Novedge Pulse™ of Al Hart

Now available on the Apps StoreLadies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, Archon Apps is proud to announce that IDReader is now available as a free download on the Apple App Store.Check it out! IDReaderIDReader is a simple, easy id scanner application used to scan a variety of personal cards such as driver licenses from any state.IDReader will use Optical Character Recognition and enable you to send the data in the license directly from your iphone or ipad.Save time, money, and headaches with IDReader as a standalone app or within your existing app.Use IDReader for:Time saving input into forms (especially in our app Cirrus)Imbed in your app for quick efficient inputAge VerificationDemographics Captur [more...]

SketchUp has posted the videos from this years 3D Basecamp in Boulder.Here is the introductory Video by Aidan:I think you will enjoy his overview about what is going on in the SketchUp world. Here is an extract from the Rendering Vendor Presentation for IRender nXt:This shows a quick overview of some of the new features in IRender nXt 5 [more...]

Our second reference manual is not ready - Rendering with SketchUp using IRender nXtYou can purchase the Kindle version from Amazon for just $5.99, even better, you can download a sample to see if it would be of value to you.Rendering with SketchUp - using IRender nXt - Kindle VersionOr you can purchase the printed book for $29.95.Rendering with AutoCAD - using nXtRender - Printed Version(I will ad the link here as soon as I can find it on Amazon)Most of the book is available in one form or another on our websites and forum, but the Kindle version makes it easier to use - to find stuff by searching, etc. Take a look, and if you have any ideas for improvements, put them on our Forum or send the to support@renderplus.com [more...]

We have decided to start on some reference manuals - both printed and eBook, and we have the first one ready for use.You can purchase this from Amazon for just $4.99, even better, you can download a sample to see if it would be of value to you.Rendering with AutoCAD (using nXtRender)Most of the book is available in one form or another on our websites and forum, but the Kindle version makes it easier to use - to find stuff by searching, etc. Take a look, and if you have any ideas for improvements, put them on our Forum or send the to support@renderplus.com The Print version will be available in a few days - for people, (like me), who find a printed reference manual much easier to use [more...]

Rich Hart has been working with Paul Guillow to create 3D PDFs based on Paul's airplane models.Airplane.PDF - click HEREto viewA 3D PDF lets visitors to Paul's website spin, pan and zoom on the airplane modes to check them out.One thing Rich added to the interactive PDF for Paul was a Purchase Button which takes you to Paul's website: www.guillow.com to buy the planes. I was so excited I ordered some for everyone in the office and some more for my grandson. What Fun!Want to use SketchUp and 3D PDF for you own marketing? Click here to learn more: RPS 3D PD [more...]

Douglas Triana has submitted a new image to SketchUpRendering.com using RENDERLights.Check out this and other images rendered from SketchUp models at: SketchUpRendering.co [more...]

Daniel Hargreaves of AccuStudio has agreed to make some videos for new nXtRender for AutoCAD users. Those of you who have been using AccuRender and nXt for years will find these kind of simple - they are designed for people trying nXtRender for the first time.Let us know any thoughts you have on what would make some good instructional videos for new users, or for all users who want to learn more about certain features.Download and install nXtRendernXtRender Lighting Basic [more...]

BiMUp has published its latest version of BiMUp 5D and it is ready for downloadBiMUp 5D – New Version MA10bm5 is Now Available – Click to follow the linkAdded a Sub-Total option for reports Added a Map Attributes dialog to allow attributes from other component libraries to be easily reported in BiMUp 5D Added check boxes Show Active, Show DC Components, and Show All Settings to the Define Attributes dialog, to make the dialog easier to use Added right click edits to the Define Attributes dialog, to more easily edit attributes Added a routine to always check a models attributes before any right click, to properly get all attributes before the Edit dialog is opened Added a ‘Show All Available $ attributes’ on Define Attributes dialog when ‘Show Inactive’ is checked Added a routine to always save all attributes definition in the model, even if they are not on for View, Edit or Report Added a routine which do not report on Groups without Names and without Attributes: Changed $name, $dname to always return something (e.g. ‘(Group)’ ) besides a blank name ($iname can return a blank name) Fixed a bug with setting the Title and Caption for the report [more...]

nXtRender Multi-PlatformIncludes Integration with AutoCAD, SketchUp and Revit - all at a single price.IRender nXt, AccuRender nXt for AutoCAD, AccuRender nXt for Revit - get it all at one low price. Special price until Mar 1, 2013: $599.00 Check it out at: http://nxtrender.com/purchase/ [more...]

