Actually Sketchup is in todays CAD and architecture the most sung program. I think basically all architects use it in some stage of their work. I have been doing so for the past years.

In the beginning I thought Sketchup would develop ever more. Now I feel Sketchup will be as it is for years from now on. Since all now know the power of a surface modeller I see things are changing and many more capable programs are getting it right now too. If Sketchup does not catch up it will not fulfil its promises.
With Revit you build a database by modelling, with Modo you are free in shapes and forms, with Vectorworks you have an excellent tool for making your 2D drawings as well, with Sketchup you have a slow modeller with hardly any data to exchange with others. And the Sketchy edges has fallen out of style since rendering has become mainstream and rather easy.

I use Sketchup daily as well. But I feel the pressure to move on. I wish Sketchup would be sold to a defined CAD company instead of Google abusing it for their 3D world. Sketchup got stuck in their hands. Google hardly invests in the app were the competition does just the opposite.

Well, not to ruin your enthusiam, but you need to be aware that the ease of use comes with a price, unnecesarely so regretfully. I hope somehow the ever growing userbase will turn things around to a more professional Sketchup Pro.
Francois

tx Remus,
once in a while, under workpressure I post a question I should have solved myself. I am now at home and its good to know that monday on the office I can quickly solve this issue.
Really nice this forum is populated by helpful people and reply on a post like mine as well.
Francois

I get this message everytime I start SU:

Error Loading File ZLoader__OnSurface.rb
no such file to load -- LibFredo6.rb

Can anyone help me find the plugin I need to remove. I probably downloaded a corrupt plugin a while back. The message does not make it clear to me what plugin causes this message to stall my startup.

Tx Francois

Just saw the same thead here:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=25022

Hi,
I posted this in the Vray section first but thought this is so well done it deserves the attention of all who are into architectural modeling and rendering. For me it the ultimate rendering experience in an architectural sense. Also because its done by a single person and with modest equipment. If you look at this video you have to understand its all modelled and rendered. Before I did not even know this was already possible at this kind of level. Rgeardless of the CAD effort the video is gorgeous by itself even when it was done at the sites with a real camera.

Here is the link in case you have not seen it already:
http://vimeo.com/7809605
put on full screen and enjoy the world of everything modelled in 3D including the greenery. Maybe except for the man at the end.

In the making off video I see Sketchup was part of the production as well.
Francois

Done by Alex Roman in Vray as I understand and partly with the use of SU.
Images could either inspire or lead to an incurable depression.
Here is the link in case you have not seen it already:
http://vimeo.com/7809605
put on full screen and enjoy the world of everything modelled in 3D including the greenery. Maybe except for the man at the end.

Francois

Sketchup does pul pull kind of modeling fantasticly. Especially if you can use the Sketchy output or further render those models in all kinds of render app's. Vectorworks does wonders in 2D, Photoshop with jpg files, Excell with numbers, Word with text and so on.

Modo among others is your modeler for organic forms or product design. If you just want to stick with Sketchup try to write a letter with it. Its possible and in case there is nothing else ok. But its not handy or smart. You can use plugin's to sort of model organic forms in SU but they are written to use now and then to add functionality while modeling typical Sketchup models.
Francois

Yes, I saw the pre-order discount. But we had a hard time with Maxwell using the first versions. I am afraid I will pass this time and wait for the first signs of a solid and well tested version of VfSU on OSX. As I understand the current version VfSU (PC version) is not yet properly developed either.
Francois

TX Thomthom,
very clear. For the components I just wondered if SU components remains to be components in Vray but maybe its not an issue really since you do not model anything in Vray as I understand.

Maxwell is not easy either, recently much faster though. I am waiting for a new plugin by JD for SU for Maxwell. He might improve things a lot.

I would move over to Vray if the set up to render is more friendly compared to Maxwell. We lose lots of time using Maxwell because of buggy or faulty material settings. Rendering a proper preview can take too much time as well with Maxwell since you have to export to Studio and work from there.
Francois

Tx, I would not use them both if the results are more or less simular in the eyes of my clients.
Faster rendering could be interesting although we render at night.

But in general I have a feeling Vray would be more costeffective, in terms of time to get to the final image and in terms of shared prematerialized models (cars, trees etc).

