EYECAD VR – The real-time rendering engine for Sketchup & Revit users

eyecad VR is the new real-time rendering engine that is compatible with an extensive range of software suite like Revit, ARCHICAD, Rhino, Cinema 4D, ALLPLAN, SketchUp Pro, Maya, Max, Blender, Mudbox, ACCA Edificius, and 3CAD Evolution.

It facilitates AEC professionals like architects to delve into and examine their designs with some exclusive features like dynamic environments, interactive lights, moving objects, the importing of HDRI images of the real world from project sites, and the inspection of materials and library objects. As soon as an environment is set, one click renders up to 4k resolution are created with a single mouse click and interactive exploration of the environment occurs with output to different VR options.

Eyecad VR Start

The basic version is known as Start and it has the capability to import your model, apply VR interactions, and function with objects and materials and the material editor itself. It is also possible to distribute your work with your clients to mobile and desktop.

Eyecad VR Advanced

The Advanced version includes lighting sources, the environment editor, photo-realistic rendering, and ultra quality options. There are more than 400 PBR (physically based render) materials accessible in eyecad VR. eyecad VR Pro

The Pro version comprises of the Landscape toolset that can be used to produce amazing landscapes. Besides, there are Videomaker and Worldmap features. By applying the robust terrain editor, make realistic natural environments along with water like as in rivers, ponds, lakes as well as with animated vegetation, hills and mountains and more.

The DEM (Digital Elevation Map) support in Pro facilitates the user to arrange their project in the real world. The WorldMap function sets in actual map-based context data and the height of all buildings can be easily decided. This tool is based on GIS technology. With the real world visible the user can then arrange their building into this environment. The Pro version offers some ground-breaking technology to create stunning video animations and several water simulations for renders.

Virtual Reality Apps for Mobile

There are also both Apple iOS and Google Android mobile apps called eyecad VR. These free apps can be utilized for viewing projects in virtual reality and in Cardboard.

To download the software, click on the following link www.eyecadvr.com

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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SKM tools allow you to convert image to geometry

This is an exclusive sketchup tutorial where you will learn how to transform image to geometry with the use of a suite of SKM Tool, Material Tools and Image Tools.

SKM tools is developed by the renowned plugin developer TIG.

SKM tools can be defined as image animation extractor and creator with a set of tools for developpers, related to material and image classes.

To download the plugin, click on the following link in sketchucation.com.

Go through the following video tutorial to learn the functionality of the plugin.




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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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Put your design to the next level with Lumion 9

The most updated version of Lumion i.e. version 9 is just launched with some advanced features. This newest version facilitates the users to capture the naturalistic surroundings rapidly.

Now, it is possible to include one-touch real skies to emit a new light on your scene and quickly produce a attractive, unique setting for your designs. The users can create realistic rain with cozy spaces which can be beautified with furry rugs and fluffy blankets. For realistic garden shot, the new adjustable 3D grass materials can be employed to experience freshly cut lawn under your feet.

With new simplified scene-building tool, it becomes easier to generate complicated environments instantly. The workflow is enhanced significantly with Lumion’s amazing rendering speed and exceptional images and videos on all your projects.

Given below, some exciting features of Lumion 9

a. Sky Light 2 and Real Skies (Pro)
b. Adaptable 3D Grasses (Pro)
c. Atmospheric Rain and Snow (Pro)
d. Furry materials (Pro)
e. New materials
f. New objects
g. LiveSync for Rhino
h. Updated OpenStreetMap
i. Lean scene-building workflow
j. Save groups
k. Intuitive object placement
l. Instant object focus
m. Import edges
n. Automatic file recovery

Lumion 9 comprises of HDRI Real Skies. Just choose one and watch as it works simultaneously with the updated Sky Light effect to emit a new light on your design, placing it in an evocative context with a stunning backdrop.

Sky Light 2 and Real Skies
(Real Skies are Pro only)

It is possible to create instant, beautiful skies with 39 types real skies and their pre-configured Sky Light settings in Lumion 9.

If the sky is modified, entire lighting in the design will be rectified with it and you will experience an awe-inspiring render in literally seconds.

Customizable 3D Grass
(Pro only)

Give life to your landscape designs and include different types of realistic grasses to your parks, gardens, lawns and any other surfaces by applying the new Customizable 3D Grass materials in Lumion 9.

Atmospheric Rain and Snow
(Pro only)

Put your designs to the next level with the inclusion of new Atmospheric Rain and Snow. With a simple click of the mouse, produce everything from the light drizzle to a full-blown downpour, the winter flurry to a whiteout blizzard. The Atmospheric Rain and Snow are found under the precipitation effect in Photo and Movie mode.

To get more updates, click on the following link lumion.com



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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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How to speed up your modeling in sketchup with v-ray proxies

In this sketchup v-ray video tutorial, you will learn how to use v-ray proxies in skethup models to produce superior quality renderings with high polygon models.

Rendering in sketchup becomes complicated since sketchup can’t deal with high polygon models. So, if there are more faces and geometries in the model, the modeling process become slower since sketchup does not handle all the geometries efficiently.