Render Plus is going to be "merging" the user interfaces and capabilities of the nXt Engine for three platforms - AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp. By working on all three platforms, we hope to make a better product for all platforms, and to make it easier for clients who use more than one platform or who want to move from one platform to another.Roy will continue to work on the nXtRender Engine itself and we will work on the User Interfaces. Check out the nXtRender Site for more information and to keep tabs on what we are up to [more...]

A look at how Index Refraction and Transparency Settings in IRender nXt affect Objects ======================Recently a user on our forum asked: "I placed a semi-transparent shower curtain in my model, but it rendered like glass. What can I do to fix this?"The reason semi-transparent, “soft” objects do this is because IRender nXt, by default, treats all transparent objects in SketchUp as glass which reflects light while distorting objects behind the glass. Most transparent objects in SketchUp models are glass, so the default is to render them as such. There would be a similar problem with semi-transparent drapes, or other transparent objects that are not glass.Though, there are ways to reduce or eliminate this effect by lowering the Index of Refraction to 1.0. (The Index of Refraction determines how much the light and appearance of objects behind the glass are distorted when passing through the glass.) The solution is to right click on the material in SketchUp, load the “Edit Material Wizard” and set the Index of Refraction for the object to 1.0. (A vacuum is defined as having in Index of Refraction of 1.0) More on Glass and Transparency There are numerous settings you can make for different kinds of glass. You can view them all at Transparency Settings. Here are a couple of the most important:Thin and Thick:All glass in the real world has thickness, but often SketchUp modelers will represent it with a single face rather than two faces with a separation or a Rectangular Cuboid. If you create thick glass in SketchUp you should right click on the material and set it to “thick” so you know how to render it properly.Here are two glass objects - One marked, (properly), as “thick”, and the other left as “thin” glass. Here are some standard values you can use for other materials:Ice – 1.31 Water – 1.33 Acrylic Glass – 1.49 Flint Glass (Pure) – 1.60 Sapphire – 1.76 Diamond – 2.42 (See also: Refraction)Translucency: Translucency is a form of Transparency where the light passes through a material, but you cannot see through the material. Note in the image that light from the lamp inside the translucent shade illuminates the wall. But the shade itself is not transparent.See also: TranslucencySee TransparencySee Help Desk ArticleSee Common Rendering Question [more...]

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Render Plus systems announces the release of IRender nXt 5.0 for Trimble SketchUp.IRender nXt is a powerful plugin for rendering high-resolution images right inside SketchUp. IRender nXt is fully-integrated with Sketch Up materials, lighting, and components for complete control of interior, exterior, daytime or night-time scenes.IRender nXt 5.0 makes it easier for designers to build render-ready SketchUp models and quickly fine-tune render settings. Version 5.0 is all about improving the rendering workflow and adding simple, powerful controls for important render settings. IRender nXt 5.0 helps you make great renders, faster.IRender nXt 5.0 - Feature HighlightsIRender Ready Lights, Mirrors, and TreesA Trimble 3D Warehouse collection of objects, such as light fixtures, which have lights placed in them so they can be used directly with IRender.Background / Layer WizardMaking it easy to position your rendered model in a background and retrieve the settings for future renderings.Lights Query and Edit WizardMaking it easy to find, examine, and edit the artificial lights placed in your SketchUp Model for rendering with IRender nXtRotate View While RenderingLet’s you change the view and zoom after rendering and re-render without having to change the view in SketchUp. HDRi Lighting PresetFive lighting presets which make it easy to set lighting without having to set individual values. Sample Models and RenderingsDownloadable models from our 3D Warehouse use to get started quickly with advancedlighting and rendering settings. More Valuable Features IRender nXt 5.0 is loaded with another10 newfeatures that include an improved slider bar for HDRi rotations and the ability to store Background images in the SketchUp model for portability. Each feature is easy to use, easy to find, and speeds up renderings to increase your productivity.Download, Purchase or Renew.The release is free if you have purchased IRender nXt within the past 12 months. Save time and speed up your work flow. Download NOW. If your license has expired, now is the time to PURCHASE or UPGRADE to IRender nXt 5.0 [more...]

