Interior Rendering

Raylectron (https://Raylectron.com) is a 3D rendering engine for Trimble Sketchup (https://sketchup.com)
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

So the log file is blank? If you got an error, it should have recorded it i nthe log file, doesn't matter if the app doesn't crash. You can still install the 32bit, it will work Nick, even on a 64bit OS. If it works, then we know for sure it's a DLL in your system folder that was replaced when you installed another software, but which one!?!
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Alright then. I'll try it once more. But do I uninstall the 64bit version first and then install the 32bit version? Even if it is a DLL in my system, since the last software installed would be Raylectron (after uninstalling the current one and reinstallin the new one), then tthere wouldn't be a new software installed to have a DLL problem.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Yes, uninstall the 64bit first then install the 32bit. It does not install any DLL in your system, the files are all in the installed folder and in the Sketchup\Plugins\Raylectron folder and no where else.

But first, can you see if the 2nd copy I PM to you writes anything to the log file?
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Michael,
I'll try all those things. I need to get few interior rendering going and even though I have watched your video concerning the x-ray method and so on, I have a bit of trouble getting the desired vew regardless of what nunmber of layers I give to the xray layer box. The closest one i have come up with is the attached image. I like it so much that I can actually use it as an art piece. I've attached the skp model. Its basically a resurfacing of a kitchen cabinet door panels. I haven't changed the layout. I would like to get a perspective view looking from the nook table area targeting the other side so it shows the whole kitchen in one shot including the downlights and light fixtures. I counted 2 layers for the exterior wall behind the table and also from 1 to 10 layers for the window frame/glass and still no go. How would you do it when you have a window along with frames?
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LMomarKitchen.jpg
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Well, you can't get pass of the layers when some have 2 and others 10. It's either or. So what you can do is get the camera close enough to the wall so that no windows are within the view, or, hide the windows and fill the holes in the wall then you can step back and x-ray the 2 layers of the wall.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Here, I hid the window and push/pull the hole in the wall, then render with x-ray=2 in raytrace and interior ambient light only, no sky...
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Now I see what needs to be done in cases like these. So what I understand is I should first hid the window, then fill in the window area using push/pull(I can even group the push/pull area at this time) and do the rendering, then hide the push/pull area and unhide the window again.
Thanks Michael,
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Yes, you got it. But if you keep the hole in the wall and just add a filler, the edges will still show! You need to also hide the 4 faces of the hole and removed the 4 side faces of the filler. Am I making sense?
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Yes sir. I learned my lesson the hard way. The first couple of times i kept seeing the edges and the side faces of the hole. So I grouped the side faces with the actual window and grouped the frona nd back face of the hole as a separte group so I can hide and unhide either of them as i need. I even did the hiding on the edges just to make sure nothing shows up. Here is a little image. I am sure i'll have more questions soon.
Thanks Michael,
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

I rendered your scene with a floor texture this time as oppose to make every planks as we talked about in another thread. I've also fixed your model. All the glasses were ok on the part facing in the room, but the other faces were wrong, so as the glasses in the cabinets. I've also fixed that big light over the table by removing the smooth effects of it and smooth it again at the proper value, removed all the assigned materials from your lights faces and re-assigned the material to the groups instead. Here's how it turned out with an environment map and I've included your fixed model...
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Nick's kitchen renderd with Raylectron using an environment map
Nick's kitchen renderd with Raylectron using an environment map
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Raylectron rendering of Nick's kitchen using photon mapping
Raylectron rendering of Nick's kitchen using photon mapping
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Hi Michael,
Thanks very much for the model. Regarding the big light fixture over the table, what did you mean by re-smoothing it. Did you explode it and assigned the default material to everything, then regrouped it and used the smooth edges tool and assigned the light material to the group? I have already done most of the corrections on the latest model, but haven't touched the big light yet. Now That I am back, I hope I get a chance to try out few things with the latest version you sent to my PM. I'll keep you informed.
Many thanks,
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Yes Nick, I exploded it and removed the material from the one side, then de-smoothed the whole thing (with the smooth tool, right click) then grouped it, smoth it slowly till the lines are gone, then apply the light material to the group.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Thanks for elaborating on that. I'll try it with the model I already have to see what happens when I use the smooth few times.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Hi Michael,
Had enough time to test render the kitchen model again. I didn't want to use the one you corrected and posted it for me. I wanted to test render the one I have modified a bit to see what happens to my window glasses and the interior cabinet glass. I even placed a background image/watermark behind the back kitchen window. I tested both window glass and cabinet glass (at least 10 times already) and made sure they are all correctly oriented( at least I think they are). Still when render the model, the window glass looks opaque and I don't see the watermark image, and the cabinet glasses look weird. It seems that I can't get a hang of this glass issue. I've done everything according to what needs to be done. Create the double faces for the glass(the thickness), then erase the sides, so you only have two faces without the sides, assign default material to both surfaces, group them and then assign the glass material to the group with lets say white color and edit the white color so the transparency is 100%. How is it that the watermark is not visible and the glass don't look right. Attached are the model and the watermark image and a 4 minutes rendering.
Can you please call me tomorrow as it would be much easier to understand this glass issue. It is really becoming a challenge for me. Would it be possible for you developers to make assigning glass material easier? I've spent around 1.5 hours already to make the glass work and still no go. Can't the code be re-written so when you have a group of 2 faces(front and back), all you need to do is just tell the program that this material is glass regardless of what the orientations are. Now the program does all the re-orientation of the faces automatically and the user doesn't have to mess around with this issue. I just don't understand why we have to keep re-orienting all these faces in general and specifically for glass. If it is an interior rendering, then when one selects an interior rendering option in the dialog, then the program must reorient the faces accordingly within the program itself. The same goes for an exterior rendering. I need to ask you the steps once more. I'll be available around 2 pm Los Angeles time. I'll be waiting for your call.
Thanks much Michael,

