+1
Registry tweak works OK only till the next installation of a new script with toolbar which is always followed by another toolbar chaos. Google, please fix this.

Thank you Chris A very useful script, am using it right now

RayOchoa, I had exactly the same problem before SU7 came out.
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1897&p=31500&hilit=+converter#p8826
Now that I use version 7, it's not a problem for me anymore..

DeepExploration can save into any version of SketchUp (from v3 to v7), and you can use it's batch function to convert multiple files at a time. However, it messes up texture maping of textured SU models. It costs quite a bit too, but you can use trial version for a month without restrictions. It's good in every other way though.

I would be nice if these GIFs could be incorporated into the original posts of the corresponding plugins.

I personally wouldn't tilt the camera up when composing a pretty straightforward shot of a 2-storey bldg. A 2-point persperctive would be nicer IMHO.

Richard
The movie won't open for me. What codec did you use to compress the movie?

I actually like the noise Chris. For a massing study it's very appropriate. Gives the drawing a bit of graphic depth. And the black sky here is good too.

Richard, I like the 1st two images and the last one a lot! As an architect that is. Very fresh and sleek looking. Apocalyptic black sky, hmm.. I'd be interested to know what your client's response is.

Thanks remus. I'll create separate topics then.

andyc, that's very funny

Thanks everyone for your kind words! I guess I'll post some more then.. I see some people putting all their work in one topic. Is it better to rename the topic and do it like this? Or have a separate topic for each post? Moderators?

I've been lurking around this forum for a while now (and the old @Last forum too), but havn't posted anything in the Gallery. So here goes..

The project is Hobart Racecourse Grandstand redevelopment and major extension. It's in Tasmania, Australia. Gross floor area of the extension is about 5000 spm. I designed parts of the building, including the towers, and did all of the 3D work / visualisation and all design development & construction documentation. Construction was finished in 2007.

The renders are straight SketchUp with a bit of Photoshop.

Rick, will W4 work in SketchUp 5?

Fredo6, much appreciated! Thanks for taking the time to put all the bits and pieces together.

"Add hideen layer" is an indispensible script for adding section cuts when multiple Scene/Page views exist. One of the most useful additions. Thanks Jim

Thanks much Daniel

ibon,

After graduating with a BArch degree from uni I chose to work as an architectural illustrator / visual artist / perspectivist or what you may call it, and did it for 7 years. I did my illustrations by hand. I don't do it anymore, I work as an architect now which I find more gratifying and rewarding.

Visualisation is an extremely competitive field and a tough business to run. There are two ways you can approach working in the field. You can either treat it as means to make extra money on top of your regular income or you can do it full-time. Better start part-time.

1. Build an outstanding portfolio. At the moment your work is perhaps adequate, but hardly mind boggling. As most potential clients will grant you no more than a minute to convince them you are good enough, your work has to be of 'you blew me away!' standard. Make an easy to navigate website of your folio.

2. You have to let the industry know of your existence. A huge job! Hard sell is the most effective, but can be emotionally painful. Be prepared to hear 'not interested' A LOT! If you want to do architectural visualisation, find the names of the arch. firms in your area. Phone the firms, introduce yourself to the receptionist and find out who you can speak to / email to in the firm regarding the services you are offering. Obviously a lot depends on your communication skills. Aim to send emails with a link to your folio to 50 to 100 firms (or more!). One or two may reply if you are lucky .

3. Word of mouth is the best way of getting new clients. People will only recommend you to others if you a) are a great visualiser, b) charge reasonable rates, c) are professional when it comes to the business side of things (i.e. not meeting deadlines is an easy way to get a terrible reputation). After initially introducing yourself to different architectural firms in your area, you must keep on 're-introducing' yourself regularly with little updates to your website.

4. If you choose to do this full-time, and you are planning to work on average, say, 40 hours a week, allow for only 20 of those to be billable. The other 20 will be spent on things you won't be able to charge any money for: self-promotion, 'research', self-education, changing your office layout etc etc. If from the outset you are planning to work 60-80 hours week in week out, you will burn yourself out in the first year.

5. After you've set yourself up, be prepared for the dreadful 'no work' periods and the no less dreadful 'too much work, stop the world I want to get off!!' periods. Letting work go because you have too much on might give you insomnia and indigestion . Try to team up with like-minded and talented people who you could pass surplus work onto, and who would do the same for you. Consistent flow of commissions is a key to making a living in this business.

6. Money - aim high. If you run a full-time visualisation business plan to be making within 5 to 7 years from starting as much as an architect with 5 to 7 years of experience makes in an architectural firm in your country. In Australia you are looking at 70 to 100 thousand AUS$ a year salary for a Senior Architect (or more). If you don't think you can make it to the Spain's equivalent of this level of income in 5 years, my suggestion would be don't do it. Again here in Australia you'd have to be making consistently $1500 to $2000 a week to be at that level assuming you work 48 weeks a year. And don't forget the superannuation (or whatever you have in Spain in the way of pension contributions) that you have to pay yourself. 1500 a week, means $75/hour rate (based on the 20 billable hours a week supposition). If you are professional at all the aspects of running your own business, and not just the rendering side of things, you should be paid good money on par with other professionals in the construction industry. Obviously when you start out you should aim at the salary level of a Graduate Architect rather than that of a Senior professional. Commercial artists who see themselves as somehow inferior to the architects and as a result charge less 'cuz they don't think themselves worthy, don't survive in the illustration game.

10 euros/hr seems rather little to me to do anything, a dishwasher in Australia gets $10/hr, but then again I don't live in Europe, and don't really know what the rates are.

The visualisation market has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. SU and other programs are now making it easier than ever to do architectural illustration. As a result a lot more people are doing it. Some of the above probably doesn't apply to the current congested environment. Still I thought I'd share.

My looong 2 cents , sorry for the length. Good luck!

Народ спрашивает, че за проект? Рассказал бы..

Didier, don't know if it's possible to do, but it would be helpful (me thinks) if the the script somehow retained the information collected at the "Parsing terrain.." stage, in case one wants to reshape the terrain again with, say, differently sized triangles.

Didier, amazingly useful tool! Thanks so much! Thank you plot-paris and everyone else from this topic for this most excellent idea