@unknownuser said:

would like the program to have good features for creating lights

Have a look at the lights in Twilight - I for one use lights a lot and am really happy with TWL.
(don't know much about Thea or Vray though)

Hi Robert, have a look at this plugin which is soon to come http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=28586

good luck

Omg, we are drowning in pleasant anticipation!

ahoi,
ich weiss, der Thread ist alt, aber ich musste schon seit einer Weile an die Möglichkeit denken, mit Tomasz Mareks Plugin BMVB (Bring my View Back) einen Plankopf zu erstellen. Man muss dann zwar für jede Kameraposition neu zeichnen, dafür ist aber alles in SU erstellt und man kann alle Stile anwenden. Habe es heute mal ausprobiert und mir gefällt die Einfachheit und dass man nicht in ein anderes Programm wechseln muss...

http://www.tomaszmarek.eu/sketchup_1.html

Thank you Tomasz!

danke Jo-ke, das klingt gut! wenn Raumausstattung bei mir wieder häufiger vorkommen sollte, werde ich mit Mo-Mo einen Testlauf abhalten.
man sieht sich
alex

Wow, I've been missing this in so many situations... Thanks a million TIG!

Bravo, nice render... and thanks for the texture Eric! The design is worth being presented like this - although I could not imagine to work on this table, my legs would definitely need more space...

Haha, how cool!

Hallo Hermann,

Als SketchUp-Fan gratuliere ich euch zu eurer Idee SU als Basis für eine freie Planungssoftware zu wählen! Leider kann ich auf eurer Seite keine Informationen finden, was genau das Plugin macht. Bevor ich eine Anwendung ausführe um ein neues Plugin in meinen ohnehin überfüllten Programmordner zu laden, und mir dann die Zeit nehme es auszuprobieren, wüsste ich gerne etwas mehr darüber...
...Wie wäre es mit ein Paar Screenshots und einer kurzen Beschreibung um unsere Neugier etwas zu kitzeln?

beste Grüsse
alex

Thank you LP, looks like I have to wait until I can afford the subscription (currently on student version)
Btw, the materials are really fun to use, but I was struggling with navigation a lot before I discovered the "go to parent" button
Good luck with your learning!
a.

Interesting topic! Thanks LP for starting this, and thank you Earth for pointing at Neil Blevins scripts (found the WonderHowTo tutorials page by that - just perfect for me)

As I started adding Max into my workflow just recently, I only understand so far that the concept of groups and components works very different. Not like in SU. Is the object replacer script the only way to handle this task?
(omg, there is so much to learn with Max;)

Is the SU-Importer in Max2011 also available for Max2010, and how does that what it does differ from the SU import via 3ds?

(I have not been posting much here at SCF, but I want to say this: big "thank you" to everyone here for the most helpful and friendliest forum on the planet!)

alex

Oh, that is good news, thanks for the information! Does the free version have the .exe export feature also? I could not find it in the license comparison chart...
How did you find learning Unity compared to learning SU?
(plz forgive my curiosity, i only have one lifetime )
alex

Brilliant job Pixero! The interactivity Unity provides for project visualization is really interesting and fun. Very advanced, although I wish it had a softer camera movement like LightUp has. How Do your customers react? Bet they are freaking out...

Btw, one question plase: is Unity capable of exporting to an executional file format? I have tested a CAD-software called PYTHA last year, and was really fond of its strength in visualization (additional module called Radio-Lab) - especially that you can create an .exe file which your customer can open and walk through without downloading or installing a viewer or anything. (there are many more features like index creation for guided tours, animation, audio data, video textures, et cetera... workflow with SU via 3DS quite smooth)

With the new Beast lightmapping Unity is getting more and more interesting for me... how in heaven can I keep pace with all these powerful innovations? (a friend recently said that one lifetime is not enough for a 3D-artists' wishlist )

cheers
alex

good evening Chris,
when using a renderer that is a plugin for SU you do not have to export your model for rendering. That makes it easier to get changes on your model done between test-rendering. Can't say too much as I am only using renderers that are integrated in SU. I love all of them and use them depending on what the current project requires. That means you are right: there are serious differences.
The moment I first heard about a renderer for SketchUp, I didn't even download the trial but bought it right in the same minute because I wanted it badly and it was very affordable. From that on I learned a lot about rendering and must say that when it comes to learning a software and spending so many hours/days/nights with it, the pricing is the least important criterion.
If you do not have any render experience yet, you might want to get used to the whole thing by trying out one of the lower priced render-plugins which are also not too complex and therefore have a lower learning curve. My guess is that after one year you know a lot more about what you want from rendering.
I use Podium and Twilight for photorealistic stills, LightUp for walkthroughs and find it very useful to present drafts in a non-photorealistic style, which I create in Piranesi.
Beware, the stuff is addictive

hi Chris,
did anyone mention yet that it may also be important what kind of renders you will be producing? architectural? interior? exterior? product? how important is nature or lighting? pictures or movies? When it comes to more detailed questions, you will find many strengths and weaknesses with the different render-applications. Some say that today nearly all available apps may produce good quality in the right hands, and of course this is true (but more from the point of view that without artistic knowledge and some skills in photoshop you wont make it far in the CGI anyway;) . For me it also true that I need my work to get done and therefore want a renderer that has features which make it convenient for me to achieve my goals (e.g. just recently someone here asked for a renderer to do landscaping previz, I myself need a good lighting system, especially with interior scenes some renderers can handle that better than others ...and so on)
Maybe you like to have a look at this article in 3Dworld http://www.thethirdfloorinc.com/publish/_assets/417/10/02/tdw126.f.renderers-7a90.pdf
It is not too relevant for us SketchUp users, but it gives an idea how many different features could be important when looking for the right software.
cheers & good luck
alex

Hi Rick,

It is not exactly as you perceive. Kerkythea is freeware and also available to developers to create their own render engine from it. Kerkythea was built upon another renderer called Phos, has been developed through many years and has "children" like Twilight and Thea that have been made by different people.

I am neither pro nor developer, so please someone correct me if i'm wrong!<< About the features you seem to be right, but as I am only using Twilight, I can't confirm in detail.
Twilight gives really beautiful results with a low learning curve (and has a perfect lighting system, what is important for my work).
If it is landscaping you are after, have a look at the work of SCF-member Stu. He is known around here for professional landscaping renders. Afaik Stu is using mostly Twilight and Podium. Podium is another render engine for SketchUp - I would recommend you to have a look at how simple and fast exterior scenes can be set up and rendered with Podium (you even get a plants and trees cutout library that comes with it).

Good luck
alex

your work is outstanding, michali! i think this picure has the same impact like all your visionary creations.(dont dare to comment on content and meaning)
guess you are referring to the achievements in your 3d workflow, right?

keep going you sculptor role model

Hm, looks like your material is ok and is just reflecting the wooden floor...
...what renderer are you using anyway?

Hello Ray,

Just tried the PDF export for the first time (inspired by your post)...
...can't say much in depth, only that textures didn't get exported and shadows are not displayed. Lines seem fairly acurate. If it can be of any help, here is a screengrab of the PDF export options window.

good luck
alex

Ando_Azuma_RowHOUSE.pdf

This one I posted about two month ago over at Twilight - output of beginners exitement on testing reflective material...
(Mirror balls will always be a classic)
Love watching your "render this" threads Solo!
cheers
alex