Thanks Daniel! It was just a test scene put together by modeling a simple box and filling it with FormFonts' components. Besides the box, the only other modelling was some 2'x4' rectangles on the ceiling that became the lights as if in a suspended ceiling. I found it a good test scene for practicing Podium because with such a scene we all know what it should look like and its relatively simple so trial & error adjustments to the settings can be easily explored. I've had far less success with exterior scenes --- unfortunately mine typically have a blue cast.

Regards, Ross

I attach a couple of Podium renders I did...

While the stair one is nothing special I did like it. I certainly wouldn't consider it as a 'finished' rendering. It is typical of how I use Podium -- just to get a quick visualization when I'm designing -- ones I hope will inform the design process. I tend not to show such 'quickies' to the client. They are more for my eyes only and I can overlook any technical weaknesses in their rendering.

Regards, Ross

Rent the dvd Shaun. Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray improvised almost all their performances. It is stupid but fun! Rent 'Meatballs' too and make an evening of it.

Erik -- I perceived nothing mean spirited. I know you aren't like that.

Remember the movie CaddyShack that had the scene where the chocolate bar is dropped in the pool and thinking it is fecal matter they clear the pool? Then they drain the pool and Carl in a HazMat suit finds the bar. He recognizes it is chocolate so he takes a bite. The spectators of course think he's eating the fecal matter! One lady passes out...

Now that was good film making! Director Harold Ramis is a comic genius right up there with Mel Brooks!

Regards, Ross

The existing Google Groups for SketchUp are not likely to be the home of the migrated SU Forums. Google are working towards a new "Pro" set of Groups. The new Groups may be quite distinct from the existing ones.

Regards, Ross

Here's an idea that could make someone rich! Develop a workable diet program that revolves around beer consumption. Balance the beer with some protein and figure out how to get enough fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and you'll be well on your way to a best-selling diet book! It could work.

Find some big beer-bellied couch potatoes to test it on. Be sure to take some 'before' pictures -- they'll come in handy in promoting the book. The exercise program part should also focus on beer. Perhaps develop an official "holster" that can be loaded up with full beer cans as added weight to make short walks more strenuous. Having products associated with the diet will be a way to leverage it to higher profits. Maybe even a custom beer formulation could be developed. Some sort of fortified beer marketed to those on the diet...

Chipp -- If you look at the entity info for a selected face (or faces with the same material) you will see in the 'entity info' panel that there is a graphic representation of what materials are used on the front & back faces. (If you see a question mark your selection has faces with different materials). If you click on that graphic representation of the material you'll find a little 'Choose Paint' dialogue pops up and it gives you the option to edit the selected material. Note that such editing will alter all uses of that particular material throughout your model -- not just on the selected faces.

Regards, Ross

The validity check is telling you there is something screwy with your geometries. I'd suggest opening the version with those deletions and just rebuild the missing faces. At that point your model should be glitch free and you can smile.

Regards, Ross

Ben - I think he's coining Digital Watercolour techniques as "DWC tech"

Cool stuff Tom. To me the only person not working is that man -- he seems a tad too photographic still. It might be that his arms look too well shaded.

I join the others in saying how much I like this render. My favorite part is having the people & car in the open garage, just poking out from the deep shade. Cool touch. A human touch.

Regards, Ross

When I'm setting a 'scene' that I'll be exporting as an image I am generally thinking of it in those 'art' terms, coupled with thoughts about what I need to communicate. When I'm modelling I'm almost always in a design development mode where my mindset isn't on presentation but focused on creation. In modelling I find I can move right inside the virtual 3d world, exploring and developing just as if my mind and body are right in there with the model. So for me the act of modelling using SketchUp is experiential. When I'm modelling I don't put much thought into how I will present it as I know that part will generally take care of itself once the modelling is done. If when I'm modelling I notice some particular view of the model is interesting in terms of composition, massing, colour etc. then I will create a scene so I don't loose that insite.

