Yes, this person does have a big problem...

I did find a few near photo real.

I did find a few near photo real.

By the way, you should be cutting the curbs/sidewalks/shoulders and medians right into the terrain with tools on surface and then pop them out to height with "joint pushpull" or "normal pushpull".

@unknownuser said:

more than that! The dirt somehow also goes over the asphalt! Awesome.

I start with the google image. I clean it all up as you suggest but then I enlarge it to anywhere from 8000pixels sq. to 15000 sq. pixels so that I can paint-in the detail which includes dirt, grass, curbs, sidewalks...etc. Often I just saturate or accentuate the features that are alrerady there. Grass is never uniform so I add a few different shades or I simple saturate the various shades provided by Google. I then import the image into my engine cause it can handle images at that size. I might also cut out a section covered by the image and ad mesh and a separate image or paint...i.e.curbs sidewalks, shoulders...etc to get extreme detail. You can achieve a very realistic curb, sidewalk result with Round-Corner. The examples I provided are not that good. I am looking for a photo-real example but most are recent and covered by non-disclosure so I cannot show them here. I will continue to look. I have in the neighbourhood of 7400 finished renderings so it is a bit tedious.

Beautiful pieces. If you are just constructing them ....wow!! If you designed them then double wow. I would much enjoy seeing them in there final place when that happens.

@Frederik
I am not able to use the private messaging system. I can read but not reply. The style is generated with Foto-Sketcher and PS. I render first, sometimes with Thea sometimes Lumion but any render engine will do. Then I use the "combine" function. Combining the original with a watercolor version.
An even more striking method is to use the PS clone tool. Create a watercolor version first. Then create a Photo-real version. Set the Photo real version as a source and paint over the watercolor in the areas where you want the detail to pop. Adjust the opacity of the cloning tool so you can slowly build up the detail by continuing to paint an area until you are satisfied with the result.

Here are some better examples of the cloning method.

Sorry I have muddied up this thread Aces.

I have modeled literally miles of curbing through residential and commercial areas. You are looking beyond the simple native tools which is understandable. The methods you describe are those that I use except at the curb breaks. Even though I have modeled entire downtown areas most shots and clips will only cover a few openings. Those that are requiring detail can simply be folded into place with just a couple of moves. I find I can detail about 10 openings an hour. The trick is in the original drawing where some simple geometry can be added (draped or cut in with tools on surface) for folding later.

If the architect doesn't add the detail for you the curbs can be cut with tools on surface, folded down and smoothed. All curb openings are custom so I haven't been able to find a plugin. There are a few street builders out there but none that do the detail very well at the cuts. Like you I would be happy to find an automated method but for now a few extra minutes gets it done as per the drawings I receive.

Great idea, great images! I love the modularity. I think there should be a slick joining system. If one side wall on each unit could be easily removed so that it plugs directly into the other. Your units could be assembled easily with multiple configurations. It looks like they would be lifted into place so if they had male and female sliders on that optional side-wall they could be snapped or slid together. I guess you would need loading hooks on the top. The removable side walls could be configured to include a picture window if the customer wants more light in a single unit or a door between joined rooms. As you suggested the inventory of unique rooms should allow you to assemble a complete dwelling and it would be easy as working with Lego.....Good luck with it!!

The nvidia quadro k2200 is not going to be very productive. It doesn't have the horse power for GPU rendering.

@unknownuser said:

I'm not sure what are you talking about

Yes, I can see that.

There are many reasons to keep more than one version of an application. I agree, +1 for changing the icon. Seems like a rookie oversight for a software development company. Having to make your own icon or hide a shortcut is just silly.

I couldn't help you with Vray to save my life but I can see that you are trying to create shadow effects within a shadow. (it is also black and white which is difficult to render and there is no beveling/rounding to create contact shadows under the blocks) I think this would cause some occlusion but it would be subtle and slow to resolve. Although Vray should be able to handle it I don't think the results will be very revealing. You would be better to find a test render that has been successfully completed, run the same scene and settings on your box and then compare.

@unknownuser said:

Let it go, OK?

If you are happy and don't feel stressed by it...why not. It is not often used in a modelling workflow.

As time goes on, if you use your mouse often the type of mouse you use will determine the strength of your hand. You are young so throwing around a big sword is easy right now. You are most likely not going to notice until you are into your late fifties to sixties so, no big deal, who cares.
That particular mouse forces your thumb amoung other parts of your hand into an extremely unnatural position. It also restricts the movement of your thumb via it's (so cool looking) thumb rest ergonomics. A repetitive stress injury in your thumb and index finger or joints is likely not to many years away.

I know this from first hand experience. I was able to recognize the early symptoms and head off any real debilitating damage to my hand. As I said you can scoff at this advise if you wish. The fact is you won't notice you are doing any damage for many years.

And as brash as it may sound, that mouse is an anchor.

ok then.

Off topic but that mouse is for weight lifters. If you are a steady Sketchup user a mouse half that size and weight would do you a lot of favours.

@unknownuser said:

plainly boring

I just try to remember that I am lucky to have a job and that many others have jobs that are worse. Could you imagine being a pilot in the twilight of your career. Falling asleep would not be an option.

@unknownuser said:

having enough artistic interest in your work

I take on all projects with a lot of enthusiasm. This year I took on a job that amounted to building 100 store fronts. The first 10 I was learning, The next 20 I had the workflow down, the juices were flowing and I was making good time. The next twenty I was hoping the barn door was coming up soon. The next twenty I felt like I was on kilometer 30 of 40k. I only made it to 80 or so. The last 10 just about killed me. I was seeing double and all the colors and shapes seemed to be melding. I had to force my hands to the keyboard.

It is a good project....I just lost my mind with it. I reached a threshold of repetition that I could no longer cope with.

Thankfully someone here has taken over the project and he is doing a great job of bailing me out of trouble.....I won't mention a name.