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If you use greyscale images (with the colorize function in sketchup) then PNG's are the clear victor in compression as you can specify how many colors you wish to use, dither, etc.
For images that have more than 256 colors the file size tends to be in JPEG's favor.
The best thing about PNG is continuous-tone(256 shades) transparency.
Best,
Jason.
Based on what I see I think you are best served by using IDX renditioner based on your tests.
It's not about what can do the most, it's about what can you use well... you stated your goals for a render engine and it looks like that fits the bill nicely. Sometimes more is just more and if you don't use it then it's not really useful.
Best,
Jason.
I really dig all your plugins... but this one is unexpectedly cool.
Best,
Jason.
His board and energy ball/blast are in Sketchup -- figure in ZBrush... which is one of the many reasons why I think it is important to have access to a stand-alone editor like Maxwell Studio in your rendering package.
Best,
Jason.
I second this -- the new plugin looks like it will be really outstanding... and for 50% off I can't imagine a better time to take the plunge.
Nice render BTW, Francois.
Here's a very different one from Maxwell by me to show Maxwell's versatility:
Best,
Jason.
Maxwell is now 50% off for the next week due to the above linked promotion.
I'll let Maxwell quality speak for itself.
Best,
Jason.
Hello,
You might want to try posting this on the Sketchup forum at the official Maxwell forum as you are more likely to get technical support there:
Best,
Jason.
Something worth noting is that Maxwell is on sale right now for 40% off:
There is a brand new Sketchup to Maxwell plugin that is just about to be released the looks to be truly spectacular.
You can't beat Maxwell quality and it has a truly enormous range of features -- If WOW! is your goal you can do much worse than Maxwell.
Also it is nowhere near as slow as people try to make it out to be -- whenever I see an honest speed test comparing apples-to-apples Maxwell compares very well.
Best,
Jason.
I use Maxwell and there are several others on this forum who I know do as well but Maxwell has their own dedicated forum, with a Sketchup section where Maxwell specific issues can get resolved much quicker:
Also worth noting for people who are Maxwell curious -- they are running a sale right now:
Best,
Jason.
Set the smoothing angle you prefer (roughly the same as the soften smooth edges dialog in Sketchup) -- then hit recalculate.
Best,
Jason.
"show render area" in the Maxwell plugin camera options doesn't do it for you?
The only issue I would have at that point is getting the resolution to match.
I'm on PC so it may be different.
Best,
Jason.
I am working on a Maxwell Render tutorial series now and plan to focus on Sketchup as the modeling package using the Sketchup to Maxwell plugin -- if anybody has any requests for me to cover a particular topic or issue related to this please let me know.
Best,
Jason.
Locking is sometimes called masking in other apps -- like masking out for painting...
Best,
Jason.
Masking Geometry +1... Otherwise looks keen.
Best,
Jason.
The real problems will be when you try to subdivide that in Zbrush...
Reverse faces -- what you are seeing is the back faces. Also maybe need to weld...
Best,
Jason.
Ah! Great -- this is the thing that is needed! Raw material for a manual...
Best,
Jason.
Here's the downloads.
Windows version:
http://www.indigorenderer.com/dist/exporters/skindigo/SkIndigo-2.2.12-Installer.exe
Mac Version:
http://www.indigorenderer.com/dist/exporters/skindigo/SkIndigo-2.2.12.zip
Best,
Jason.
Based on what I can see right now I would take a really long hard look at SkIndigo http://www.indigorenderer.com/node/976
Maxwell should have a much better new plugin for Sketchup soon, which is what I'm waiting for. I really like Maxwell Studio for large models or models from different packages... but sometimes you just want to get right to the point and their current plugin is less than spectacular.
If I was new to rendering and only used Sketchup Twilight would be really hard to resist -- great price point, nice features and Sketchup only so integration with Sketchup is always a priority.
Octane Render http://www.refractivesoftware.com is a great example of the type of package I would avoid if Sketchup is my primary app. because of complete lack of Sketchup integration 
Best,
Jason.
Something else to take into consideration is whether you will be selling your services as a renderer to clients or if you are just looking to jazz up your own work... and also whether you intend to incorporate other 3D software into your workflow or use Sketchup exclusively.
If your are the primary consumer and Sketchup is your only 3D app then I would base my decision not on quality or price but on how fluid it is to use within Sketchup... life is complicated enough without making it more-so unnecessarily.
If you think you may end up selling your render services at some point then probably best to go with one of the more full-featured pro-level apps (V-ray, Maxwell, Indigo, etc.)
Also worth considering, an app that is stand-alone can be very useful for very large/complex models/scenes that Sketchup cannot easily handle.
Best,
Jason.
So my first video training course has been released -- this is meant primarily for beginners and people with moderate experience with Sketchup and is very comprehensive (if I do say so myself)
The first 16 videos are free for anyone:
http://www.vtc.com/products/Google-SketchUp-Tutorials.htm
Feedback is very welcome!
Best,
Jason.