White model Background

Raylectron (https://Raylectron.com) is a 3D rendering engine for Trimble Sketchup (https://sketchup.com)
Post Reply
RCarrion
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:51 pm

White model Background

Post by RCarrion »

Hello SBL Team,
I have my first model am rendering and am having a white model view, even though when I click render it starts to render just fine, but cannot pin point why I get a white initially.
Am running windows Vista 32 bit with a low budget video card. Any Suggestions or solutions?

Thanks for your efforts.
Richard
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

Hello,

I am not exactly sure what you mean. Perhaps you can post an image so I can visualize it?

When you click on Render, it will switch from the Model View to the Render View which is white to start with. As there are passes available, they will automatically show, unless it is turned off in the menu.

But if you have a low-end video card and downloaded the GPU+CPU version, perhaps you should download the CPU only version which will be much faster.

Also, is it an outdoor scene? Do you have the Sun/Sky enabled?
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
RCarrion
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:51 pm

Re: White model Background

Post by RCarrion »

When I upload the model to the render initially is white in model view (see my attached image. So If I need to adjust the view I cannot see my model.
It seems to render fine after I click render.

Thank you for such fast support.

RC
Attachments
pic.jpg
pic.jpg (50.84 KiB) Viewed 23370 times
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

I see what you mean. The Model Viewer is blank because it was unable to load the OpenGL driver needed to display it. However, the way you have it in Sketchup is the exact same way it will be in Raylectron.

I notice that there are "xx samples" showing at the bottom. Is the Render View showing the render? Also, it shows 8% which I think this is from an older version. Which version are you using?
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
RCarrion
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:51 pm

Re: White model Background

Post by RCarrion »

I purchased the latest and downloaded from the website. am not sure what you mean by xx samples, but here is a quick render from the progress.
I can work with materials directly from SU anyways. But I needed to make sure am in the right path here.

Thanks,
RC
Attachments
Clarkson Concepts Model.png.jpg
Clarkson Concepts Model.png.jpg (113.1 KiB) Viewed 23364 times
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

At the bottom, in the status bar, it shows some info from which the number of passes or samples it did so far.

It looks like you are in the right path. If I may suggest a few things...

The tree is an instance, so in Sketchup it will show as a white box. It is best if you move it up the ground by at least 1/64" so that it does not touch the ground. This will get rid of the whiter area under the tree.

The windows on the house, I would make them white and in the Raylectron material editor for that material, set it as "Glass (thin)". You may make it o% transparent if you do not want to see the inside of the house, or 100% transparent. I do not suggest to use anything else other than 0% or 100% because it will have grains which may take a while to disappear. If you want the window darker, make the color darker instead of the transparency.

The render seems pale to me. Did you use the "path Tracing" option? Perhaps use the Contrast setting? Even better, is to use an Environment map because as it is, there is nothing but a blue sky and green ground to reflect on the house and it will look like the house is sitting somewhere in the desert like environment. No building, no cars, nothing to reflect.

Did you make the ground "Grass" in Raylectron? if you did, you should set the min/max Pull for XYZ to be -50 and +50 so that the blades are not simply going up. And maybe also increase the number of blades per SQF.

Beside that, it all looks good.
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

I also just noticed that the 8% I was talking about was the free memory! The screen shot is small so I didn't see it right. 8% is very low. How much memory does your system have? Also, have you installed the latest driver for your video card? Which video card do you have? Is it on the motherboard or is it a card that fit on the motherboard? I ask all this so that I may suggest something for you to see the Model Viewer and to render faster and not run out of memory!
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
RCarrion
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:51 pm

Re: White model Background

Post by RCarrion »

I am planning on getting a better system anytime soon, since this video card is old. My system has 6gb of ram dual core/ 2.8GHz.
Also thank you so much for your suggestions, I think I will be very happy with this product.

When it comes to using instances in SU, Is it a good idea for them to be touching for example, trees that are very close together, but since they are instances the boxes will be touching, is there a way to work around this?
I did use path tracing on this one. Where do you recommend to get great Environment maps from?

Thanks again...

RC
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

If you want speed for rendering, I'd go with a GTX-670 minimum which has 1300+ cores. The GTX-Titan is the best. Raylectron will use both, your GPU and CPU, so I'd go with a CPU like the Intel-i7 with 6 cores 12 threads. That will be fast, and, with the GTX, you'll be able to see your model in the Model Viewer including shadows for the sun and it will look semi-rendered, great for quick animation videos. You will also be able to produce animated renders much faster and of better quality.

The instances can touch each other, but try to minimize touching anything else. Corners are no big deal but the full flat surface of the box is.

OpenFootage.net is free and they have super high quality environment maps in HDR format. Make sure the download the HDR not the JPG and the largest one as well, like the 10000x5000 at 200mb and stuff. This will give you much more realism to your model.

If you need help or anything, and you have a model you can share with me, you can PM (private message) it to me and I can tuned it up the best I can so that you can see the settings I've used and everything else.
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

Just for you to see how Raylectron can render a normal model with nothing special (this one below is from the Sketchup 3D warehouse by Mike Brestel Designs) can be made very realistic. All we did is made the windows white, 100% transparent, Glass (thin) and apply Bump level = 10 to the concrete and a few other things, and made the paver a little shiny. We've added some clouds as background images (30% transparent PNG) and did not modify the model at all. Here is the result after carefully positioning the sun and 2 hours rendering at a resolution of 1870x1074 on a moderate computer with a GTX-670 (click the image to view it full size)...
Corner_34_no_Unit(3dWH).png
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

Here is another one, a very simple model, but this one was rendered using one of the environment map found on the OpenFootage website...
Dark House.png
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
RCarrion
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:51 pm

Re: White model Background

Post by RCarrion »

WOW these look amazing, very sharp. Am playing around with the Environment map now and I see a better improvement.
Thank you so much for your support and attention.

Good work with the plugin I see a very good future for this.

Richard
User avatar
Support
Site Admin
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:49 am

Re: White model Background

Post by Support »

Thanks Richard.
Your support team.
https://SoftByteLabs.com
Post Reply