With high polygon, high detail model inside your sketchup model, it becomes difficult to produce realistic rendering. But v-ray contains a tool known as proxies that facilitates to export the objects out of your model and substitute them with a low polygon preview model.

When rendering starts, v-ray will reference those files called meshes externally devoid of showing them in your model.

To learn the detail process, go through the following video tutorial.

Video Source The Rendering Essentials

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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Some useful tips to open FBX files in Sketchup

In this sketchup video tutorial, the sketchup users will get some useful tips so that they can open FBX files in sketchup without any trouble.

FBX alias Filmbox is a patended file format (.fbx) that is developed by Kaydara and acquired by Autodesk since 2006. It is mainly applied to offer interoperability among digital content creation applications. FBX is also part of Autodesk Gameware, a series of video game middleware.

It is also possible to open FBX files in blender. Go to File->Import and select the BOS FBX importer. Navigate to the FBX file that should be imported, choose it, and click to start the import. The model and armature will be imported.

Blender belongs to a professional, free and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset that is specifically designed for modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, composition, motion tracking as well as video editing. Go through the following video tutorial to learn the process.

To learn the open FBX files in Sketchup, go through the following video tutorial.

Video Source Robson Jacobsen

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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How to speed up your modeling in sketchup with v-ray proxies

In this sketchup v-ray video tutorial, you will learn how to use v-ray proxies in skethup models to produce superior quality renderings with high polygon models.

Rendering in sketchup becomes complicated since sketchup can’t deal with high polygon models. So, if there are more faces and geometries in the model, the modeling process become slower since sketchup does not handle all the geometries efficiently.

With high polygon, high detail model inside your sketchup model, it becomes difficult to produce realistic rendering. But v-ray contains a tool known as proxies that facilitates to export the objects out of your model and substitute them with a low polygon preview model.

When rendering starts, v-ray will reference those files called meshes externally devoid of showing them in your model.

To learn the detail process, go through the following video tutorial.

Video Source The Rendering Essentials

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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Raylectron Render - The newest sketchup plugin

SoftByte Labs, Inc develops Raylectron Render, a user-friendly and photorealistic rendering and animation plugin for sketchup to transform any 3d models into a photo-realistic image.

The plugin is compatible with SketchUp 8, SketchUp 2013, SketchUp 2014, SketchUp 2015, SketchUp 2016, SketchUp 2017 and SketchUp 2018 as well as windows platform.

Raylectron facilitates the professional artists, hobbyist or anyone who produce 3D designs and wishes to convert their models into photorealism presentations, and/or to observe their models in 3D stereo just as they were real.

Raylectron includes all the settings to modify the output, as a result, no other software is necessary for executing the task.

With the help of material, it is possible to provide diverse effects for materials. It ranges from reflection (like mirror), refraction (like glass), transparency, glossiness, shininess, bump maps, normal maps and background images. Generate your individual grass & fur. Shadows are not fraudulent or simulated like "Soft shadows". Caustics are also real, not fraudulent or simulated.

Make your own animation that offers you a hands-free tour of a model.

Raylectron employs all the CPU cores and threads (user selectable) to render at a rapid speed and new GPU version available.

For more clarification, watch the following video tutorial.

To know it’s features and download the plugin from extension warehouse, go through the following link extensions.sketchup.com

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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How to resolve the issue while modeling in groups & components in sketchup

In this sketchup video tutorial, you will get some nice tricks which will be very helpful while modeling inside of groups and components.

Groups and components play an important role to make the model clean and valid. But sometime, problem arises when the geometry is invisible at the time of editing when the remaining part of the model gets in your way. By applying these tricks, it is possible to get a clear view while editing components. It becomes easier to edit inside of a group or components.

To start with, go to window tab and from the drop down menu click on modeling info option and then click on components tab. Here, couple sliders are available. Under editing display, there are two sliders namely Fade Similar Components and Fade Rest of Model. Under Component Axes, there is one check box called show component axes. Make necessary changes in the sliders to resolve the issue.

There is another option. Go to view menu and from drop down lists click on component edit and select either hide rest model or hide similar components.

To learn the tips in detail, go through the following video tutorial.

Video Source Sketchup


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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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How to create curved ramp with various sketchup plugins

This is an exclusive video tutorial for sketchup users for learning how to create the design of a curved ramp in sketchup.

To create the model of curved ramp the following types of sketchup plugins are used :-

Fredo6 Tools (CurviShear)

FredoTools group a series of individual plugins. By providing them as a single package, it is possible to lessen the footprint on Sketchup and get rid of setting up each plugin separately.

CurviShear is a small independent script that facilitates to deform a curve or a set of curves by shearing them vertically along their contour. It is generally what is required to approximate CURVED RAMPS.

Curviloft – Curviloft produces surfaces from curves by Lofting and Skinning

Loft by Spline unites individual contours, open or closed with smooth splines

Loft along Path combines contours, along a given rail curve.

Skinning makes surfaces bounded by 4 or 3 contiguous contours

JHS Powerbar - This tool is actually a compilation of robust extensions from other developers, like TIG, Thom Thom, Rick Wilson, Christina Eneroth, and more.

