Daniel Tal's new book "Rendering in Sketchup"
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This is a must read, buy it, it is underpriced for what it gives you. I am glad I got mine!!!! Here is my review in Amazon:
The Book:
amazon.com/gp/product/B00B9VZ2MU
My Review:
I am regarded as a rendering idiot when it comes to using Sketchup, so I was very interested in this book when it came out. I have a mastery of Sketchup, plug-in, Photoshop and have a very very very basic understanding of how rendering programs work and are utilized with Sketchup. I have looked all over the internet, through various websites and YouTube to try to get a good grasp rendering programs with not to much information. More importantly finding any information on how to actually use rendering programs effectivly is near impossible to find until now.
Daniel Tal is regarded as a Sketchup Master in rendering, and after reading through all 600+ pages (keeping me up late at night because I couldn't put this book down), he has shared every secret and work flow he know with no hold back in this book. All books on Sketchup out there are good, they give tips, information, examples, but Daniel Tal's book goes way beyond what is normally provided by an author. He shows workflows with great examples (in full color including screen shots), and as a Sketchup user workflows are everything in Sketchup.
Tal shows how to prepare, organize, implement, process and post process your models to achieve the maximum output from your model. In short summary (but not a complete overview these are just what jumped out to me) the book does an incredible job of conveying:
- An overview of his process and his objectives and goals in teaching you how to use rendering programs (he gives examples to all the major players out there and gives step by step instructions with accompanying photos on a few)
- Thoroughly explains computer hardware requirements for the budget minded and for the deep pocketed renderer
- Explains the foundations for a good effective workflow with textures, what they are, how they work, how to manipulate them, and where to find them.
- Gives excellent examples of how to tweak textures - I definitely learned some things here! I have always struggled with manipulating textures on and above the normal before reading this chapter.
- Shows how to utilize Photoshop for post processing and adjust your final output for a final tweak that pushes it over the edge to make it a professional looking render.
- Explains and gives great examples of layering strategies in organizing your model to keep the speed and efficiency of Sketchup to a maximum. (this took me a couple years to learn on my own - wish I had this chapter some time ago)
- The most important chapter of all, how to set your rendering apart from all the others, by creating details. Every master does this, but they never share it. How to bring randomness and staging to a model to breathe life into it. Simply put, here you learn how to play God.
- Provides excellent and very lengthy insight into lighting, placement, natural light artificial light and how the it affects the final output of the rendering. This has been hard for me to find anywhere else, and there are oodles of examples with cause and affects.
- Lastly giving step by step examples with screen shots in full color. This is like having someone grab your hand and walk you through the process.
In all honesty I hardly write reviews. However this book caught my attention, and it gave me more than I expected. I think the only mistake in the book is it is to cheap. I have paid over $100 for some architectural books, and I get half as much as I did from this one. This book gives you the tools to become productive, proficient in a vast variety of rendering programs. It gives you the "secret recipe" to succeed, simplistically and straight forward. You will be able to increase your skills to a level of artist if you are a casual user, or if you are a designer for hire like me, charge much more for your end product.
I enthusiastically recommend this book for any person wanting to learn rendering like myself if you are a rendering novice, or learn a tweak or two or three or four etc. etc. if you are an advanced user.
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Nice promo.
My opinion. Writing words doesn't give you the title of master. Build an impressive portfolio of rendering work first. A book can't make you a master of rendering any more than a book on music theory can make you a master musician or a book on kung fu can make you a master martial artist. That's why most big 3D studios don't hire many kids out of college. They hire the ones with solid vision and instincts who skipped college and worked their asses off to develop their style and portfolio.
BTW - Where is Daniel Tal's portfolio of stunning renders? Can't find it online. -
Title of masters are given, or an opinion, as a designer who is highly proficient in Autocad, Sketchup, and other programs, who used to do architectural rendering by hand, I think there is credibility in his words in that he basically deduced the book to giving terrific examples and workflows and to be able to do that you have to be a master in that field. Just as 1,788 post makes you a master in Sketchup commentary and application. I did not call him Da Vinci, a Master of Art and Science, but he definitely breaks down all elements in a thorough complete A to Z process where nobody else has. This is a book of process, thus he is a master of process, granted there are a million different ways to have workflow, but that does not lessen his understanding and ability to convey it successfully. Just curious, so Gertrude Jekyll was not a Master of Words? I am also a landscape architect who practices in the US and England and have no work online, and agree to disagree. Good points though, and they made me think. College guarantees nothing, I hated college because I had to sit around a bunch of people who had no talent when it came to drawing, oil painting, sculpting, etc, but without it, I would not be where I am today. I respect people as much who rebel, as those who conform, but I respect those most who master their field. A good read is "Outliers" by Malcom Gadwell, and that is you essentially become a "master" after you put 10,000 hours in with other conditions. He cites great examples with good interviews. Am I a master, I think not, I have roughly 45,000 hours in my fields, successful yes, but when it comes to rendering on a computer in Sketchup, I am worthless. People call me a master gardener in Europe and I laugh. Here if they call me a gardener I laugh to. I especially hate the term landscape architect, and just prefer designer. The funny part is I don't even practice landscape architecture anymore. Maybe someday I will be a master designer, but by Gadwell's terms I have achieved it........almost.
