FREE Maxwell Render for Sketchup (free version).

[jason_maranto]

Edit: Opps, My bad... sorry. (see JD's correct explanation below)

Best,
Jason.

[tfdesign]

png files are good. I like png. They can always be converted to TIFF at a later date.

Unless of course you happen to be IE5!

[tfdesign]

Resolution limit 800 pixels

Hmm.... not so good.

[Jeff Hammond]

when I try to save the render I get < " is not a valid type. Do you wish to choose another? >
Is this normal ?

on mac, the save as dialog is blank (there's no file extension pre-selected so you have to include it in the save as name)..

for instance, naming the file " my_render.jpg " will save properly

[jason_maranto]

Yep, the $95 version is capable of output up to 1920 pixels -- but the free version is limited to 800 pixels. The idea being this limit is perfectly usable for people looking to just put Sketchup renders on the web, but for professional production you would want to move up to the $95 license (or the full Maxwell Render Suite which has unlimited resolution and many advanced features).

This is certainly only intended to be something that will give regular Sketchup users who are looking into rendering a excellent free option to use while they hone their skills and see if it is really their "thing"... I would find it hard to believe somebody selling their renders would want to limit themselves in any way since it will impact their ability to compete.

I started out years ago with the free version of IDX renditioner and this plugin has many times more power... I wish something like this was available when I was learning.

Best,
Jason.

[Gaieus]

Well, Jason beat me but his opinion is similar...

Resolution limit 800 pixels

Hmm.... not so good.

Well, a free product. They also need something to "encourage" sales of the pay version. Actually, 800 pixels is quite enough for most web presentations (i.e. websites) so hobbyists, bloggers and such can be happy with it.

[JD Hill]

You can only save out as .png -- no other file types are supported.

I don't want to get into providing support via this forum (we have a forum for that already), but to clarify this point, you can actually save using any of the following formats:

• .bmp
• .tga|.targa
• .jpg|.jpeg
• .png
• .tif|.tiff
• .jp2
• .ppm
• .pbm
• .pgm

This is why you need to specify the output extension in the save file dialog (I see from gilles post that I need to provide a more informative message when no extension has been given). The underlying limitation to which Jason was referring above is that the output color depth of the standalone plugin is limited to 8 bits per channel; naturally this is not the case with a full Maxwell Render Suite license.

[gilles]

thanks for precisions.

[tfdesign]

It doesn't matter. It's free! 800 is fine just as a free demonstration for someone who wants to learn basic rendering. I really like the rsults from Maxwell. At $95 for the pro version, it's a bargain.

[Jeff Hammond]

This is why you need to specify the output extension in the save file dialog (I see from gilles post that I need to provide a more informative message when no extension has been given).

yeah, i ran into the same problem as gilles so i tried adding the extension manually and it worked..

it's definitely weird in that i've never used an app before which required you to manually enter the file extension in the save as dialog.

[MrMikeEsq]

This really is a great move by Maxwell! I'll get to giving it a go

[dereeei]

I don't want to get into providing support via this forum (we have a forum for that already)

Could you provide a link for that forum, please?
And, as this plugin is specially made for SU users and this is the "home" of SU users... I'd expect to get support here from time to time . Also, if this plugin will become popular, maybe a section should be created for it.

[solo]

I see there has been an good update to the full version:

http://www.maxwellrender.com/pdf/Full_N ... f#zoom=100

[jason_maranto]

Yes, the newest free update for Maxwell (2.6) was released on the same day as this new free SketchUp plugin.

There's quite alot to love about the full Maxwell Render Suite and I'm a big fan, but I didn't mention it because I figured this new free plugin was the big news for most non-Maxwell users.

The main support forum for Maxwell is at: http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/index.php

There is a SketchUp subforum where JD deals with bugs (specific to the plugin) and takes feature requests. The forum is readable by anybody, but you will only have posting privileges if you hold a Maxwell license (either the $95 "pro" version of the new plugin or the full Maxwell Render Suite).

The information for how to unlock posting priveledges is in this thread: http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=32637


Best,
Jason.

[frv]

great news of course. Have been doing paid SU-Maxwell work for a few years now and NextLimit even put a few of my images on their site.
Anyhow, Maxwellrender is great for SKetchup since JDHill has been on it, writing the current plugins. The current plugins for Sketchup are fantastic.

But I have seen the Adventures of TinTin in the cinema a few hours ago, I wonder how they do all that while I am struggling on an 8-core Mac to get decent simple buildings look realistic.