I just wonder if this feeling is justified. Maybe I would spend another 600 $ just to find myself on the beginning of a learning curve towards the same or even less results.
Francois

I am interested to preorder Vray. I am an experienced Maxwell user to render my SU models. I get good results. But I am always looking for better. Is there anyone here who has some hands-on experience with both, and can help me with these questions:

1. Would Vray speed up my renderproces, preparing the model for render in SU ?
2. Would Vray really be that much faster looking for the best quality Vray has to offer ?
3. Would it be that premade render trees, cars and other scenery models are easier to find for Vray than for Maxwell ?
4. Is it interesting to keep both renderengines ?
5. Can Vray do camera shift ?
6. Components from SU to Vray ?
7. Any other ideas on this matter ?

Any help on any of these questions are very appreciates.
Francois

Hi Brodie,
tx for your reply on Maxwell. I think you are right about Maxwell and the ease of getting a good render rather quick. The light in Maxwell just does it right. I preview a lot using the R1 render in Studio. But these days v2 renders so fast that previewing is not as much a problem as it was.

I am also very interested in Vray once it runs on my Mac's. I think Vray is the typical Archviz application.
Francois

Hi Brodie,
nice rendering. Could you say something as to what makes it a Maxwell rendering. You render with other app's as well ? I am always interested to explore and know why I am still with Maxwell.

Another question I have is in what sense it relates to Sketchup. Did you import the model into SU. And texture in SU and export directly or through Studio ?
Tx, for posting your bed,
Francois

tx Richard,
I also like the line work renders. They can be made very fast and have a poetic quality.

But I see a shift towards photorealistic work these days. Most want to see detailed designwork showing in the images. Lots of work really and often badly paid for. The first project shows my lack of lust to do more PP with cars, people and trees.

Francois

Tx a lot, nice to see some visitors to our work.
We have much more here:
http://web.me.com/fillieverhoeven/architektuur/a-projecten_1.html

And our freelance work for other architects, all Sketchup, Maxwell and Vectorworks.
http://web.me.com/fillieverhoeven/bouwen/b-projecten_1.html

We use Vectorworks in combination with Sketchup. For 2D work Vectorworks is really great. It imports Sketchup files and you can make crosssections and so that are a lot easier to edit towards proper engeneering drawings than you can in Layout.

I am trying to make a SU-Maxwell gallery by filtering our projects for examples. The posted gallery is a start. I will update the gallery when I have the time.
Francois

I have set up a small gallery of a small selection of projects I did in the past 2 years.
http://homepage.mac.com/fillieverhoeven/sketchup-maxwell/index.html

All modeled in Sketchup and rendered in Maxwell. Or combinations of Maxwell renders and SU lines or photoshop.

The first project is straight from Sketchup Maxwell only with some slight coloradjustments in Aperture.

Most projects are done in a hurry, often in a few days or a week max.
Maxwell v2 renders a lot faster than 1.7 and setting up materials is a bit easier as well. This makes the work today less cumbersome.

Maybe for some its nice to see the combo SU-Maxwell at work as it is in our architectural 2 man office.
We are slowly getting a portion of our design work done in Modo which is an easier modeler for less rectangular shapes. I think we will be using Sketchup and Modo as our main design tools.

The work in the gallery is 90% the designs of other architects we are freelancing for.
Francois

Everybody liked @Last really. Come to think of it, @Last was big, in vision and manpower compared to Google.

Maxwell renders distorted textures just fine.
Francois

Hi Andrew,
looking at your post where you write that SU at Google represents a rather small team. I wonder if that small team is in relation to the userbase of SU. I can't think of an architectural office that does not use SU. It might be even bigger than autoCAD. Is there not a bit too much presure on too few people at Google Skechup ?.
Maybe Google has underestimated the potential of Sketchup in the construction and architectural industry ?
Francois

I added a few new images.
If you are inside a building like this you can hardly see the print, on the outside it will look like this. I should redo these images because on some the print looks like a snowy sticky powder.

Ok B, tx. I understand.

Thomthom , you might have a look at MXM reporter. He seems to have been able to make a panel rather easily.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=19850&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Francois