• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

Still learning

One step at a time !!!!

I have seen this 'NADIR' term, but have to Google it still to learn what it is :o

And I know what LOD is, but how to get it to work in FSX is yet another step.

I'll continue making the various models for now, and then re-learn ModelConverterX that Arno is so diligently changing and updating all the time !!! :D
 
Hi François,

Since you are close by and a bit to the west, please do me a favor and stop sending those rainclouds over to my place. Yes, I know we have had a dry spell but that is over now.
Regarding texturing, I am glad you raised this item once more because there is still a lot to learn both about the possibilities of GSU and of the various paint programs.
 
<Francois frantically waving at the oncoming clouds> I'll do my best :-)

I think we have a separate Sketchup forum here too...... maybe I should had posted there. Sorry.

Am now experimenting with making models AFTER a photo... but cannot get the hang of that yet. So I just start with a block of white facings, paste a picture onto it, and then model along the contours to get things in the proper shape.

Like these fuel tank objects.....

FSAD-obj-cc-fuel-machine-L.png


FSAD-Comp-avgas-station-1-L.png


Oops, the Chevron sign isn't finished yet. :o
 
Looks good; glad neither you or the pipe got 'bent out of shape' this time! ;)

Hmmm... "To be, or not Tu-be, that is the question..." :p



PS: I just re-discovered how to export a 2D Graphic image file from Sketchup that is much larger than one's Windows Desktop display resolution setting. :idea:

When I get a chance, I'll post another edited version of my step-by-step mini-tutorial earlier in this thread which details the 'other' process.


But in a nutshell, referring to the original at:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showpost.php?p=208441&postcount=13

...One can do this instead:


Before starting Sketchup (...to avoid a GPU crash), set Windows Desktop at the maximum display resolution ones video card supports, then:

1.) "Use view size" = 'Un-checked' and Image Size - Height = 4 times the pixel Height Sketchup initially offers (ex: 4096)
2.) "Rendering - Anti-alias" = 'Un-checked' (do not use Sketchup's own Anti-Aliasing routine)
3.) Close Sketchup (...to avoid a GPU crash, and to minimize the memory demand in Windows... the 2D file export output may be 75 to 100 MB in size !)
4.) Re-configure Windows Desktop to one's "usual" working display resolution
5.) In a graphics utility (ex: PhotoShop, PaintShop, PhotoPaint, GIMP etc.), resample image down to 1024 pixel Height (use Anti-Aliasing / Maintain Aspect Ratio)

The result should be a better quality image than that achieved using the built-in Sketchup Anti-Aliasing routines. :wizard:


Hope this helps ! :)

GaryGB
 
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But having trouble with the trial version of nXtRender now. Cannot get that 'gery plastic looking render anymore. It puts textures on anything ! And the pro verion is a tad beyond my budget :eek:
 
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Francois said:
I think we have a separate Sketchup forum here too...... maybe I should had posted there. Sorry.
Click to expand...

I moved the thread to there. Given the amount of discussion in this thread, it fits better in the SketchUp then the Showroom forum. But keep up the interesting discussions :).
 
Thanks Arno; indeed some of us <mea culpa> are used to "evolving threads" from traditions (or was that 'bad habits' instead ? :p) in forums elsewhere. :o


No doubt Francois may soon enjoy having an even more impressive work product to proudly display in a new, more topically-focused thread of screenies posted to the FS Developer "Showroom"... as his project progresses with each passing day ! :)

GaryGB
 
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Hi Francois:

I hope your recent challenges with the rendering plug-in resolve satisfactorily. :)

I only had a brief opportunity to tinker with that particular plug-in before I got caught up in plans for a 'short' version of a long holiday weekend away ...to celebrate the 4th of July here in the USA. :cool:


Clearly the developers of the IRender_nXt for Sketchup are brilliant, and the 'evolution' of that product is still in the early phases of being a ported code base from their Accurender Nxt product for AutoCAD.