This video, taken from a Webinar for the nXtRender/IRender/AccuRender nXt Engine explains some of the advantages of multi-pass rendering.Multi Pass rendering lets you quickly see what your rendering is going to look like - after the first few passes - and the either change settings, or let the rendering continue go get better.In this video Scott Davidson shows you how multi-pass rendering works for nXtRender for AutoCAD, Revit or SketchUp.See the full Webinar Her [more...]

Render Plus is proud to announce our newest dealer for IRender nXt and other products - Cad Software Direct. Many of our international customers prefer to purchase products from a locad dealer who can handle the local currencies better and VAT or other similar taxes.Check out our Dealers Page to find the dealer closest to you [more...]

0false18 pt18 pt00falsefalsefalse /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Render Plus systems announces the release of IRender nXt 5.0 for Trimble SketchUpIRender nXt is a powerful plugin for rendering high-resolution images right inside SketchUp. IRender nXt is fully-integrated with Sketch Up materials, lighting, and components for complete control of interior, exterior, daytime or night-time scenes.IRender nXt 5.0 makes it easier for designers to build render-ready SketchUp models and quickly fine-tune render settings. Version 5.0 is all about improving the rendering workflow and adding simple, powerful controls for important render settings. IRender nXt 5.0 helps you make great renders, faster.IRender nXt 5.0 - Feature HighlightsIRenderReady Lights, Mirrors, and TreesA Trimble 3D Warehouse collection of objects, such as light fixtures, which have lights placed in them so they can be used directly with IRender. Background/ Layer WizardMakes it easy to position your rendered model in a background and retrieve the settings for futrue renderings. Lights Query and Edit WizardMaking it easy to find, examine, and edit the artificial lights placed in your SketchUp Model for rendering with IRender nXtRotate View While RenderingLet’s you change the view and zoom after rendering and re-render without having to change the view in SketchUp.HDRiLighting PresetFive lighting presets which make it easy to set lighting without having to set individual values. Sample Models and RenderingsDownloadable models from our 3D Warehouse use to get started quickly with advanced lighting and rendering settings.More Valuable Features IRender nXt 5.0 is loaded with another10 new features that include an improved slider bar for HDRi rotations and the ability to store Background images in the SketchUp model for portability. Each feature is easy to use, easy to find, and speeds up renderings to increase your productivity. Download, Purchase or Renew.The release is free if you have purchased IRender nXt within the past 12 months. Save time and speed up your work flow. Download NOW. If your license has expired, now is the time to PURCHASE or UPGRADE to IRender nXt 5.0.===============Have questions?Contact us at sales@renderplus.co [more...]