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Read Digital Lighting and Rendering by Jeremy Bim. Even though it from 2006 it is still relevant today.
Or Alex Schreyer's Architectural Design for SketchUp.
Sent from my iPad
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I think Solo (Pete Stoppel) is a Master Renderer in my humble opinion. Now if only he would do a series of Mini Publications for SketchUcation we could make him Rich and Famous!
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On the subject of mastery -- over the years I have learned alot from the most rank amateurs... likewise I have been astounded at the idiocy of the most well tenured "masters".
The problem as I see it has several layers. But being a "Master" (or "Expert") is essentially a meaningless position... mostly because it is based on 2 things which have little value in the rapidly shifting world of technology. Which is to say "Mastery" is basically an opinion others form about you, and that opinion is based on past performance.
What I would say is past performance only indicates what you knew then -- but in today's world what you know today is rapidly becoming obsolete... if you are not constantly gaining new knowledge/skill you are actually loosing ground. So past performance is really not a very good indicator of the value of an instructor in any type of technological setting.
This is made worse by the fact that many people choose to "rest on their laurels" once they achieve a certain amount of success -- choosing to "stick with what got you here" is a common mindset. That mindset will ultimately lead to mental stagnation and eventual putrification... and in today's world that can happen in just a few years.
I think a wiser course of action is to listen to everybody equally, and approach all who offer advice with an equal amounts of gratitude and skepticism.
Another thing to consider in this instance is successful teaching is its own distinct skillset -- one which is not insignificant in value. If somebody can successfully teach others even the most basic of tasks, then it is of much more value than a person with high level of personal output that cannot successfully explain how he arrived at the result.
However, it should be said I have no particular opinion (favorable or otherwise) on this book or author.
Best,
Jason. -
Hi Adam
I think you can find some of Daniels's work here...I think
http://www.ambit-3d.com/gallery.html -
I've got nothing against Daniel. He does great urban planning work. Rendering....
I think everyday there are new hordes of contractors, architects and designers who are feeling pressured into taking up 3D modeling and rendering. Most aren't doing it for love as most here are. I've done some teaching and on site training and I see a lot of the same false perceptions. No one wants to give up time to get where they want to go. They want a shortcut....a magic portal....a guru.....a master. They think that must be how others got where they want to be. Hell, it's all done on a computer so there must be a way to make the computer just magically do the work for you....if you know where the secrete buttons are.
My point is that I think there is a market there for people who are looking for help. I don't see any issue with capitalizing on that market of new users or new aspiring render artists. I still think it's a lot of false expectation. It's either you are born with artistic vision, high aptitude, massive memory and technical inclination, or you are not. The majority of people are not. The unique thing about 3D rendering in my opinion is that it takes a lot of both left and right sides of your brain. Most people only possess one or the other. Either good with the technical or good with the visual. Still it takes a ton of perseverance, dedication and peer review before you can realize if you have "it" or not. Most who have "it" don't worry too much about seeking out masters. They spend time on forums instead.
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Hello all,
I would like to thank Brian for the review. I was not invovled with the post being a promo in anyway. To address the question of ‘master renderer’ that Brian included in the review, while I appreciate the compliment, I would say that I in no way claim such a title. I would agree fully with Mike Lucy about Solo - simply some of the best work I have ever seen - that is an expert rendering artist.If anything, in the book I say do not expect to hyper-realistic results or becoming an expert renderer. The book is intended for people who are brand new to rendering or have been rendering and struggling with trying to get rendering working for them.
In fact, I am trying to address what Adam Hailsis saying in his post: “It's either you are born with artistic vision, high aptitude, massive memory and technical inclination, or you are not. The majority of people are not. The unique thing about 3D rendering in my opinion is that it takes a lot of both left and right sides of your brain”
That is a very valid point. Spend enough time teaching people SketchUp and you see an interesting spread - of 10 people in a class, 1 to 2 people will not get it all, 2 to 3 people will run with whatever you teach them and the remainder (5 to 6 people) will need to work at learning how to model on their own and with diligence.
So the book provides specific settings and approaches to help the 5 to 6 people that need more specific approaches.In terms of making an income on books, well, honestly its a labor of love. The return comes from intangibles, getting more work, speaking and teaching related to it then the book itself.
Thanks
Daniel Tal -
@Mike, thank you for your vote of confidence, however flattering I do not consider myself a master by any means, I still ask noob questions on Render forums, I also forget basic stuff if I do not use an app consistently.
Regarding Daniel Tal, who is a friend and a hell of a nice guy, I have his previous book 'A Guide to Modeling Site Plans, Terrain and Architecture' which is a great informative book which I learned a lot from, Daniel is a landscape architect and that book plays well into his strengths.