The ease of use and results using even just the provided rendering 'pre-sets' look quite promising, so I hesitate to regard the product as being "in it's infancy", but certainly there may be some bugs encountered... as it is a work in progress. ;)


It seems in the current trial version, there are not yet an abundance of links (if any) provided during the install process, which would otherwise populate the Windows Programs menu with the manual, help files, etc.


But be assured there is a lot of good info and tips in some files I found after installing the IRender_nXt trial (and possibly 1 or 2 other demos or freebies). :alert:


BTW: I manually created shortcuts to them (paths shown are for Windows XP 32-bit; Vista / Win7 and/or 64-bit Windows users can find theirs "nearby"):


C:\Program Files\Render Plus Systems\IRender_nXt\accurender.hlp

C:\Program Files\Render Plus Systems\IRender_nXt\accurender (2).hlp

C:\Program Files\Render Plus Systems\IRender_nXt\usage.htm

C:\Program Files\Render Plus Systems\IRender_nXt\bin_Nxt\IRender_nXt.chm



For example, on my Windows XP 32-bit system, I put my shortcuts to those files inside a sub-folder under my Programs Menu "Sketchup" folder chain:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\Google Sketchup\Google SketchUp 8\3rd Party Plug-in Docs\Render Plus Systems\Shortcut to Usage.lnk

c:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\Google Sketchup\Google SketchUp 8\3rd Party Plug-in Docs\Render Plus Systems\Shortcut to IRender_nXt.lnk

c:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\Google Sketchup\Google SketchUp 8\3rd Party Plug-in Docs\Render Plus Systems\Shortcut to accurender.lnk

c:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\Google Sketchup\Google SketchUp 8\3rd Party Plug-in Docs\Render Plus Systems\Shortcut to accurender (2).lnk



When I browsed through the above files, I found where the support forums were located; then I found some threads about the "Sketchup version of Accurender" (aka IRender_nXt) ...in the support forums at:

http://www.accurender.com/forum/topic/search?q=Sketchup

It is apparent the developers are willing to address issues arising with use of their trial versions, so it might be worth registering and logging in to the forum there; perhaps they can troubleshoot the issues you are experiencing while allowing you to safely save out any custom settings you may have established while using the plug-in. :idea:

Perhaps this info may be of some additional assistance with getting the plug-in back in action for you, and to help with better exploring its possibilities ?



FYI: I'll try to post another mini-tutorial this coming week to illustrate some ways to Geo-locate ones model, and set it's orientation relative to Sketchup's "Sun" into alignment with where the scenery object will ultimately be placed and lighted in FS.

This could help make the direction and angle of one's shadows from the Sketchup / photoreal rendering process more in keeping with that to be seen in FS at run time so the scenery object blends in properly with other lighted / shadowed objects in ones scenery during a flight.

IMHO, it would be important to geo-locate and set the orientation of one's model in Sketchup for the intended destination by Lat/Lon/Heading of the ex: "front face" of the model BEFORE saving / using 2D exported textures of the rendered model; that way the lighting / shadowing will match the lighting that the scenery object will be expected to show when placed in the FS world after processing via MCX etc.

Why ? :confused:

Because when IRender nXt runs inside of SketchUp, it uses SketchUp’s own geometry, material, textures and sun-position. :spushpin:


Generally speaking, if one sets the Sun's "Azimuth" at its highest position in the sky (ex: for 12:00 Noon... when it is more directly over the 'Meridian' for an objects position on the world globe), one will have shadows that might be less unique to a particular time of the day when shadows are longer or more dramatic on the textures of one's model; thus a scenery object with a single, geo-located, "Noon" texture set might look "OK" at other times of the day as well.



Hope this helps ! :)

GaryGB
 
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Well yes and no.

You keep looking at the iRender version, which is the one that costs 500 bucks or something. WAY beyond my current possibilities I'm afraid.

So I am using the 'lite' version (although the trial allows use of both), because that's the one I would buy should I decide to continue this path.
 