How do I balance interior and exterior lighting?Balancing interior and exterior lighting in SketchUp is a challenge many 3D designers face. The question of how to did it recently popped up in our IRender nXt forum so we decided to cover it here.In the real world, when we look at a structure that has interior lighting, the balance of outside and inside light is effected by numerous variables. Exterior lighting is effected by the time of day, cloud cover, angle of the sun, location to other structures, exterior light fixtures, etc. Interior lighting is effected by windows that let exterior light inside, interior lamps, lights and the wattages of their bulbs.There are a number of ways you can adjust these 3D lighting variables to find the right interior/exterior balance. You could:1. Make the interior lights brighter by increasing their bulb Wattage.2. Make the sun and sky darker by changing their setting in the SketchUp Shadow menu.Two IRender Tools offer an easier way to find the right balance, with greater control, as well.3. Globally adjust the balance between artificial lights and the sun/sky using the Lighting Balance Settings. You will need to re-render the scene to see the effect.4. Use Lighting Channels after rendering to balance groups of lights in channels that you have defined. By assigning channels to sun, sky, interior and exterior artificial lights, you can quickly adjust the intensity of each with a dialog box slider and immediately see the effect on the final rendering.Post-rendering adjustments in IRender nXt are a fast, powerful way to enhance your rendered image. There's no formula for getting the right lighting balance. Experiment with the Lighting Channel settings until you get the look you want. Once you do, you can save the channel settings for use on future designs.Find more information on balancing interior and exterior lighting here.Balancing Sun, Sky and Artificial Light [more...]

We sent out a rendering tip today about White Walls.Boothy pointed out that you can also make quick adjustments to walls using the Material/Color channels feature.Here is a rendering of a house which we used for our first Webinar:By clicking on the material in the back wall, you can select Change ColorThis brings up a Wizard which lets you make changes to the color of a material after rendering.Here I changed it to HSL (rather than RGB) mode, which lets you set the luminance of the color directly. And used the slider bar to move it more towards white.I was able to adjust the wall with the slider until I got a lighter effect.Note Material Channels does not re-render the model, so if you change the color too much, any anti-aliasing at the edge of the color will not be changed properly, and also any reflections of a color will not be changed. But it can be a good idea for Walls.See: Material Channel [more...]

Rendering Question - White WallsRecently on our Forum, we received this query: How can I make Walls or other surfaces whiter?We often get requests for information on how to make walls, ceilings, or objects being rendered look "Whiter". White Walls and White Backgrounds are often a challenge. Here are some tips. White that we see in computer images isn't always realisticSome walls in the real world aren't as "White" as we think they are. For instance, if we stood in front of the white wall with a very bright flashlight, would the beam of the flashlight be even "whiter". If so, then the wall wasn't really "white", but rather we perceived it as whiter than it was. Here is a typical rendering of a room with white walls, illiuminated by artificial lights. It is actually fairly realistic, but often we feel that the walls are just not white enough. White walls which appear gray because they do not receive enough light.The walls are pretty "gray". However, even if they were "white", we would expect the lamp shade to be a brighter white. So it is primarily a question of balance. If the walls, floor and ceiling were all "pure white", they would allo look the same and we wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Here I have use a Paint Program to make the walls completely white. This is not really the effect we want either. Brightness SliderWe can make the whole scene brighter with the brightness slider at the top of the rendering window. Here I increased overall brightness by 10%.That made the walls "whiter", but if I ran brightness all the way up, the rest of the scene would wash out. Self GlowAnother way to make a single object brighter is to apply self glow to the material on the surface. Self Glow make a material appear brighter - as if additional light was being applied to it.Here I applied a 15% self glow to both walls. This made the walls lighter, but the automatic "photometric" lighting adjuster darkened the rest of the scene to compensate for the bright walls.Self Glow and BrightnessSo finally, I adjusted the brightness slider at the top of the screen to make the whole image brighter: I think that with a combination of self glow and the brightness slider you may be able to get close to the effect you are looking for. Lighting ChannelsNote: Lighting channels will make this easier - their is one lighting channel which adjusts the self glow with a slider bar, so you can adjust self glow and overall brightness after the rendering is complete. See: Lighting ChannelsSee alsoCommon Rendering QuestionsLighting ChannelsAutomatic Luminanc [more...]