To watch the tutorial in detail, go through the following video. Video Source Tutorials Up

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Some useful tips to enhance your rendering in v-ray 3.6 for sketchup

In this exclusive sketchup video tutorial, Mint from architectural inspiration, provides following handy tips which are useful for making more realistic rendering in v-ray 3.6 for sketchup.

1. Use surface imperfections – If the objects in your renderings appear to be very clean or accurate, it will seem a little unrealistic.

So, it is necessary to include some surface imperfections to the materials in your model.

2. Bevel your edges –Any accurate 90 degree edge exists in the real world. While viewing some objects having sharp corners and magnifying closer, a curvature or smoothness to that corner will be visible.

In computer graphics, this straight lines and sharp edges prevail by default. In order to check this, beveling or rounding the corners of your objects are recommended when required.

3. Use ambient occlusion – Ambient Occlusion alias AO stands for a shading process that allows you to generate soft shadows in cracks and crevices in any 3D objects while indirect lighting is thrown out into the scene.

Ambient Occlusion can provide more depth and definition to the geometry as well as more realism into your scene.

To learn how these are applied to a scene, go through the following video tutorial.

Read more

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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How to create the design of a camper van with the free version of sketchup make 2017

In this sketchup video tutorial, you will learn how to design your camper van in 3D by applying the free version of sketchup make 2017. The push pool tool & pencil tool in sketchup are used here for designing purpose.

To download the free version, click on the following link www.sketchup.com/download/all

To make the measurement accurate, the measuring unit is transferred to millimeter. To do this, visit window tab and click on preferences menu. Now click on template and choose would work in millimeters template to keep all your dimensions in millimeter to avoid working inches and fractions.

Now, go to window tab and click on default tray and check all the trays on the right hand side are selected.

To learn the complete modeling process, go through the following video tutorial.

After watching this tutorial, you will be able to create your own camper van by applying the methods provided in the video.

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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About Fred Bartels and his creation

Fred Bartels is an educator, builder, artist, maker and a very old member of the SketchUp community. He became inspired by Seymour Papert and many other education visionaries and hope that the future of SketchUp in the classroom of SketchUp. Bartels has introduced SketchUp to his students Seventeen years ago and from that time he continuously trying to create some variations in the classes of SketchUp from its normal class studies and also Bartels hope that other educators will realize this soon and follow the same.

In this article we will go through the idea of Bartels in encouraging students for a better study with some new techniques. As Fred has been with SketchUp for a long time, he can describe his creations better way through SketchUp.

Fred’s 3D modeling story: Fred Bartels had a great interest in art and architecture and had done some photography courses in high school but could not pursue it in future as a profession. He generally produced art in a summarized way and loved to work with the house designs and often made outlet for his designed ideas. He started to teach in the computer programming classes when the computer and 3D design tools became available in most of the schools and taught about many programs and software. But all were not much good for the students still he found SketchUp at MacWorld 2002 and loved it. From then he has been providing lessons and IT supports to the students of K-12 schools.

Special things about SketchUp: According to Fred, SketchUp is a vast and most useful tool even in schools as it has various option that help the students to stay focused more on the designs and knowledge not using the tool only. Besides this, Fred tried to do much more things than only designing in computer graphics, SKetchUp can be used in math, science, history and language classes for better understanding. Students loved the idea and some of them tried to make some innovative work; such as Andrew Nathanson who had made a unique design work and had been invited to the SketchUp Basecamp 2008. There he got a chance to represent his design and also shared the method of using SketchUp in K-12 environment in schools.

The relationship between technology and education progress: According to Fred, he and other educators have a wish that computers will provides a rich ranged world for the students where they could both play and experiment over things and can get loads of information. It will be done in a way that would give them abbreviate concept and keep them interested and focused.

A great supporter of this idea was MIT’s Seymour Papert; he had thinking that computers can be used in education as in books like Mindstorms: Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas and The Children’s Machine: Rethinking School In The Age Of The Computer Reprint Edition. SketchUp is just like that and with the 3D Warehouse students could get an available way for sharing their designs and get feedbacks on them. In schools or educational institutions, computer is generally used as an information presentation tool for providing only some information; though it is not enough as there are more things than normal information. It is good news that there are some new software like Maker Movement, Sketchup etc. that are providing various additional roles in teaching and learning.

Fred’s new models for students: Fred has a keen interest in art and architecture and has examined many building and design ideas, shared them in 3D Warehouse. After quitting his teaching he took a number of courses at Yestermorrow; which is a design or build school in Vermont and became capable to do some more creative works. He got appreciation for his works that he had shared in 3D Warehouse or SketchUcation that motivated him to do more experiments. Later he worked over 3D printing and made some small sculptures designed in SketchUp and programmable using LEDs controlled with Arduino microcontrollers etc.

Besides SketchUp, he also shared his designs in another site named Thingiverse and has some other ideas about making larger designs for future, SketchUp’s role in designs of Fred: After discovering SketchUp, Fred found to work with his ideas and designs in a vast and better platform that also provide him to explore the designs and make creative works on them. SketchUp has now become a part of his work as it is ever growing software that provides new things every time.



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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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