Francois Verhoeven
www.fillieverhoeven.nl
www.3dfv.nl

[solo]

But I have seen the Adventures of TinTin in the cinema a few hours ago

OOH! I'm awaiting that release in December here, was it good? Peter Jackson, Spielberg and Herge cannot go wrong...I hope.

[Pixero]

I'm awaiting that release in December here, was it good? Peter Jackson, Spielberg and Herge cannot go wrong...I hope.

I saw it last weekend and it was great. I'm raised with all the Tintin albums.
Lots of action. Kind of like a Indiana Jones adventure. They mixed a few albums. Skipped some parts and added some of their own but all in all a great experience. Very high quality. Like when the characters were seen in backlight one could see the tiny facial hairs.
If its one thing I wasnt totally happy with it's the character design. The mixture of charicature noses and realistic eyes doesn't quit match up for me, having the drawn characters in memory.
Oh, and Herge does a cameo at the beginning...

[tomankubik]

great news of course. Have been doing paid SU-Maxwell work for a few years now and NextLimit even put a few of my images on their site.
Anyhow, Maxwellrender is great for SKetchup since JDHill has been on it, writing the current plugins. The current plugins for Sketchup are fantastic.

But I have seen the Adventures of TinTin in the cinema a few hours ago, I wonder how they do all that while I am struggling on an 8-core Mac to get decent simple buildings look realistic.

Francois Verhoeven
http://www.fillieverhoeven.nl
http://www.3dfv.nl

off topic: I saw your web sites and have to say that you have great projects in there

[jason_maranto]

Here are the tutorial videos:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wLTy9ee0yc


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qTZrc_S1cA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0KysCcgm-o


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE10FApp4Mo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVBWXcevE2k


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yM3tUOEzvU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKQMAScRxuk


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N1uzZvOw_U


Best,
Jason.

[Jeff Hammond]

Thanks for the tutorials Jason..

this plugin is getting more and more attractive..
i tried it out more seriously today and i gotta say, it's probably the easiest renderer (which will yield great results) to learn/use right now.


i can honestly see myself getting a license eventually (the $99 version.. i don't really see me going full on )

[valerostudio]

Very very smart on Next Limits part. They really understand marketing. Give people a free sample and if it tastes good, they'll shell out the 90 bucks to get the next version up and then when they feel limited by that, they'll cough up the 900 for the Suite. It's genius really.

I am a hardcore V-Ray for SketchUp user and I really have felt disappointed that their UI is so cryptic and there hasn't been an update in over a year. The makers of the plugin were bought by Chaos Group and they turned their focus on to the plugin for Rhino getting that up to speed with promise of a new plugin after that release. Unfortunately, a bunch of rendering engines have come out since then with more features, a better GUI, and a cheaper pricetag.

I was eyeballing Thea but I think for less that $100, taking this for a spin is worth it.

[Rich O Brien]

I'd like to see some members output. I downloaded but have yet to install. No time to play.

[xrok1]

Here are the tutorial videos:

...

Best,
Jason.

would be nice to link to original post. No?
Also would love to see a tut on interior lighting setups.

[jason_maranto]

They have posted the videos to the main "Maxwell for Sketchup" page on the Maxwell website and I edited the first post of the thread to reflect that.

I only had an hour to cover what I thought were the most important and fundamental elements of using the plugin -- obviously there is alot about what can be done that I didn't have the time to get into. When I do my full 8-hour training courses for VTC I tend to have much more time to dive into the details and really take a look at everything.

Best,
Jason.

[valerostudio]

At a quick glance I didnt see a tool for lights. Can you only use emmitters?

[jason_maranto]

In Maxwell for Sketchup you have emitter materials applied to geometry and this can be in the form of a standard Emitter character or a HDR Image character... There is also the option to use IES files if you have access to MXM's with IES data.

Perhaps IES files may be added to the emitter character types in the future however they would also need to be applied to geometry (in this case a small sphere).

Here are some older videos for the Sketchup Plugin (for the full Maxwell Render Suite) which do show some work with emitters to give you an idea of how they work: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL18849D7126B7A0FF

Best,
Jason.

[frv]

TX Tomankubik..

Fo members output,
Here are some typical renders I do with Maxwell and Sketchup.

Francois Verhoeven

[Pilou]

Very cool "soft" renderings!

[Speaker]

How long were the render times for the interiors/exteriors, and on what hardware were they rendered on? What are maxwell's plans for future updates for the plugin?

[jason_maranto]

I can't answer the first question, but I can say that Next Limit tends to play it "close to vest" when it comes to a development roadmap... they hardly ever reveal anything until it is already out.

For instance, nobody knew about the development of this version of the plugin at all until it was released.

Best,
Jason.