Ah, I see... I'll try to get more acquainted with that version. :o

I'm confident you'll be able to get it working again for the remainder of the trial period. :)


PS: I've found this info about the product line thus far (will also see if I can find any documentation about the "Lite" version):

http://www.renderplus.com/wk/NXtRender_Feature_Comparison_w.htm

Oh, I haven't had my morning coffee yet... I gather by "lite" you mean nXtRender, and not IRender nXt ? :rolleyes:

Yes, seeing this comparison now, I'd agree that one might not need all the extra features (and expense) of IRender nXt; the nXtRender product certainly seems a more appropriate 'task-oriented' choice for FS scenery creation ! ;)


Hope to see more excellent screenies of your project in the FS Developer "Showroom" again soon ! :D

GaryGB
 
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Yes, I know. That's the one I am using (on the left).

But a lot of those features in the table are 'elusive' in the trial. I can only set a few parameters (out of 5 'chapters)... it doesn't include lighting, material properties etc. So I am not sure if that is because it is just a trial (it says it has FULL functionality) or because it has all these features, but you cannot manually change most of them :-(

I alos downloaded (and now lost with my download USB 2Tb jard disk) the Kyrkethea (sp) renderer, which is free, but very complex. Haven't tried it yet.
 
Sorry to hear about the USB disk "loss"; was it a 'memory module' disk... or a regular USB interface to a mechanical hard disk (with platters) in an external enclosure ?


If it was the latter, in my experience, one can usually retrieve all the data from a "crashed" mechanical hard disk by purchasing a 'matching' disk model from the same production series, and exchanging the controller circuit board (usually 'mini-torx' screws).


Sometimes just cleaning the metal spring contacts between the circuit board and the platter housing is enough to get it running again, as the internal hardware of a drive platter assembly rarely has actually failed... its usually the circuit board (and usually due to overheating, IMHO). ;)



Hope your further rendering adventures go well this weekend ! :cool:

GaryGB
 
very nice buildings....

I sure agree. Sketchup is great for simple objects and it makes great buildings over Gmax. I too agree you should use textures for the window frames. Too many poly's.

DG:eek:
 
GaryGB said:
Sorry to hear about the USB disk "loss"; was it a 'memory module' disk... or a regular USB interface to a mechanical hard disk (with platters) in an external enclosure ?


If it was the latter, in my experience, one can usually retrieve all the data from a "crashed" mechanical hard disk by purchasing a 'matching' disk model from the same production series, and exchanging the controller circuit board (usually 'mini-torx' screws).


Sometimes just cleaning the metal spring contacts between the circuit board and the platter housing is enough to get it running again, as the internal hardware of a drive platter assembly rarely has actually failed... its usually the circuit board (and usually due to overheating, IMHO). ;)



Hope your further rendering adventures go well this weekend ! :cool:

GaryGB
Click to expand...

I think it is a software problem. It is a USB Western Digital in a plastic casing with no screw in sight, no idea how to open it.
Stopped being recognized by Windows all of a sudden.

But I suspect Windows has something to do with it. My PC won't start normally for over a year. Gotta start it in Safe Mode every morning. Then stop it. Then start it normally.
If not, I get a message 'An illegal change on Windows has occurred' or something like that,then a window pops up leaving me ONE choice: close Windows.

Together with my injured wrist, my headaches and some cavity infection (I think), I am not feeling very well today. Lets aim for tomorrow :D
 
delivery guy said:
very nice buildings....

I sure agree. Sketchup is great for simple objects and it makes great buildings over Gmax. I too agree you should use textures for the window frames. Too many poly's.

DG:eek:
Click to expand...

I know, but this is not my 'FSX model' yet ;-)
 
Hi Francois:

My 'short' version of a long holiday weekend away ...to celebrate the 4th of July" will take me out of town for a couple of days.

I'll depart shortly (...after "she" finishes packing ! :p ), and will be back on Tuesday.

Perhaps we might connect sometime after then. :)


All things considered, a rather busy but productive last few days worthy of some rest and recreation, wouldn't you say ? :D


GaryGB
 
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