Hi!
Im using free version 7 of Sketchup. Having a dialog with a plugindevelopper
and we are having some difficulties with version 7 models. So I did a test.
Hes plugin works well with models created in version 6. So I tried saving them
as version 6 in SU 7. But it did not work. Should it work?
I clairify, is the "save as sketchup 6" option ment for files created in 7 to be
backwards compatible with for ex version 6?
Best regards.
wow! This is just amazing
Makes me wanna see this rendered 
Nahh. My method dosent work in SU. I tried my idea and when you alter the opacity in material editor the texture get blown out even if you have a dark one.
Maybe someone more experinced can do a better job.
I tried single dark color texture with white spot as highlight with "see through opacity" and that made it look shiny though(better than original color result), but as far as relection hmm. Donno. Why dont you download Podium or likewise and have a go?
As Dave R said, I think your model is nice as it is.
Hi Fitz! Nice tapemachine! I have one of those myself 
Gonna build a recording studio myself some day.
Are you an architect or woodworker? Have you read this?
http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Studio-Design-Philip-Newell/dp/0240519175
Great resource for aucostic construction.
Im no SU expert but as everyone says. Theres no reflection in SU. Need raytracing
for that I guess. Although Lightup(renderplugin) has something going on.
But heres a easy idea.
You want the plexiglass to be shiny right? Asuming you have an image editor, why not make a "fake reflective" texture and set it as low opacity in SU.
Ive done it in other rendering ops. If your not gonna animate the scene the reflections dont have to be 100% accurate to be convincing.
But for this to work you cannot move the camera, and make diffent textures if you outputting several pictures. Cant use same texture for different
cameraangle, it will look funny.
Heres what you do. In Image editor of choice. Make a color layer, in your case dark brown.
Then import different pics, they have to be somewhat relevant in color. You cannot have a pink elephant for ex 
Put them together, rotate, distort, stretch mess things up and blend them with very low opacity. Remember "multiply" make things darker i prefere "soft light" blendingmode in PS.
To make it look shiny put in a blurred lens flare or something like that.
And put different opacitys and blending. The smaller highlight dot = Shiny.
Matt color spread out reflection of light on its surface.
Try it, it may work. Otherwise you will have to raytrace the scena somewhere
Lovely idea with the studio. Is it gonna be dominated in white?
I dream of having a minimalistic white studio.
Hi Anssi!:-)
Im also using version 5 although I recceived ver 7 beta couple days ago.
Daz is the owner now and updates are somewhat contedrelated 
AAh! Yes radiosity setting. I agree. Scene get overexposed? Did you use HDRI?
Did some testrenders yesterday, and sure a lot of testing but with low antialaising and few photons renders go fairly quick. I like it that you get
a good overwiew over all the settings. hate Xsi where you have to go in different
windows and remember exactly what you have done. Im not that good.
Bare in mind I have very little experience in those other internal renderingprograms like podium etc, and if Im not wrong updated versions are on the way, so they may be more suitable for SU.
However if Lightup will export FBX wich Carrara can import things might start
getting fun.
Thank you for responding.
Hello Gaieus! Thank you for your answer!
Im acctually trying the pro version right now and 3ds export to Carrara seems to be working. Having some grouping problems, Su model gets imported as 1 mesh although full hierarchy checked, but maybe its fixable. 3ds triangulation is annyoing. Particulary if I going to make som adjustments in Carrara 5
after import.
I will investigate. Maybe its interessting for someone else. Maybe the workflow
SU - Carrara could be of interrest to someone else. Good rendering options and it got sliders
Thank you! Helpful forum!
Hi fine people in here! Just wanted to say hi!
I joined this forum some weeks ago. have some or maybe little (hard to say) experience in XSI, Zbrush and Carrara. Im was initialy only gonna use some fastlearing program to do a drawing/rendering of my upcoming home renovation. Tried everything you could download. Wanted to do 2d drawings so mainly went
for those options. Then did some doodeling in SU and stuck I got and here I am.
Fantastic program and easy to learn. .Especially if you compare it to XSI monster.
So now I will realise my model in 3D
I have a maybe hard to answer question:
Im probably going to render in Carrara and use the 3ds import.
So question is should I upgrade to pro or get Okina converter. The money is
about the same but the converter seems to to be more extensive:
http://www.okino.com/conv/imp_sketchup.htm
An comparison of SUnative exporter and okina would be very helpful.
Best regards/ Joel