Last week at Basecamp we ran into a lot of people who were interested in NPR renderings. I took an NPR example of a church from a SketchUcation thread (http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=48550) and ran it through our Soft Shadows and Sketchy Shadows stuff since it makes a good example of Sketchy Shadows from our NprTools add-on.Here is the Church, in SketchUp, with a Sketchy Edges style - the shadows sometimes seem harsh with Sketchy Edges:We then create a "soft Shadow" image:This is not as much "rocket science" as we like to pretend. What we do is change the date and time, save several shadow images, and then merge them all together. You can get a smoother soft-shadows image by requesting more intermediate shadow images. However, for Sketchy Shadows - the next image - it actually works better with a coarser soft-shadows image.This next part, Sketchy Shadows part, was pretty clever, (I think at least). We replaced all the materials in the entire model with a sketchy hatch pattern, saved that images as well and then blended it with the soft shadows image to create a Sketchy shadows effect.Note how that placing the sketchy pattern materal on the SketchUp model causes the hatch lines to be at different angles for different surface planes. You can get a similar sketchy shadow effect just using a watermark applied over the image. But I think that having the hatch patterns at different angles makes a better effect.Here a zoom of part of the image so you can see the pattern better:Here is the model with hatch on all surfaces which was then merged with the shadow images. (This is pretty ugly, but I included it for people who want to try something like this themselves.) We actually made two of these images - with the hatch patterns in different directions and then merged them, based on the intensity of the soft shadows image to achieve the cross-hatch vs single line hatch cross-over in the final image [more...]

We just returned from the SketchUp 2012 Basecamp.The Guest Speaker of this year's Basecamp was Bre Pettis of MakerBot who has developed a 3D Printer which interfaces with SketchUp to create plastic prototypes and plastic parts directly from SketchUp models.The story of how they developed was fascinating.With a MakerBot, you can design 3D objects in SketchIUp, export them with the STL format exporter, load the MakerBot up with either ABS plastic(what Lego blocks are made of) or PLA (biodegradable - made of corn), and create real objects -either as prototypes for as finished products.Bre brought along several MakerBots which we got to try out on Tuesday [more...]

We just returned from the SketchUp 2012 Basecamp. We ran into lots of old SketchUp friends and acquaintances, met some new ones, and had a great time learning the latest and greatest about SketchUp and their new owner, Trimble. We had been looking forward to the reports and discussions with John Bacus of SketchUp, and Bryn Fosberg of Trimble, and we weren't disappointed. They told us what was new in SketchUp, what was in planning for the short term, and about the reasoning behind the recent Trimble purchase.They reassured us that SketchUp would keep the qualities what we like about it, while adding new features for the future - mostly focusing on making things even better for Ruby Developers like ourselves, and also working to bring SketchUp into the world of other Trimble products.We are encouraged to continue working with SketchUp and Trimble and continue to see a great fit for our products.Some new items for Ruby Developers: New testing environment for developers called TestUp. This will make it easier to create test routines for testing new code and making sure that older code still works. New Developer Console to replace the Ruby Console.One new feature will be the ability to enter and test multiple lines of Ruby code at the same time.SketchUp will participate in some Open-Source, multiple developer projects. The first will be work on the STL Import / Export feature to interface to 3D printers such as the MakerBot which was aslo shown at Basecamp [more...]

Render Plus and IRender nXt were invited to be on the panel of providers of Rendering Add-ons for SketchUp. Each Rendering Add-on was asked to present their special features. Presentation were made by:iRender nXtBloom UnitRender[in] for SketchUpShaderlightSU PodiumThea Render,and V-Ray for SketchUpEach presenter was given 5 minutes to discuss the features which set their rendering offering apart from other renderers. For IRender nXt we talked about:Fractal Trees,Lighting Channels,the new Background Wizard, and Post Processing Features. None of the other panel members included similar features in their presentations, so they may be unique to IRender nXt, or perhaps the other vendors don't consider them as important.The audience comments about our Lighting Channels and other features was very encouraging.We were able to demonstrate these as well as other features at our presentation table on the second day.Lighting Channels with IRender nXt Overall Basecamp was a great event. Much of the thanks has to go to Aiden Chopra, John Bacus, and Tommy, (who was always running around making things work properly), for putting on this event, and giving us all a chance to learn more about SketchUp and meet each other face to face [more...]

