Hi All,
For some reason I'm having a problem trying to make a simple Style output image? Not sure why? I have set up a thick hidden line image for output. I tried exporting, printing to a PDF output and even sending the image through Layout at very high resolutions. But every option yields a very jagged image and the thick line profile is gone and only a thin line profile is outputed? Does anyone have any Ideas?
Thanks,
Matte

Here is a silly little thing I threw togather for rainy weather driving. All parts are other peoples warehouse creations, I just mixed them togather.
MatteEggway.zip

Hi All,
Is anyone aware of a program that will do the following?
I try to keep my library of "Stuff" on my laptop and desktop the same. But often get some files on the desk top, laptop and some files on the flash drive mixed up. Is there a way to sync the data? I have hundreds of files (Same Folder name on each Computer) broken into other multiple file sets to keep the assortment of tutorials, textures, images etc. organized for quick track down. Until I mess it up and accidently copy to the wrong Computer! It takes days to go thru folder by folder to see all is updated. If windows had a copy (NO to All) option so if there is 100 files in one location and 105 in the other I could just copy all, no to all and I dont have to hit the no button 100 times per folder, even this could reduce time from 3-4 days to 1 day? Any advice appriciated.
Thanks,
Matte

Great Idea,
I'll give it a shot.

Hi all,
I was hoping one of you Shaderlight experts might have some ideas to solve a problem I am having? Couldnt get it to work on machine at work any more, so I loaded it on home machine. While trile was underway on work machine things seamed to work as "expected". I was trying to render an image of a cabinet that was designed at work. I loaded it into SU and pretty much deleated and purged any extranious data from the drawing. I also made sure the object was centered at the origin and all the few blocks/components that did exist had their axis on the corner of each part, so nothing was located far from te cabinet. The problem I am having is the cabinet render comes out the size of a postage stamp on an 8-1/2"x11 Image when rendered at arount a 1900x? resolution. Any ideas on how to get a decent image output?

Thanks Dave,
Yes, you are right, I think the best method is to use TIGs 2D tools for SU Outputs. And reapply a hatch patern to each area when it is in ACAD. I think that is the best meathod.
Thanks again for your advice!
Matte

Hi All,
I am trying to figure out if there is a way to somehow "paste" a set of line patterns onto a surface like we do images?
I would like take the lines I made by tracing over a texture or (Imported exploded ACAD Hatch) and apply a set of wood grain line paterns to show size and direction the grain goes on each piece of wood in the scene? TIGS 2Dline tools does the visual very well, but its an image. So If I export it out to ACAD the image stays behind? Does anyone have any ideas if this is possable?
Thanks,
Matte

Yes,
Thanks for saving me lots of fruitless searching. I guess I'll have to start tracing some lines over the top a few images, or explode a ACAD hatch pattern and import it into SU in a group. And save as a compoment for future use.
Thanks Again,
Matte

I just figired it out, it's just a texture to apply with the paint bucket, can't see it whild in hidden mode. Unfortunatly I made my post backwards... I need to actually make "textures into lines" instead. When I go to Hidden mode to export 2D lines to CAD Iso and Elev's all images disapear as they should.
Matte

Thanks TIG,
Almost had it working, just lost the selection list, I'll give it another shot this evening, Thanks Again for your help.
Matte

Hi All,
Does anyone know where to find line drawings of different "textures"? Wood Grain for example?

I do a lot of output to CAD in a hidden line mode. As you know SU exports nice 2D drawings of ISO, Plan and elevation views. But applied images are not visable. I made a rectangle with lines creating squares for tile and a group with a dashed door swing symbol. I just insert it and scale it to the area it needs to occupy for the desired need.

It would be nice to input things like wood grain to "roughly" simulate location and direction. I can place it over the desired area and just stretch the group over the desired area?

