[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

Hi,
I am aware that there are plenty of topics to choose from to tell me what the various settings do and explain the ins and outs of them. What is NOT done, is tell the noob where to find these settings and how to implement them. I am not new to rendering and while I accept this is a step or three beyond what I have used, not happy about the failure to communicate these basic, ie, what where and how. HDRI for example and the actual methods to import them,. change material settings etc. No I do not need to know what changing mats or finishes to do just how and where to do it properly, workflow etc.

[JDHill]

Please see the overview, here, and the quick start, here. General user-interface information may be found here, with specific topics for environment (here), and materials (here).

To use an HDRI, open the Scene Manger (90% of what you do with the plugin will be done in the Scene Manager), go to the Environment tab, change the Type to Image Based, and browse for an HDRI by clicking the Browse button in the Background section.

To change material settings, switch from the Environment tab to the Materials tab, where you will find a dropdown listing all the materials in the model; select one (you can also use the eye dropper tool), and you will be able to edit its properties. A material uses one of two main modes: it either uses a "Character", of which you will find several in the associated drop-down, or by clicking the "MXM" button at the top-right of the window, you toggle the material to use "MXM Mode", in which the material links to an external Maxwell MXM file.

I hope this information is along the lines of what you were looking for.

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

Thanks JD, I will get there in the end. Anyone know if there is in the satnav?

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

I am trying to set artificial lights by texture which is not easy, I have also tried to set mirror finish and glass finish but nix on that. The emiter material does not and neither does the mirror. Struggling to do any more than waste time at the moment with no render worthy of the name. Basically I find nothing does what it say's on the tin yet.

Window glass etc, where?

I checked for reverse faces, not relevant.

I have to say that not being able to alter materials and finishes without a phd in search engine assistance is HUGELY affecting, the lack of data to tell me HOW to use the editors more efficiently or indeed at all limits me to frustration. I am NOT new to rendering but this is the worst level of cooperation I have received from a program. Not giving up but honestly, not good enough.

[Mihai]

Transparent glass? Click on the "Character" menu and choose Glass. That's it.

Mirror finish, that's just roughness 0. So you can switch the Character to metal type and set roughness to 0.

I really suggest going through the plugin manual first of all, will save you a lot of time in the end and it's that many pages.

I'm not sure what you mean by "artificial lights by texture"? You mean to use a texture for the light color? Like a TV screen or billboard? You have the HDR emitter "character" for that. You can only load high dynamic range textures here. Like .hdr, .exr or Maxwells image format, .mxi.

If you mean HDR environment lighting, it's explained here:
http://support.nextlimit.com/display/ma ... nvironment

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

Artificial lights, do not respond, cannot find where the problem is. Mirror finish no response and left with a plain white texture, no window glass, Use emiter finish on a colour/texture.....etc etc.

[JDHill]

Emitter

1. Make a plane and group it.
2. Assign to it a new material (from, say, the SketchUp Colors collection).
3. In Scene Manager > Material, change the material to use the Emitter Character.
4. Set the appropriate wattage (and efficacy).
5. Note: light will emit from the "front" of the face, not the back.

Mirror

1. Make a plane and group it.
2. Assign to it a new white material (from the SketchUp Colors collection).
3. In Scene Manager > Material, change the material to use the Metal Character.
4. From Character > Presets, choose Mirror.

Window glass

1. Make a plane and group it.
2. Assign to it a new material (from the SketchUp Colors collection).
3. In Scene Manager > Material, change the material to use the AGS Character.
4. Note: AGS glass has no refraction.

Textured Emitter

1. Make a plane and group it.
2. Assign to it a new material (from the SketchUp Colors collection).
3. In Scene Manager > Material, change the material to use the HDRI Emitter Character.
4. Click the Browse button for the HDRI Emitter parameter.
5. Adjust Intensity and Roughness as desired (reflections will more difficult to see with greater intensity).

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

Thanks JD, put it away for now so I will go again tomorrow.

[Mihai]

Btw, if your scene renders black or very dark with artifical emitters, change the camera exposure from the camera properties in the Maxwell scene manager. The default camera exposure settings are ment to properly expose a bright day setting and incandescent lights are many times weaker than that. You can quickly change the camera exposure by changing the "EV" value in the camera exposure properties. More info:

http://support.nextlimit.com/display/ma ... p+-+Camera

[Playtime Architecture]

Mike,
Am also a noob in 3D rendering beeing and architect with no time for nerding, and learned the slow way...I am always using a dummy scene, light sketchup file that I use for testings..it basically has a 1m side cube, a 3m side cube, and a 20mx20 plane as floor and a sketchup human figure as reference. A good thing i've learned since the alpha version in 2005 is to do step by step validations...takes long, but the idea is to be able to use the plug in as it does not exist and besides few settings have everything already set.
I have found HDRI beeing the most difficult thing to use in sketchup, since you don't have any idea where the sun is when you import it...height, angle...Mihai and a few others have posted usefull links on those topics.

Learning curve is a big first step, then a slow curve but once you are ok with the first step, you can produce neat images pretty fast.
Good luck
Nils

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

Thanks Nils, a tough first step to be certain. Another question is how long during a render before I see where the snafu's are? I am pretty sure some of the lighting elements are not working but the result below took forever and I am still clueless as to the problem. No doubt I will have a forhead slap moment when my stupidity is pointed out.

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

I tried adding a picture but that seems not to be working.

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

?

[JDHill]

That would be a question for the IT department. I would recommend using flickr/imgur/etc to host the image, and link to it using [img][/img] tags (there's a button for making them above the box where you type your reply).

[Mike Amos 20170711101533]

I cannot be doing with that, I would have to sign up just to post one picture. pointless.