@unknownuser said:

@bron said:

Try "use maximum texture size" in window > preferences > OpenGL.

Maybe it helps.

I have it in maximum texture size...
I'll try png... don't think it will make a difference though.

JPGs are made for compression, making things easier to stick on your floppy disk or send over your 56k modem (I'm assuming you're using neither). JPGs are an old format. PNGs avoid the compression, creating a higher quality picture. I use them for all my client files.

Ah, okay, the blanks in my memory are now filled in. Thanks for the help, Jeff and Rclub! I'll try out the Round Corner plugin, and maybe Subdivide n Smooth later, if I can't get what I want out of Fredo's plugin.

Thanks, Rclub. This looks like what I'm searching for. I looked through the list and somehow missed this one... I guess that warrants a second look.

I seem to remember a plug-in someone made, similar to this, which had a free version, and a paid version with more usability. Does that sound familiar?

Hey guys,

I've been browsing this forum, and not taking notes of where I'm finding the most interesting plugins / tutorials / tips. Hoping someone can point me in the right direction!

There was a plugin which could look at a 3d object, say a cube, and round off its edges, creating a softer looking object. I'm hoping to draw some realistic furniture with the help of Podium, and this would make the job significantly easier.

Thanks!

@Brodie:
You'd be correct, 40hrs is the maximum. I doubt I'll need it all, unless the client suddenly expects more work near the end (almost guaranteed).

Thank you for the info about the rendering software. Do you still use Sketchup for the modeling phase?

@Brodie,

Which programs have you worked your way up through?

I'm using PodiumV2 now, and loving the look of things. I'm supremely jealous of people who're rendering with Maxwell and Vray, but their prices (and required learning time) seem steep

http://dl.google.com/sketchup/GoogleSketchUpViewerWEN.exe

If that doesn't work, here's the direct .exe file download link, in case the last page redirects you right away

Testing testing
I swear this forum ate my last post

@BRODIE:
I am far too familiar with the cost/speed/quality triangle. It seems to be a fact of life in this field, where you try as hard as you can to stretch yourself to the three points, but never really making it. How do clients typically react when cutbacks on the job must be made? I'd assume they'd always be happy once they see the final product?

"What renderer are you using?"
Sketchup pro 8 and Podium v1.73 and v2. So far they're giving me very nice results (and the occassional headache as the project nears its end).

"How did come to a decision on a proposal?"
I talked to a couple of people, and figured out an average hourly wage between their suggestions. The client was asking for a maximum of billable hours, which I was able to estimate based upon other hours she was suggesting.
40 billable hours @ $50cdn = $2000 maximum.

"How much experience do you have with modeling? Rendering?"
I picked up Sketchup a few months before my 2 years Architectural Technologies program. This left me constantly a few steps ahead in the rendering department during classes. I picked up Podium partway through, and have been playing with it off and on.
Since starting at my Architectural firm, we've decided to start offering renders to our clients (for a price). I've constantly been needing to improve my game. So.. uh... 2 years with Sketchup, and 2 months of (serious) rendering for clients.

@Scottpara:
This storyboarding idea of yours sounds interesting. What happens during, say, the modeling phase when the client wants a whole new set of cabinets, after you built the current version from scratch?

I like the idea of swapping the CD for the cheque. That's the way I want to approach this job. After working in this field for a few months, I can already tell the clients will get pissy when I suggest they ACTUALLY have to PAY for work (not necessarily the current ones, but certainly future ones). How do you approach the topic, and what does your contract look like? Have you ever had to sue anybody for ignored payment?

This thread just exploded into life! This is some good advise, too.

I'd ended up contacting my client with a proposal a week ago, with a fee we were both happy with.

What I've struggled the most with is estimating time required. In the Architectural field, everyone wants more work done in less time. This mindset always throws me off. I pissed off my boss a month ago when I seriously overestimated my abilities. A 1 week job ended up taking 3 weeks.
I see you folks have taken into account the kind of things that will extend your required time, but what do you find wrecks your time estimate the most? And what did you struggle with the most when you started doing this stuff?

Hey there forum goers,

For those of you who create rendered models of buildings for clients, what kind of fees do you typically charge? I have the ability to create markettable renders, but have never taken a freelance commission.

My client is asking for a massing model of a future subdivision of 120 lots in a ravine, with individual building renders to come in a month or so.
What kind of fees should I be asking for, and what kind of questions should I be asking to better understand the project without sounding like the complete novice I am?

Thanks in advance (and if this kind of post doesn't belong here, I'll remove it immedietly)

-K