Thanks, Matte

Thanks Boofredlay! You really helped me to help someone else with the model you made. I took your shape and traced the bottom form with some follow me bristles. It's not truly optimized, I should have only made one bristol and deformed all the other copies to keep file size down. But it did not dawn on me to do so until I was almost done. Oh well another drawing for another day! Anyway Thanks again! Matte (Present Progress Attached)

Broom

Hi All,
Does anyone have a decent 3D Broom Model, just a good old corn type, nothing fance. All the ones I found are Really basic Shapes With Images Pasted on them. I Am hoping to Rotate to a desired Perspective Switch to a line Drawing mode and then export it to ACAD.
Thanks, Matte

In progress update. You can load SU to a Thumb drive, sort of. You can not load SU on yous machine and a thumb drive, you have to choose. If I erase it off of my my drive I can install it on a Thumb drive. My goal is at work to run my SU-Pro off of my thumb drive and SU-free on my work computer untill I show them a bit more and they buy a few copies. I only use the pro for about 15 min a day during my lunch break. The good news so far is all my plug-ins, styles and button layouts on my drive work as expected, and if I open up the SU-Free version it opens up with all its settings as well. The "bad" part is that when opening up the Pro version on the thumb drive it defaults to the free version options. I assume this is because the actuall on/off "switch" for the program is somewhere on the drive or in the regestry or something? So it tells the Pro version to open up in Free mode? But still trying to figure out what the "u3 smart program" that came with the thumb drive does? I'll let you know if I kind out anything new.
Matte

I'll give it a try. I noticed my thumb drive and many of the newer ones are built to run programs, it even has some type of program to make it work. But the makers of "whatever" program you want to run have to add some sort of allowed link to do so? I'll let you all know how it goes?
Matte

Does anyone know if you can install Sketchup on a Thumb drive and use it where ever I go to do work or play? I know its a new thing, but it's been available for a while now?
Thanks

Thanks,
That should do the trick!

Hi,
Does there exist in one of the existing Layer rubies some one has made, or is it possable to make something that will:

like reference notes and dimensions on a layer I can view on screen, but it will not plot or print when outputed?, Like a "Defpoints" layer in ACAD, or checking a no plot box in the layer manager? Without having manually put things on special layers and toggling it off with a different saved view tab every time you want to view it?
Thanks,
Matte

Hi,
Is there a way to pot things like notes and reference dimensions on a layer I can view on screen, but it will not plot when outputed or printed, Like a "Defpoints" layer in ACAD, or checking a no plot box in the layer manager? Without having manually put things on special layers and toggling it off with a saved view tab every time you want to view it?
Thanks,
Matte

Sorry if I caused any trouble? It is not so much difficult as it is almost impossible to compare Rendering programs, with enough time they can ALL put our great work! And I should have also mentioned that Shaderlight is in beta form right now so I probably should not have even include it in the tests, Sorry for that.

As mentioned earlier, the test was to learn what things can do, I agree if you’re an expert at any one of the renderers out there you will get excellent results. I wish I had lots of hours to devote to each one of them! But since time is limited I do not have that option.

The original Idea was what could some one not knowing anything about rendering put together and get decent results when you are under pressure to produce decent images fast. As I mentioned earlier this test was narrowly focused on only residential/commercial interiors with a bit accent lighting that did not need to be perfect photorealistic, just good enough to show the mood of the space in a pleasing way. I tried to use lights in the exact same place as much as I could. I am not trying to say who is better then whom. I’m just trying to limit down the choices so I can actually spend some deep quality time with the one best for me.

My test was also to bring up answers that some of you already know that might help myself and others choose a direction? I have learned from others that there all great, it just depends what you want to do, and of course how well you know the program, but that didn’t help too much to make a choice.

I also should mention that I have an older computer that isn’t working up to snuff all the time. That’s probably why I can not get Lightup or IRenderNXT to load, it has nothing to do with that I can’t figure out how to use them.

I choose to use a test example of something that I would be rendering instead of a “cornell?” box or other object, as the out put was never expected to be perfect, just better then what I can make without help of a good rendering program.