At SketchUp Basecamp this year presented ideas on attributes and reporting from SketchUp models - both using SpaceDesign, and together with our partner BimUP with whom we are creating special modelling and reporting capabilities for the Construction Marketplace.There was much talk among the participants about BIM and about adding additional information to SketchUp models to make the smart and ready for calculations, reporting, etc.SpaceDesign is designed to make it easier to place components, view and edit attributes stored with the components and create reports. This powerful plugin lets you choose attributes from other sources such as Dynamic Component Attributes or attributes from model creaters such as Igloo and easily include them in your reports.You are able to perform both simple, (such as quantity * weight for total weight), or complex (such as cost calculated at different raster based on quantity, or rounded up to package sizes) as part of your reports.BimUPuses similar reporting technology on items used in construnction - walls, foundations, beams, etc. - to generate the information you an get from an intelligent model [more...]

I made a new image of a spaceship from the 3D Warehouse to demonstrate rendering of Edge Lines in IRender nXtThere are two ways to render Edge Lines - You can extract an image from SketchUp of just the edge lines, and then paste it on top of the rendered image or you can create 3D geometry from the edge lines, and add it to the model before rendering. ( IRender nXt can do either of these automatically.)This image uses full 3D geometry. The full 3D edge lines are reflected properly in other geometry. The overlay of SketchUp edge lines would not be visible in reflections. See: Edge Highlightin [more...]

A while ago we added a new, free, Plugin, RpTreeMaker, for SketchUp users who want to make custom tree images which work in SketchUp, and make good shadows in SketchUp.See this older thread on SketchUcation:We have created some standard trees for use with SketchUp and RpTreeMaker.You can place these in SketchUp and use them as is, or you can place them, then edit them with RpTreeMaker.to customize them. These can be placed directly into SketchUp where they will appear as 2D "Always Face User" trees. If you render them with IRender nXt, they will re-render at higher resoltion as Fractal Trees.View these trees in the 3D Warehous [more...]

A user sent us this query:"I received an email about renewing IRender nXt which says: "new features include" but lists nothing. What, if any, are the new features?"We add new features and bug fixes almost every month. The most recent new features are:September 2012 Added a new tool to download Render Ready components from the 3D Warehouse. In the initial version we posted several lights, mirrors,and trees to see how this will work for you. Added a Restart Rendering button to the toolbar, to quickly restart a rendering, only sending the changes for Materials and Rendering Options.August 2012 Added a tool to the Options Light tab and toolbar, "Query and Find Lights in Model", to identify, help to locate, and edit all of the lights in a model.July 2012: Added a Sample Drawing dialog for new users to download models which demonstrate various rendering solutionsAdded "Automatically include all Lighting Channels" check box. Full List All of these features and bug fixes are listed here:http://www.renderplus.com/wp2/wk/IRender_nXt_-_New_Version.ph [more...]

The New versions of IRender nXt have some new toolbar functions which you may want to try out.Check our Refresh Rendering ( ) for faster re-rendering when there are no component changes, and the new IRender Ready Component loader ( ) for downloading or creating lamps and mirrors, or downloading trees.(Click on any item for documentation) IRender Info - start up settings and general information. Start Ray Trace - starts a new ray trace of your current model and settings. Refresh Rendering - start a new rendering with settings changes only. (Do not extract and reload the geometry.) Render Farm (if insalled) - start Render Farm for rendering nXt Image Editor - Edit nXt Image.IRender nXt Options - Render window size, render quality, etc. IRender Ready Load a lamp, mirror or tree from the ]]3D Warehouse]] or create a lamp, or a light fixture. Material Placement - Select and Edit materials and place them directly into components. Create Material - make a new SketchUp material from an .ArMaterial material. Image Layer Wizard - position or adjust foreground or background images. Create Plant - create a SketchUp component from an AccuRender Plant. The component will automatically render as a Fractal Plant. Load Sample models. Animation - create movies, or batch images from SketchUp animation pages. RPC - load RPC object into SketchUp model. Help - load the on-line Help pages [more...]

