This is a beta version for creating terrain and more. Works with SketchUp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq2Hj27CChk

@Rich-O-Brien said in Ain't Sketchup to rhyme with the trends?:

It is easy get frustrated because it lacks certain features. But a bloated app can also lead to frustration when trying to find features hidden behind nested menu or panels.

It is no secret that SU was designed not to intimidate a new user from its inception by having a very simple UI. I do not understand why SU does not change the UI very much at all but have advanced features hidden until you "awaken" them when your modelling skills get more advanced.

That is awesome Rich thanks you

@gus r said:

Looks great, L i am. I seem to be doing a lot of free renderings as well lately. Mostly for practice. Sometimes I show it to the architect I do drafting for and doesn't go further than that. I guess after outsourcing we're all just waiting for AI to take over the universe. IMO most of the AI "art" I've seen looks like an illustration for the cover of a supermarket romance novel.

Thanks Gus Bryan and Mark I just found out the potential client is an Australian/London Lawyer and the Architect has told me that if the renders sell the house (Long story) I will get paid for my work. As far as AI goes, I think it works, to whatever degree for ideation and 3D "art" but for Arcvis is is mot a contender ATM.

I asked AI
"What are your thoughts on how images produced by AI will effect the works of people who have studied art and 3 d modeling and rendering with no AI"

ChatGPT said:
That’s an excellent and timely question—and it cuts to the heart of a deep shift happening in art and design fields.

AI-generated imagery is already reshaping the landscape for artists and 3D modelers in both positive and negative ways, depending on how it's used, and how institutions and audiences value original human-created work versus fast, synthetic production. Here’s a breakdown of the major effects:

Challenges for Traditional Artists & 3D Modelers
Commoditization of Visuals
AI can create highly polished images in seconds, which devalues time-intensive work by trained professionals. For clients who only care about speed or surface-level visuals, this can undercut prices and shift expectations.

Job Competition in Concept and Previz Work
Roles like concept artist, illustrator, and moodboard designer are particularly affected. AI can churn out near-final concepts, cutting out early design phases that were once paid opportunities for junior or freelance artists.

Skill Devaluation in Entry-Level Roles
Beginners or juniors who previously cut their teeth on low-to-mid-level render tasks may now find those jobs disappearing. Studios or firms might rely on AI for base renderings or compositions, reserving human artists for final polish only—if at all.

Flooding of Visual Space
The sheer volume of AI-generated content dilutes the visibility of genuine, hand-built work. This can make it harder to stand out unless your portfolio is exceptionally unique or you’ve carved a recognizable niche.
Opportunities for Skilled Artists Who Adapt
AI as a Speed Tool, Not a Replacement
Artists who learn to use AI as a sketching or idea-generation tool can work faster, test ideas more quickly, and still apply their trained eye to elevate results. Think of it as a new brush or camera—not a competitor.

Higher Standards for ‘Human’ Work
As AI floods the market with generic content, authentic, deeply skilled work (especially with storytelling, intentional composition, and technical accuracy) will stand out even more. Especially in high-end architecture, game design, film, or VR where realism, detail, or spatial logic is critical.

New Job Roles: Prompt Engineering, AI Art Direction
People with strong design knowledge are becoming invaluable as AI art directors—knowing how to guide the AI, curate outputs, and blend synthetic images with real 3D or photo assets.

Cultural & Ethical Value of Human-Made Art
There’s a growing movement toward “human-authored” or “AI-free” work, especially in galleries, publications, or academic spaces. Like analog photography in a digital age, handcrafted work might become more respected and sought after—if framed and marketed that way.

Final Thought
AI won’t erase the need for trained artists—but it will redefine the value proposition. The artists who thrive will likely be the ones who:

Lean into design thinking, storytelling, and emotional impact—things AI still struggles with.

Use AI as a collaborator, not a competitor.

Make their work stand for something—cultural relevance, craft, message, or uniqueness.

Would you like me to help compare an AI-generated architectural rendering with a hand-built one to explore the difference in depth, nuance, or emotion?

@Mike-Amos said in Ain't Sketchup to rhyme with the trends?:

Energy consumption which we should be reducing, is going up

By Oct 27, 2028 (three years from today) global electricity use for AI-heavy computing (data centres + AI training/inference) is plausibly 30%–200% higher than it is today

The whole world looks scary to me I feel sorry for our kids

I worked out how to do it, should have been obvious really. Instead of deleting I thought I would post the solution should anybody else encounters this issue. I simply scaled the swatch to humongous picked the texture and applied it to the tile and moved the texture to the desired effect. It works fine would still appreciate it if there is another way.

I got some architects drawings of a house about to be built by the Ocean in the south coast of Western Australia. It has a very particular landscape and flora. Was very hard to reproduce modelled in SU and rendered in TM.

Thanks for the link I checked it out for giggles and got AI to put it together on my Computer and it works

Thanks guys, but after some work, it is called Wrought iron "lacework"

Absolutely amazing result . However from a mechanical perspective AI does not understand engines It is a v6, v10, V12 and V20 at the same time. But pretty cool though.

I have been working on a house from Bremer bay in SW Australia. It has very particular vegetation. It is of a house that is going to be built, but I am doing the renders for free, as no renders of the house were required by the client. Anyway it gives me a go working from Architects drawings. I really like this image.

@baz said in 2017 Lost and sad:

gobbledygook

"gobbledygook", could say not say it better

@majid Thanks so much Majid, I think that will work. What search term did you use?

I am both wowed and sad at the advent of AI. Those images are soo cool at the same time. Ai bothers me a lot but I think quantum AI and quantum is so scary. rightly or wrongly or rightly there are some reports that a computer (I think it was microsoft) was answering questions, before they were asked The physicist thought it was a temporal shift. I need to point out that the idea of a temporal shift is not one that I think that is true and I cannot find anything to support that. But big changes are ahead very soon and the world will be very different and very likely irreversible. In the past things changed quite slowly so we could adjust but with Ai and quantum computing that is not the case. I think about this,very shortly there may be a situation where one government could say destroy country "X" The answer " I could remove any money that country has in anyone's bank account ,including the Government and businesses" Thank you, how long would it take you to do that? answer fro AI "7.45 seconds"............................chilling!

A re-hash of the prior image. I took more time with the vegetation and it is looks 100% like the actual sand and flora. I love the composition of this.

Looks like rayscaper is maturing well

I live in Perth Western Australia. My City is all grown up now, it being a sleepy town when I was a kid. All these images are from within 15 Kms from the CBD. Perth is the only big city in a radius of over 2,000 kilometres, it is often called the "most isolated big city in the world" I am posting to share my City. If anybody wishes to come and visit I will buy you a beer

If any body wants to know if AI does "Cute" check this out

Error

(www.facebook.com)

I thought I would do something very simple, Sometimes simple is hard work

Sketchup to TM, with Megascans and sketcvhfab the bike was native TM