, software.

While looking specifically for woodworking-oriented Sketchup helps online, I discovered the world of photorealistic rendering, and that seemed the logical next thing to add to my study. I've ended up trying Kerkythea, because it's free, but the tutorials are largely beyond my grasp. It appears you'd need an advanced degree in optical physics to get through just the Kerkythea Materials Editor Tutorial. Understanding material editing seems to be the crux of doing much at all with rendering for something other than a crude, cartoonish result. So I am feeling exceptionally dumb.

I really, really hate bothering others for help with computer-related subjects due to past experiences, but I'm very much stuck here. The Kerk tutorials are littered with arcane technical terms that mostly get no explanation, so I'm left thinking that there's a comprehensive background knowledge assumed. Is all rendering software like this?

What I want to ask is, is there a rendering software with a body of documentation that a complete noob would have a chance at learning? Documentation with clear definitions of terminology in something approaching layman's language? I try really hard to go and do my studying privately so as not to irritate the vets with elementary questions.

Although I'm presently without work, I wouldn't limit my question to only free software. If there's something appropriate that's costly, then I'll just file the suggestion away for better economic times, assuming they ever get here. I guess it kind of goes without saying that I'm bound to the free version of Sketchup for the time being ( ), so maybe Kerk is 'where it's at' for someone in my circumstance.

[jpalm32]

Maybe Dave can help
http://www.finewoodworking.com/blog/design-click-build

[jason_maranto]

There is a free version of the Maxwell Render plugin available (which works with the free version of SketchUp), which I have already done many video tutorials for (some of them are free as well).

But most importantly for you, I have also created the entire Arroway veneer library as MXM materials ready-to-go... you don't need to know anything about the Maxwell material system at all to use these, and they will give very nice results for a wide variety of woodworking renders.

You would need to buy the Arroway veneer textures to use these, but everything else would be absolutely free.

You can get the free MXM materials
here:http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=38473

You can get the free SketchUp materials that link to the MXMs here: http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=38528

You can buy the Arroway Textures here: http://www.arroway-textures.com/en/products

The free Maxwell plugin can be downloaded here: http://www.maxwellrender.com/index.php/maxwell_for_google_sketchup/download_buy

And you can find some video tutorials here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC6E0E0B6921A94E5
and here:
http://www.vtc.com/products/Google-SketchUp-to-Maxwell-Render-Workflow-Tutorials.htm

Best,
Jason.

[vidy]

Hi there,

This might sounds a little repetitive, but you might check renderin.com , for a beginner render-er this software have a very easy learning curve.

cheers,
vd

[notareal]

It true that getting used to Kerkythea might take a bit work, but here are few fast start tutorials for Kerkythea
http://www.sketchupartists.org/tutorials/sketchup-and-kerkythea-fast-start-4architects/
http://www.sketchupartists.org/2010/10/kerkythea-take-a-deeper-look-at-materials/

Naturally all Kerkythea tutorials can be find from the tutorials master list , but I'd start from those two.

Twilight render is a low cost alternative, based on Kerkythea engine, but made with a easy to approach UI.

And not to be forgot, if Kerkythea or Twilight do not offer enough for your needs, there is always the Thea render , that can import Kerkythea and Twilight scenes. Thea Render will soon have a easy to approach, Sketchup integrated, version.

Thea Render for SketchUp:
[flash=854,480:69it9orq]http://www.youtube.com/v/RyHAIClzqT4[/flash:69it9orq]

[T_Osborn]

@jpalm32 said:

Maybe Dave can help
http://www.finewoodworking.com/blog/design-click-build

Indeed, Dave Richards went out of his way to try and help me get started with importing, then lighting, a Sketchup scene I had created. Dave set aside a part of his Saturday evening to work with me via an internet conference call session, and I was able to watch him work with Kerkythea on my own monitor. The number of buttons, sliders, switches, and rendering settings to toggle is mind boggling, but I guess it'll start to make sense after a whole lot of repetition.

It's been difficult to remember much of it afterwards, but lots of experimentation will hopefully make my understanding improve. This is a very tough kind of software to learn from scratch, as I have no prior photography or rendering experience. It's the first time that my CPU has ever had to work so hard (4 cores pegged for the duration of a test render).

[T_Osborn]

@notareal said:

It true that getting used to Kerkythea might take a bit work, but here are few fast start tutorials for Kerkythea
http://www.sketchupartists.org/tutorials/sketchup-and-kerkythea-fast-start-4architects/
http://www.sketchupartists.org/2010/10/kerkythea-take-a-deeper-look-at-materials/

I did download and print the available Kerkythea tutorials so that I could read through them as needed. My trouble is that I am kind of slow to pick up on technical things, and the vast array of adjustments to be made within Kerkythea leave me kind of lost. I want to make clear that I greatly appreciate the work put into writing Kerkythea, and especially that it has been made available to anyone at no cost. That allowed someone like me to give it a try.

Where I stumble, mostly, is that I tend to think in intuitive ways, but highly technical things often have little inherent intuitive character (e.g., choosing a 'color' to determine a degree of shininess or other characteristic besides an actual color). I also fall way behind in the tutorials when it is suggested to pick a setting or value, but there is no real explanation as to why, or what makes certain settings appropriate, or why other switches in the configuration window are left alone. It probably all makes good sense for those who have plenty of prior modeling and rendering experience in other softwares--that's something I do not have. I imagine it is very challenging and time consuming to construct tutorials for complete newbies.

I will keep trying

[vidy]

Hi Tom,

This piece of spirit will make you shine and good

@t_osborn said:

I will keep trying

Don't stop n give up..

regards,
vd