IRender Ready is a collection on the Trimble 3D Warehouse of object, such as light fixtures, which have lights placed in them so they can be used directly with IRenderLight Fixtures Mirrors TreesTo view and download IRender Ready models, visit: IRender Ready Collection on the 3D Warehouse, or use the new IRender Ready Wizard: See: IRender Ready Conten [more...]

Better Visualization Renderings with IRender nXt and Sketchup.Our recent webinar shared illuminating information on how to use SketchUp and IRender nXt to produce photorealistic renderings from 3D designs. We covered the work flow to create a full set of visualization renderings for client presentations. The webinar kicked off with basic instruction on settings, shedding light on the differences between perceived exterior and interior, and daytime vs. night-time lighting. We shared concepts such as using lighting channels to balance those light sources and create dynamic, well-lit scenes.Powerful 3D renderings include detailed reflection tactics, so we also covered tips on how to improve items keeping sharpness, transparency and caustic surface elements in mind. A little extra effort spent on your 3D renderings can make a world of difference.We hope we were able to shed some light on how to improve your skills for effective photorealistic client presentations using IRender nXt with SketchUp. If you missed the webinar, or would like a refresher, we welcome you to watch the webinar online now. The more you learn, the more valued your 3D presentations will be.Stay tuned for our next webinar with more helpful hints on how to get the most out of IRender nXt.Check our Common Rendering Questions page for more helpful advice on how to render with SketchUp [more...]

Just as salt and pepper are basic seasonings in the kitchen, highlights and reflections are two of the most basic tools for professional-grade rendering. In this rendering how to we will share some helpful hints to enhance your SketchUp renderings using the IRender nXt highlights and reflection settings. It’s all in the details.Highlights and Reflections add realism and transform simple SketchUp renderings into eye-catching images. Two important things to remember with Highlights and Reflections when rendering in 3D are: (1) you’ll need to have something to reflect off of; and (2) you’ll have to apply some reflection to the objects in your rendering.First, focus on lighting. With the Dynamic lighting option, you can place your item in a setting, such as a forest with light filtering through the trees. This adjustment determines the scene’s ambient light. Once the lighting is set, it’s just a matter of adding reflection to the items in the picture and making adjustments, keeping in mind their color and surface material, i.e. plastic, metallic, etc. Second, dial in the details. Don’t stop with just the main focus objects though. Many users overlook the addition of reflection to all the various elements in the rendering. Remember things like table tops and accompanying room accessories. Spending time on these details can make the difference between a boring, flat image and an engaging, realistic one.Get more rendering how to’s. We covered this subject (and more) in our recent webinar, so if you’re interested, please view the Better Visualization Rendering webinar. Also, check our Common Rendering Questions for more details about working with Highlights and Reflections, and more helpful advice on how to render with SketchUp [more...]

Rachel from Shaderlight has placed a model on the 3D Warehouse for us to use to make rendering samples using various rendering products for inclusion in the Sample Renderings section of SketchUpRendering.com: Loft with TelescopeRender it with your favorite rendering package, send me the results, and I will place them on SketchUpRendering.com. Check out the Sample Renderings section to see what people have done with the previous models. It is OK to change materials, add a background, add lights, and make other rendering settings – but do not add to or change other geometry.Besides seeing samples of various rendering packages, the SketchUpRendering.com site, where we will post these images, is to show SketchUp users the value of using add-on rendering packages to improve the quality and value of SketchUp models and images for internal or client presentations.Also, check out these previous Sample Rendering SketchUcation Threads to see what people have done with the previous models: Interior, Water, and Exterior at Night [more...]

Our Webinar is complete. It went great. Thanks to everyone else who listened.The Webinar will be posted here soon so you can listen to it: Webina [more...]