Ok I think i'm getting the hang of hypershot. Here are 4 test renders I did on the robot. Heres the model if anyone else wants to have a go with it.

Robot.skp

Thanks remus and Huggkruka, I finished the model and here are some basic renders. I downloaded the hypershot trial but I can't get my models into the program. It says they open but the screen is just black. I've tried opening the files directly and using the hypershot exporter but neither seems to work. Any suggestions? Heres another thing i've started in the meantime, its some sort of satellite.

Forgive me if the quality on this isn't up to par as I'm relativly new here. Just something I'm working on, inspired by the robot competition but, definitely not under a half hour. I'll be adding more stuff to this thread as I go along. This robot isn't quite finished yet

Cheers,
Orion

I have also opened it, but it makes sketchup freeze up for about 5 min on my computer (Q6600)

perhaps you could use a custom texture? something like these might do well with a bit of modifications so they can tile http://www.cgtextures.com/texview2.php?id=5043&PHPSESSID=59843833477795b8c14a8251b66d5b38&time=1229248128

fantastic rendering! great work

@remus said:

Personally id just go for a new card. Any speed increase you get by getting another 850 will be pretty small compared to getting a 9000 series card. You should be able to drive multiple monitors of it pretty easily as well

that may not be entirely true as most of the architecture between the nvidia 9000 series and 8000 series is actually the same

well since i'm new here i thought i'd introduce myself. I'm fairly new to sketchup and modelling and rendering in general. I'm currently a student in Biology and I do this stuff in my spare time. I use the free version of sketchup 6 and also the free IDX rendering engine. Might as well throw in a few pictures of the first few things i've done and the model i'm currently working on. The first model i did i only used as a basis for painting http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/oalexis/oldtempledark1.jpg and here was the original pencil concept http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=466869&stc=1&d=1221703449

My most current model is an attempt to build and texture a mock up level for a prince of persia/tomb raider style platformer, I'm sure i'll be having many questions in the future