P.S. I modeled the floor as you suggested.
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4 minutes rendering
4 minutes rendering
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Watermark image
Watermark image
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SKP model
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Nick, I've made you a video of what's wrong with the model. It's better than the phone because you can see and hear me talk. My voice is low so reve up the volume, I got a little cold!
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Well hope you'll feel better and you can always call me when you are better. There are few questions I have that would crystallize in my brain better with talking rather than writing. So feel better and talk to you later. Thanks much for the video. Haven't had time to watch it yet.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

ok, let me know when is a good time. I'm free now and tonight. oh, and here is a render of your kitchen...
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Just got back Michael. So if you are up to it please give me a call. If not I understand and try to work out the model with a great video you posted for me. You won't believe how many times I used the fix faces tool so it might have gotten mixed up. But I was pretty sure I assigned the white wood color to the door and the glass frame. I've been using the architectural template with no background or sky since it makes SU a bit faster when the model gets big, but maybe I should also use that simple template from time to time. The reason for the blue, green and red lines are to make sure that the model is correct as far as the axis. Of course I should turn it to all black once I am done with the model but I've been used to working like that. So if you go to styles, then you can select your lines per axis color. I didn't create any layer. I think it just does it by itself. What I do as per SU developers, I use the Outliner dialog to create my groups and name them and I can turn them on and off. I used to do it with layers and i was advised long ago to use the Outliner for that purpose. I'll try the model again and thank you so much for going over my model. I'll be here until around 4:30 pm Los Angeles time.
Many thanks again.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Michael,
Just saved the latest versions. Did I understand you correctly that we no longer have to mess with the front or back faces for windows? If yes, then how was that managed this time? I am really interested in the technical explanation of that. I tried a few minutes rendering yesterday after I modified all glass and frames/door material and faces and it looks ok so far except that the glass on the right side looks too dark and that is because it is not empty behind the cabinet and I didn't push/pull it all the way back. I tried the watermark and somehow it seems that it expands the image. I'll try it next with actually placing an image behind the window like your video tutorial. Attahed is that few minutes rendering I talked about.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

Yes Nick, you are reading this right, you no longer need to mess with the orientation of the faces. As I've explained it to you on the phone, when a light ray hit a glass material, it assume it's entering the glass and when it hit the glass again, it assume it's exiting the glass. Seems to work good.

Your dark glasses maybe because you're not using the build i sent you (the one with the "no messing arounf with the faces"). Or the transparency is like 80% ? Not sure, but try it with the new build see how it looks?

You need to resize the watermark image to fit the rectangle it's in, like I did in the video.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

I am currently rendering the same image with the way you did your watermark object in the video and I did exactly that with resizing and so on. For the image already posted, I used the Raylectron watermark applied through the Raylectron settings and I didn't get a chance to see if I can manipulate the image. All I did in the setting was put a check mark where it says Watermark and selected the image. I'll try the new versions soon and will post a 2 hour rendering in about 15 minutes. You were right. this 32 bit version is really slow to the point that even I can feel how slow it is. This new image doesn't look as sunny as your latest rendering and I think its due to your computer being a much better one and also that you have the pendent light above the table off so you can see the sun rays inside much better, not to mention and its still a bit grainy. I do need to get a new machine soon.
Thanks Michael,
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Support »

It's looking really good Nick!

The watermark is static, can't be moved or anything.

The power of the machine does not make it nicer Nick. It's how you set the light intensities. If you want both, indoor and sun/sky, then you need to rev up the sun/sky by 16x or to whatever it makes it look the way you like, and then use the Intensity setting to bring the whole thing down evenly when the render display the result, say -100 or something. I use the Intensity allot because it's not like the Brightness. Intensity bring up/down every pixels by the same amount, so it'll look the same with lights set to 1000 and Intensity to -100, and lights to 10 and Intensity to 0. The other settings are based on formulas.

Your kitchen design is looking nicer and nicer. I like what you did.
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Michael,
Just got back. Noticed that you left a message at 9:52 according to my telephone. Sorry I missed your call. Please do call me again. I am in my office now and waiting for your call. Can't wait to get this thing going.
Thank you,
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Re: Interior Rendering

Post by Nick1 »

Michael,
Thank you so much for calling back. Here is the txt file.

<snip> got it in PM.
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