I do not own his new book and can only comment based on what I read on Amazon. To me it looks like a great book for beginners to intermediate to learn the basics and learn some of the easier to use Render apps available, I'm guessing it covers more than just the rendering and also talks about modeling with the goal of rendering. I also see a very large mention of Shaderlight, which I believe is Daniels choice of engine and one he has been vocal about recently. I understand that he could not possibly cover all render options as there are just too many, however I believe Vue could have been mentioned (cannot confirm that it is not as I have not read the book) as it hands down is the best landscape package available.All in all I think this will be another informative book and if his last book is an example of his work then this book will also be well written and easy to follow. Regarding him being a master, I do not believe he considers himself one, but does offer the process of rendering, where a master will not only know the process but also have an artistic element which is something one possesses and cannot be taught IMO.
As for me writing a book, that will not happen as even I know my limitations and writing is one of them.
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All great points. I should have used "in my opinion" an error on my part that yielded some great comments and further reference material to learn more. Bottom line though the book is a good read and Tal knows what he teaching. He is giving you the tools to succeed, but success it up to your talent. I wish more people would write longer potsings here on Sketchucation, because there are so many good topics that also give you the tools to succeed.
Incidentally, I am a sketchup junky that has been using it since day one, but not for income generation. I use it for 3D powder printing, another hobby, and a subject sorely missing in this site. "I hope someone is listening out there, as there is no site on 3D printing that contains any wealth of knowledge from a design standpoint". 3D printing is definitely a left and right brain to. If you like machines and modeling wait until you are 14 hours into a print and learn that one type of molding does not print and read well and the other does. Attached is a simple non creative model, 4 hours to clean up the file to print, 8 hours to print. 3 hours to post process.
Bottom line for me is I learn alot from this website to feed my hobby, thanks to all who make Sketchucation a great website.
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@solo said:
@Mike, thank you for your vote of confidence, however flattering I do not consider myself a master by any means, I still ask noob questions on Render forums, I also forget basic stuff if I do not use an app consistently.
Regarding Daniel Tal, who is a friend and a hell of a nice guy, I have his previous book 'A Guide to Modeling Site Plans, Terrain and Architecture' which is a great informative book which I learned a lot from, Daniel is a landscape architect and that book plays well into his strengths.
I do not own his new book and can only comment based on what I read on Amazon. To me it looks like a great book for beginners to intermediate to learn the basics and learn some of the easier to use Render apps available, I'm guessing it covers more than just the rendering and also talks about modeling with the goal of rendering. I also see a very large mention of Shaderlight, which I believe is Daniels choice of engine and one he has been vocal about recently. I understand that he could not possibly cover all render options as there are just too many, however I believe Vue could have been mentioned (cannot confirm that it is not as I have not read the book) as it hands down is the best landscape package available.All in all I think this will be another informative book and if his last book is an example of his work then this book will also be well written and easy to follow. Regarding him being a master, I do not believe he considers himself one, but does offer the process of rendering, where a master will not only know the process but also have an artistic element which is something one possesses and cannot be taught IMO.
As for me writing a book, that will not happen as even I know my limitations and writing is one of them.
Hey Pete,
Thank you for the kind words and endorsement. I really appreciate that. Writing is hard but once a book is out and your out in the open its like walking around with your pants down. I know this book will take some lumps but its about rendering so its to be expected.VUE and other external rendering programs are not part of this book. The publisher wanted a reference manual and it became a big project. 41 chapters with another 7 chapters online for free to download - so over 700 pages of material. Thankfully itdfoes not need to be ingested all at once, mostly for reference. Trying to tackle studio-rendering programs would have been really hard.
And to endorse you in return - I am not sure I know anyone as talented and with the type of skill set you have. Your work is amazing and I show people your website, renders and models in workshops and presentations. If you are ever interested in writing a book, I have some suggestions. You would add a great deal of value to SketchUp community beyond what you have already done. Your product modeling alone would be worth tutorials and there are ways to publish these days and make income out of it (take a different path than the one I took for sure).
Thanks
Daniel Tal -
Dan has some great products and deserves attention but rendering requires 1000's of hours at the helm and that he does not have.
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Below are 2 books which are invaluable to me:
Color and Light - James Gurney
This is primarily a painting and light tutorial but looking at some of the pages available on line,its remarkable how simple it makes things(Ive purchased it on line from amazon and its been a revelation)LIGHT - a detailed tutorial - part available at site below
http://www.itchy-animation.co.uk/light.htm -
Hey, I've just bought this book and I'm about to dive in but it recommends downloading some companion chapters from a website that no longer exists - is there an updated web address to accompany the book? http://www.ambit-3d.com is now just an advert for domain purchasing.
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I've recently purchased the book and the website containing the companion chapters no longer exists. Is there a new site? I have a MAC and really need those chapters.
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@mike lucey said:
I think Solo (Pete Stoppel) is a Master Renderer in my humble opinion. Now if only he would do a series of Mini Publications for SketchUcation we could make him Rich and Famous!
I also go for that!
Always Solo has been a source of inspiration to me!
Also there is a great potential of masters that may brings energy to our forum more than ago..
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