Don't know viz, but from what I can see of the SU model, and the black surfaces in the rendered model, perhaps the problem is that the black surfaces are the "back" side of a SU surface. Try to reverse one in SU, then export, and test render.

I believe that LO is OK in most situations, one exception being Architectural or Engineering Drawings in the manner that they are used as construction documents (especially as part of a legally binding construction contract). Even in that situation, it is not impossible, only time consuming.

Dxf files are ascii (simple text) descriptions of the entities in a file. A dxf contains information about xrefs, but in itself can not contain a xref.

It is my understanding that if the file being imported is on another machine within a network, in theory, a firewall could affect the file transfer. If this is the case, ask your network administrator to make sure that dxf files are an exception.

Eyeballed overlay on match photo without topographic data, or post processing.

Hi fellows, Not sure myself, but wouldn't it be better to make the existing (not to be affected) parts of the model a component? Having an external copy of this part of the model could be of benefit.

2CD Pro beta is "DoubleCad XT Pro" that I am evaluating. It is a Cad program that interfaces with SU in two ways. One way is to insert a SU.skp into a 2CD production worksheet as a xref. This procedure allows changes to the model by SU to be updated in the 2CD xref. Information regarding SU scenes is not involved in this process.

The other process 2CD offers is to directly open a SU.skp, which creates a worksheet for each SU scene. The scene's viewports can be cut, paste, and edited into a production worksheet. At present, in this process, the revisions in the SU.skp scenes is not updated in 2CD.

Presently, you have two choices: update 2CD database without SU scenes, or no update to 2CD database with SU scenes.

The value of the program is to provide a way to access a SU model by another Cad program, in the manner that production drawings. In addition to many other formats, 2CD can read/write SU files, and read/write ACad files. My purpose for posting here was to get comments from Architects, and other SU users regarding design to production drawing work flow, to help my evaluation.

Anssi, or others, have you tried to use a "aligned", "parallel projected", scenes, with selected layers off, as interior elevations?

Hi Anssi, How do you get individual sections, and 2d scenes (plans, interior or exterrior elevations) from SU to ACAD?

Empty

I have been opening SU.skp with 2CD Pro bata to prepare production documents detail drawings from SU scenes. For example, in the creation of interior elevations of a room, within a SU model:

1. Within the living room of a residential SU model, are created 4, parallel projected (flat 2d views), of scenes titled Lvrm_Elev_A, Lvrm_Elev_B, Lvrm_Elev_C, and Lvrm_Elev_D.
2. The SU file is saved as House.skp, then opened with 2CD.
3. The 2CD window opens including (5) tabs that refer to a model view, and 4 paper space views (same names as above) of each SU scene.
4. A worksheet is added to the set, say "A-5 Interior Elevations", and the 4 paper spaces views are combined on this sheet in a manner suitable for a production drawing layout.
5. The worksheet then is edited, annotated, and dimensioned as a production drawing.

Sounds like combining SU with production CAD in a seamless manner. Another way of working with the program, is to insert the SU.skp into a open worksheet. Changes to the original SU.skp will be reflected in 2CD.

1. Has someone worked with multiple 2d interior elevations in SU scenes. What are the consideration to doing so, and problems if any?
2. Any ideas of the kind of layer management tool that may need to be developed to aid building 2D scenes?

Chris, The attached is a example of a "just in time" render for a client meeting. The house was designed and modeled by my production cad system, ported into SU for materials, then IDX for a preview render. The time spent in SU, and IDX was under 30 minuets. The render is not great, but good enough for that meeting. The status of the project that the render represents is the second schematic design meeting.

Chris, SU only has rectangular surfaces, and edges. No lines, or solids. An option to "pushing" is to fill in the "line like" surface with a contrasting color.

Btw, which of the 3 rendering tools do you like, and what are your pros and cons? I have not tried lightup. My current preferences are IDX (priced right), and POV (free). They are both very easy to use, and provide quick renders for client progress meetings. IDX will not have alpha support until its next full release. The POV plugin is supported by D Burr (one person), and IDX by IMSI. With IDX, interior lighting is more complicated then exterior lighting. POV interior lighting is easier to accomplish.

Nice, veggies are the hardest for me. I like the people and cars, what was your source?

Even when you are doing everything by your self, even before the advent of CAD. Just be glad that they don't require you to do it in AutoCad : )

Nice to know what you are doing, I would spend about half an hour of my time just looking for, and trying out textures. Maybe next year.

I am a beginner at rendering, and while IDX is not perfect, it is high on my list of preferred renderers. Especially where price, ease of use, and integration with SU's features and materials are important.

Well, Sigh, Thanks. Unless I am willing to take a performance hit, and run Win7 in a VM hosted on WinXP, an upgrade is not in the making for a while.

I exported a 2 point perspective of a house model as a jpg; then in a new (empty)SU file, added it by photomatch.

One way to learn, is to tke the advice here, and make a sample scene of your model; couple of walls with a window, portion of roof, yard, driveway, and trees. Small to cut down render time. Set your render settings for speed, and do a bunch of quick changes. Work on one thing at a time, like the grass. Try different textures, scale it, rotate and recolor. At first, don't change many things at once, you won't know what is making the difference. In the hands of the right person, even the very basic stuff in SU will often do, but there are times you have to get better textures. Do this to get a feel, don't try for perfection, everything will change when rendering the big model.

The glow around the trees may be a problem with the renderers alpha support. If so, you have to get better, or 3d trees. Take out the gray looking trees, they don't match the composition. For variety, scale, rotate, skew, combine, recolor, and flip the trees. And of course, you got to get shadows.

A good rendering is as much about composition as it is about render materials. Try different angles and views. 2d components look best when viewed at eye level. If it doesn't look OK in SU, the render will not help. Often post processing makes a huge difference, still, its best to first depend on SU, then the renderers, and only if necessary a post processor. Oh, at first, plan to spend at least 4 time as much time as you might think you take.

Anyone know if Win7 work with the WinXP printers that Vista has no driver for? Actually the only reason I didn't do an upgrade.

A stab in the dark, anything to do with windows>preferences>Files ?