help with rendering simple buildings

[Cadplan Architecture]

I've just got VWD 2011 and am starting from scratch to learn how to model simple buildings and render them to make realistic visuals. I've got on ok for the first hour but got a bit stuck so looking for advice, perhaps a beginners guide even. The attached jpeg shows what I've done so far and the specific problems I'm having are;-

1) How can the eaves facia be made to appear white?

2) I can only find shingles in the VW library. Are there profile tiles there as used in the UK?

3) Do I have to model ridge and hip tiles independently or is there a function in VW?

4) How can I make a part glazed door?

5) I want the window by the door to be half height with brick under. Do I need to have a window pushed up against a door, or is there a plug-in option to have a door with a half hgt side window?

6) How can I get the inside wall surfaces to appear as plaster (stucco?)

7) Is there an easy way to draw gutters and down pipes?

Finally the grass texture is very unconvincing.

Sorry for the amount of queries but I've seen brilliant examples of rendered buildings in Vectorworks elsewhere, and I'm keen to do the same now for all my small projects.

thanks

[cad@sggsa]

Well to start you off, add a background.

HDRI backgrounds have thier own lights. This will create a better enviroment for the textures.

You do get a stock VW texture for Stucco, find it and apply.

Go have a look-see at some of my post on here as I have had many Q's regarding textures, lighting etc and been helped out alot.

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[Monadnoc]

Grass textures are very hard to do. There are some posts with ideas/suggestions, here's one:

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=157663&Searchpage=1&Main=32021&Words=grass&Search=true#Post157663

There is no easy way to model the gutters/pipes that I know of. You'll just have to do it by hand using EAP. Unless there's a plugin somewhere out there?

It's impossible to get a true white color in a computer rendering with any program. People have been complaining about that since renderings began. Many will try and tell you it's just an optical illusion and that there really is no white in the real world. But that's only because they haven't figured out a way to do it yet. I see bright white sheets of paper and ceilings and walls everywhere I look. Except in a computer rendering. Then they are all grey. Someday the technology will catch up and we will be able to render true white (and then they'll all admit they were wrong about the optical illusion white = grey hogwash). Until then, two workarounds are to pump up the ambient lighting (not recommended) or add a glow to the texture (sometimes can work to get a white ceiling). Neither are acceptable.

Monadnoc

[Monadnoc]

Also, the two most important components of a really good rendering are Lighting and Textures. It takes time to master either, but it's well worth the effort.

Monadnoc

[D Wood]

Cadplan

Roof fascia: I put roofs in a Roof class, which is set to show solid white with a texture on the top face. This results in a white fascia in 3D mode.

Gutters: I draw the profile I want and then either:

1. extrude in elevation mode and get height above floor correct, go back to plan mode, mitre ends with split tool, copy and paste to make each length of gutter in turn.

2. use the Extrude Along Path tool.

I put gutters in a class which is set to texture in 3D.

Doors and windows: you can make the styles you want with WinDoor.

Internal walls: I have a class for internal walls which is set to show a fine white stucco texture in 3D mode. Make sure each wall is in this class, and in the OIP is set to render Class Texture.

Grass: I use the standard texture Nature Grass - hopefully there are better ones available in later versions of VW.

[cad@sggsa]

Good Render there David

You use an HDRI?

Also try using the RenderStyles and saving one that works for you.