Regards Ross

Looks great. I'm usually not a fan of dark renders but this one works very well.

Regards, Ross

I wonder if mel-mac was a very Canadian thing. As you know in the 70's virtually every Canadian middle-class home with kids had mel-mac dishes for everyday use. I don't know if that was the case other places, or just a unique Canadian culture thing. You ask what happened to it all -- I think it's all been replaced with, the just as ubiquitous, "Corell Living Ware". In the 80's I'd suggest much of the mel-mac ended up as family camping dishes or perhaps donated to the church hall. The last time I saw mel-mac was at a church hall.

Eventually it will turn up at the Antiques Roadshow.

Regards, Ross

Shaun -- if I remember correctly I had the tumblers both emitting & receiving photons although, in keeping with the ceramic type material, the levels were very low. To me the caustic effects are most noticeable on the tumbler you can see inside. The scene was lit with a HDR probe.

The original Kerkythea render had a much more uniform background -- the 'ground' surface with a fairly straightforward glossy reflection. I didn't want it to look quite so clinical. My post-processing attempted to give more central focus to the image and introduce a bit more depth of field. So in other words -- the ground was clean - but then I messed it up in post-work.

Regards, Ross

Here's something I did quite a while ago that I'm proud of. I think I posted it before at the Kerkythea forums. I like how the caustics turned out. I was trying to get a china look but instead it reminds me very much of those tough plastic 'melmac' drinking tumblers that were common in the 1970's. The cups were modelled in SketchUp. After the Kerkythea rendering was done I gave it some post-processing in Xara Xtreme.

Regards, Ross

As you know I am tall, powerfully-built, highly intelligent, and incredibly handsome, but I must acknowledge that I am no longer a man of intrigue. My cover was blown when I was featured as 'People' magazine's Sexiest Man 2006. Now I can't go anywhere without people knowing I'm a spy. The 'intrigue' part has really become difficult. Given the circumstances, in place of the intrigue I find I have to rely on my wit, compassion, the magnetic attraction that pulls others to me, and my modesty.

Enough of the sob story! Each day remains a new adventure. We must analyze the situation at hand and determine or best course of action. We have no time to waste...

For anyone who stumbles upon this thread, please be advised that Coen has created a dedicated SketchUp Fit Club Forum as a sub-forum of the Corner Bar Forum. Please join in!

Regards, Ross

I hope Coen welcomes the idea. I met him at 3dBaseCamp and he doesn't need to loose any weight but no doubt he realized I do!

Steven, in a PM to me Boofredlay has suggested we ask Coen to open a 'SketchUp Fit Club' forum where we can discuss diets etc. Would you like that? I thought it was a good idea.

I imagine those of us trying to loose weight could lend each other some support, share ideas etc. It could also have discussion of healthy living topics. I remember Mayor Mike once wrote years ago at the @Last forums about biorhythms. Maybe he knows the secrets of stress-free living.

What do other forum members think? Is it worth making a request to Coen?

Regards, Ross

No problems with my diet Shaun. Really just a basic macrobiotic one -- while I'm loosing I gave up booze, coffee, caffeine, gluten (no wheat), potatoes, yeast, red meat, most dairy and fruit except for bananas. Sounds tough but it really hasn't been too hard. I'm eating lots of salads and chicken & pork. I love Dutch pumpernickel -- all rye with no yeast, and I eat low-fat yogurt and brown rice. I make a mean hummus. I'm drinking lots of herb teas and water. Add to that more exercise (walking) than I'm used to and the pounds are melting away. So far it's really most noticeable in my face -- looking years younger and less puffy. Still another 35 or so to go -- then I'll start up with the booze again - you know, the maintenance stage!

I attach another pool -- this one indoors for those chilly days.

Regards, Ross

designstop.com

A blog about my aluminum Camplite trailer by LivinLite. The blog relates to Quicksilver, VRV, & Camplite models, & to small trailers & rvs in general.

(www.designstop.com)