RichieHatch Posted July 15, 2002 Share Posted July 15, 2002 I am really just fishing for information here but do you guys generally do 3D modelling in Vectorworks and then import into your rendering packages for materials etc.Or do you just do the 2D drawing in Vectorworks and then import into the rendering packages and do all the extruding etc here. I know I do it the first way but am not sure if it the most efficient. I would assume that it is, as drawing in Cinema 4D in my case seems to be a little cumbersum...! Is this the case...? Quote Link to comment
arthur&l?on Posted July 15, 2002 Share Posted July 15, 2002 Hello Here's my receipt. I'm sure you'll find yours. 1. Draw 3d architecturals in VW2. Define classes for different textures (average : 20 classes).3. Export in dxf 12 4. Open the file with cinema 4D5. Textures, cameras, lights in Cinema 4d6. 3ds Objects (furniture, trees, vehicles)added directly in cinema 4d because it's at least one billion times easier to manipulate 3ds files than to convert them in dxf to be able to use the same objects in VW. I think the most important future step for VectorWorks is the ability to import/export 3ds and/or c4d files.7. Render, export to gif, print.8. Clients are hooked. Hope it helps. Francesco Quote Link to comment
Bryan_dup1 Posted July 15, 2002 Share Posted July 15, 2002 I use Art*lantis as a rendering package that exports directly out of VW via a supplied software addon. I haven't used other rendering programs and wonder what others use for creating presentational color renders. Quote Link to comment
Arturo Mendez Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 quote: Originally posted by arthur&l?on: HelloHere's my receipt. I'm sure you'll find yours. 1. Draw 3d architecturals in VW2. Define classes for different textures (average : 20 classes).3. Export in dxf 12 4. Open the file with cinema 4D5. Textures, cameras, lights in Cinema 4d6. 3ds Objects (furniture, trees, vehicles)added directly in cinema 4d because it's at least one billion times easier to manipulate 3ds files than to convert them in dxf to be able to use the same objects in VW. I think the most important future step for VectorWorks is the ability to import/export 3ds and/or c4d files.7. Render, export to gif, print.8. Clients are hooked. Hope it helps. Francesco Pretty much the same here, except: 2. I dont define different classes for different textures. I define classes for different kind of elements as I need them for the 2d drafts. I assign different fill colors to differenciate the different textures I need in Cinema. it works fine. 3. export in dxf 14 (text), top-plan view and triangulate & decompose activaded. 4. Render, export to photoshop and print. When I used Artlantis it was almost the same proccess, The complete 3d model in VW so I can make-print 2d plans and elevations. And lights, point of view and textures needed for the 3d render were made outside of VW. Quote Link to comment
joe newell's ghost Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 If it was up to my boss, I would do the threed model in VW and generate a hidden line view. having plotted that I would give it to my boss who would take it away and waste two days carefully going over all the lines with his felt tip pen and then rendering HIS drawing with pencil crayons. I however have been using Renderworks and have only just started playing around with texture mapping which all sems to be there if not perfectly obvious when you first get into it. Renderworks of course being an add on that works directly within Vectorworks.This is all using VW *.%.@ or should I say VW8.5.2Some one else will have to speak to later versions. Quote Link to comment
Richie Hatch Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Yeah i do exactly the same as above: 1 Draw in VW 9.52 Assign Colours to items that will have the same materials/textures3 Export to Cinema 4D 74 Lights,Camera and Materials in C4D5 Export to image to Photoshop It is mildly relieving to know that people are doing the smae thing as I am. I know personally that not having to learn the drafting side of Cinema was a relief. I know a bit about it but am able to concentrate on the material, lighting and video aspect of Cinema. Thanks for replying Quote Link to comment
arthur&l?on Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 I use classes to switch them off/on in VW, but I'll try your method melting classes and colours. Great idea.About c4d : I use SE version 5...what is better in version 7 ? I tried the demo and I feel it's slower. For those of you who don't use the mailing list, here's a link where you can find great 3ds and dxf/dwg furniture : http://www.e-interiors.it/index.php?language=en Best regards. Quote Link to comment
MikeB Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 I do everything in VW/RW, then I export as an image file touch up and add final elements in Photoshop. It has been working well for the last 3 years, and I only have to remember how to use one program. Heres some samples http://www.omniarchitects.com/Pages/Framesets/FIRMframes.html Click "on the boards" at the top of the page All these were done in VW/RW 8. VW/RW 9 is much better in my opinion in terms of flexibility of texture creation and speed of rendering. My 2 cents [ 07-16-2002: Message edited by: MikeB ] Quote Link to comment
CipesDesign Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Mike B, That's some really great stuff! A pleasure to look at. Just for curiosity's sake, how long does one of those take you (more or less)? Thanks, PLC MacG4/WVA9.5.1 Quote Link to comment
MikeB Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Usually it's around 30 hrs for a final rendering. Only the building and immediate site is done in VW, people, trees, background images, sky's are all added in photoshop. I work with a white background, but I switch it to black when I use the Ray Trace renderer, for some reason the glass always looks better when I render with a black background. All of these rendering can be printed up to 26" wide on our HP 455 CA. Some can be printed larger but I'm having trouble getting high enough rez background images for anything over 30". Most of my textures are generated from scratch, either completely in photoshop, or from a digital photo. Lastly, when I build these models I do not use any plug-ins or wall objects. I find they can be very restrictive when It comes to complex wall types. I only use simple extrudes which are then modified. The Good side of this is that I can generate an extreamly efficient model (in terms of polygon count) which will usually render on screen and export fairly quickly. The Bad side is that these models are in no way conneted with the working drawings, so If we want an updated rendering, I have to update the model seperately from the rest of the drawings. I have around 50 to 75 completed rendering both for our firm, and as side projects, Rendering is the only side work I'll take on anymore, small design projects tend to be a pain in the butt, but the Renderings are fun and fast side work. Unfortunately the side work has kind of dried up lately Quote Link to comment
MikeB Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 I'm going to set up a site soon to show some more of these. Like I said the ones on the site were done in VW/RW8, some of the new stuff I've done in 9 is really cool. Quote Link to comment
FRED JOHNSON Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Mike, your drawings are fantastic! You might consider posting some at Vector Depot. What I especially like is that it is large scale non-residential work. Keep It Coming! Fred Quote Link to comment
Skid Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 Cinema4D 7 is great for rendering architectural as well as organic images- its radiosity is top notch and its multi-pass feature is worth its weight in gold. For those who have C4D, do a search at postforum.com for the HDR tutorial (image based lighting) it is sweet. Over at renderosity.com C4D consistently has the best images, better than Lightwave, Max, and Maya. Over at 3dluvr.com C4D took 1st and 2nd place in the recent competiton there. Oh ya, I usually model in FormZ, export as VRML with colors defining the objects, render in C4D (VRML from FormZ puts individual colors into seperate null objects in C4D, easy for texturing) Enough praise, I have to get to bed... Quote Link to comment
Skid Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 I think I did a bit too much talking last night :-)I wasn't talking up my own images, just ones I've seen produced by C4D. I did post one at renderosity.com if you would like to look though... http://www.renderosity.com/homepage.ez?Who=grooveweld I don't know if that link will work or not. If it doesn't, just go to renderosity.com, then to the art galleries section, choose Cinema4D, look for the image by grooveweld Quote Link to comment
Skid Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Thanks Chris. That book sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out. I have tried trees (both polygonal and images with alpha channels) without much success. The polygonal trees are hogs on my Mac G3 and they tend to look very fake without proper texturing, although I have seen them done well by some people. I haven't tried VW/RW for 3D yet but I love VW for drafting. Quote Link to comment
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