Visualizer for SketchUp

[Krisidious]

Visualizer shows a continuous photographic version of whatever you see in the SketchUp viewport. Press the shutter button to save that picture at any time – what you see is exactly what you get.

Price: $19.99

Find out more about Visualizer

Video

[srx]

Thanks for the link.
Nice and simple. Not bad for a start.
But Thea Presto is much faster and better quality, with good GPU even more.
One good thing is making model changes in interactive mode, which Presto still can not do.

[pbacot]

For 20 bucks and a simple quick shot for 'visualization" this is hot. How can we compare to a package like Thea?

Also RUNS ON A MAC! (Makes my laptop cook right from the start. Sucks up the battery).

Can't seem to avoid overexposure though. But need to experiment.

[dtrarch]

First look and IMO

Good stuff
Great idea and only $19
Easy to use and can run in background without stopping SU.
Renders reflections, materials and transparency per SU settings very well.
Not so good.
Very slow for a quick look app.
Strong color bleed (color bounce) from ground plane to overhangs.
Over exposed a bit too.

Sure wish it was faster to be a real keeper.

dtr

[vidy]

Hi Kris,

Good info, it does looks interesting, with the price and result..
Will look more through their website.

Regards,
vd

[Rob D]

I took a look at it and really liked it. See some experiments and a short write up here: http://www.robindejongh.com/take-realis ... up-models/

[Krisidious]

Nice write up Rob...

[cotty]

Some more details in this SketchUp School video...

Video

[pilou]

A great source of tutorials!
And very cool simple product!

[Krisidious]

Just started playing with it. Put this one on to bake before going to bed last night. 8 hours and it was still baking when I got up.

VIZ_0005.jpg

[Rich O Brien]

It'll never stop baking. Resolving light paths can go on and on and on.

You decide when you happy with the picture.

Depending on the engine some will resolve quicker or have other render options that use a biased method to end when complete.

[Krisidious]

Yeah I think I'm getting pretty good stuff after about 5 minutes.

this was just about that long.

VIZ_0008.jpg

[Rich O Brien]

The only thing I would like to see is specular values.

Leaf look a bit poo.

[Box]

Leaf look a bit poo.

It's those damn bears again.

[Rich O Brien]

But where's the fluffy rabbits?

[Box]

That is one of my all time favourites.
As they say, does the pope use a rabbit.

[Krisidious]

I imagine that it's hard coded to give spec to anything with transparency. You might be able to fool it using two planes atop one another. I'll test it.

[Krisidious]

yeah... it works. really well. lol.

VIZ_0010.jpg

VIZ_0009.jpg

settings for reflection shown.

Capture.JPG

[Krisidious]

looks like the trick would be good for a mirror but not much else. can't get it far down enough for floors.

VIZ_0011.jpg

[Krisidious]

My vine work explodes in the viewer? I've seen this before with another program.

VIZ_0013.jpg

VIZ_0012.jpg

[Rich O Brien]

That's because Ivy plugin leaf compontents are very poorly assembled.

Investigate and you'll find there are section in them and leaves so small that they a barely visible at full zoom.

TIG has a refined Ivy Tool that doesn't break things and where I fixed the leaves.

[cotty]

Or you ticked the checkbox "stormy weather" in the preferences

[Krisidious]

it's an old file, I probably have an updated version now. SO all the ivy in that model and there is a ton is no good.

[Rich O Brien]

@KK

If you are using the supplied leafs with that plugin then I would advise to do some investigating on those components.

It's a long time since I used that plugin but when I did need it I remember querying TIG on some bugs and we discovered the flaws with the leaf components.

[m625]

For that price and the results it produces, this is the ultimate n00b/hobbyist render plugin.

If they ever add cuda this could be a great quick mockup setup when you have a client around the computer. No fiddling with textures super easy DoF.

[Rob D]

"For that price and the results it produces, this is the ultimate n00b/hobbyist render plugin."

It certainly looks like that, although I think Shaderlight still has a free version so "free" probably trumps "cheap". They're both along similar lines though Vizualizer a little simpler and Shaderlight a little more feature rich.

[masterpaul]

Reflections are in the pipeline?

[pbacot]

There are reflections. Translucent materials have reflections. You can see them in the pool here. Much less visible in the windows.

It seems to me that it quickly stops getting better with baking, and the low resolution guarantees you can't use it more than just for a "fun" quick look at your model. If it stopped being blurry I might show it to clients (those not asking for an actual rendering but who want to see a model).

[masterpaul]

I meant like basic material editing; I doubt the render would know that this texture is wood floor, and should have a form of reflection.

[pbacot]

Yes, I see. I wonder if it's ever going to be that sort of SW, or if. at this quality of image, it really matters. Exposure seems to be a problem too.