decorators3

56 minutes ago, robdyck said:

Hey Levina, the best way to handle this is to keep all of the main floor at the default elevation of 0. Then lower the Foyer floor and other floors as needed.

The simplest way to understand the elevations is to import the elevation drawings into Chief at the correct scale. Place the drawings so the main floor elevation is at 0" on the grid and the create your own 'storypole' using some cad lines, dimensions and markers to develop a clearer picture of the various elevations. This method will give you the guidance you need to adjust room elevations in plan view.

I didn't realize  I could import elevations.. thanks

great! thanks

Hi

I imported  this house plan to create a 3D rendering for my client   -  house plan has two individual residences  -  one side is a one level with a crawl space  - the other is a full basement (  5 ft below ground )as you can see by the attached PDF. with a second floor 

1. do I treat this as a split level?  or work up from the basement

2. When I tried to add the second floor ( to at least have that added- seeing how I wasn't getting anywhere with the foundation) it does not show in my plan view and when I use perspective full overview only main floor shows  ( with the foundation )

Wondering if it has something to do with the imported PDF

Any assistance is welcome

Cheers

Levina

Hi

I need to update an old file I had using  CA 11   How do I get it to open and make changes in ca15

Thanks

Levina

3 hours ago, robdyck said:

Another method that's worth trying is to import that file as an 'image'. That will make it very easy to resize and place in plan view. Just like a plant image, it can be set to always face the camera.  Quick tip: when doing this, keep in mind that an 'image' will receive shadows so the image object must be far enough away from and 3d object that might cast a shadow onto it.

Another benefit of doing this, is that it allows you to still use the generated sky and sun which can provide better lighting than the backdrop!

interesting .. thanks 

3 hours ago, ericepv said:

I use GIMP to manipulate images. https://www.gimp.org/

It's a free download with lot's of features and plenty of tutorials available online.

That's great Eric

Thanks!!!

HI

When I use the Scree Capture to import a backdrop it is too big and looks distorted when placed in the design.  Is there a format for importing backdrops that I should  use  (ie) particular jpg or png size 

Thank again in advance

Levina

6 minutes ago, robdyck said:

For a higher resolution image, what you need to adjust is the actual size of the picture. It's worth keeping mind the needs of your client and the type of device the media is being produced for. For images viewed on a phone, a 2k image will look great. But on a TV or large monitor, a 4k or 8k image will look much better. Here's a quick note on image dimensions (in pixels).

• 2K: 2048 x 1080 pixels;
• 4K or Ultra HD: 3840 x 2160 pixels;
• 8K: 7680 x 4320 pixels;
• 10K: 10240 x 4320 pixels.

So, when producing an image in Chief, you can adjust the image dimensions to produce higher quality renders. The bigger you go, the longer it will take.

Experiment by increasing the Export Picture Width. Try an image at 2048, then 7680 and then examine the rendered image and the difference will be noticeable.

For very quick images, just use the Active Window Size. And always export as a jpg or the file size will get ridiculously high.

thanks Robert

1 hour ago, ericepv said:

While PNG files are generally preferred for editing (they allow for a transparent background), a JPG files are smaller which can make a difference if storing a large number of files. In either case, saving as a higher resolution (300 dpi or better) is generally required for print quality.

is 300dpi also good for online advertising

1 hour ago, ericepv said:

While PNG files are generally preferred for editing (they allow for a transparent background), a JPG files are smaller which can make a difference if storing a large number of files. In either case, saving as a higher resolution (300 dpi or better) is generally required for print quality.

Thanks I will change to 300 dpi

thank you all

HI

Wondering what is the best format to export a completed rendering if using for marketing purposes (ie) mls real estate listing

Thanks 

Hi

I know Eric said to adjust fascia heights which I have and thank you Eric, it has worked on the perimeters.   BUT I just can't get it together.  I will pay someone to fix the roof for me.

Levina

Guess I need to take a break and start in later...

9 minutes ago, solver said:

 

What's the problem? Set your ceiling heights and roof defaults. Work your way around the house drawing each roof plane. You may need to adjust fascia heights.

 

Work your way around joining roof planes. Leave the saddle for last.

I guess the problem is I've been  at it all day and couldn't seem to get it to pull together.  I will take a break for an hour or so and start again

I've attached a pdf of the roof plan showing multiple roofs , pitches etc, and SADDLE area.( have no idea what  that is - assuming it is a flat roof)

I've tried auto roof build but so many changes so I've been  struggling  for the past several hours creating roof planes ( over and over) and trying to  get them together ( without much luck).  It seems a very complicated roof system and frustrating.  Maybe it's easier than it looks

I'd attach what I've done but  would be very embarrassing  as I'm usually  better than this  with roofs  This one seems to elude me.

So I decide to reach out for some advice

Levina

15 hours ago, SNestor said:

 

thanks  good info

9 hours ago, ericepv said:

In X15 - Terrain / Grass Region / Polyline Grass Region

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/192/creating-procedural-3d-grass.html

great! thanks

4 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

 

Undoubtably yes, PBR-RT is the way to go nowadays, especially since I see you have a RTX 3070 now, especially since Materials that look good in CPU Raytrace don't in PBR-RT so it best to stick with PBR-RT for that reason and of course the HUGE speed difference.

 

Mick.

 

 

yes Mick Im starting to realize that now .. I appreciate all you replies.  this forum is so good for feed back and help

4 minutes ago, DBCooper said:

 

Yes, PBR RT is going to look better and be sooooo much faster than CPU ray tracing.  The grass in X15 is going to make a big difference all by itself.  Not sure if your video card supports it but you can check your video card status in preferences and see if "hardware ray tracing" says "yes".  I have an NVIDIA RTX 4070 and the speed is amazing compared to the CPU ray tracing.

 

You might also want to check out the ray trace videos that Chief has that are marked for "GPU ":

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/playlists/103/ray-trace.html

 

This recorded webinar might also be good:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/10251/real-time-ray-tracing-setup-optimization.html?playlist=171

 

thanks I will.. trial and error .. constant learning curve...

29 minutes ago, robdyck said:

If you were willing to pay a render farm, how much would you be willing to pay someone who also uses Chief to render for you? Or, what kind of budget would you have for training?

Who knows, that may cost less than you might have thought. I might train / mentor or render for you as would others. It would all start with a one-on-one conversation.

 

You need to be comfortable with the person helping you and that person would need to examine one of your Chief files so that through a discussion, together you can identify the areas for improvement that would benefit you the most.

I like that you're in Canada. I'm in Newfoundland so the cost would NOT be US dollars, training and/or discussion sounds good especially identifying areas where I improvement.

1 hour ago, ericepv said:

When properly massaged, Chief can produce some great exterior renderings.It's all in the lighting and materials.

X15 PBR-RT:

 

I'm using Ray trace maybe better to use PBR RT?? My grass looks flat compared to your images.  I guess I need to get back to the knowledge base and start again

1 hour ago, robdyck said:

Respectfully, I would disagree. There are many CA users producing very realistic exterior renderings. The level of quality is largely dependent on 3 main factors:

1. your skill / knowledge
2. your hardware
3. and most importantly your clients budget.

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/gallery/image/6019-exterior-1-5/

No doubt some of my images are better than others (of my own)...almost entirely driven by factor #3 from the list above. And FWIW, I almost never use any other software!

If you're having issues, I would hone in on the above list and ask myself which one of those factors is the simplest to improve.

To improve #1, you'll need time. Maybe some training

To improve #2, you'll need money.

To improve #3, you'll need to improve #1 & #2

 

Thank you for your candid rely.  Well received.  Your  rendering looks so much more realistic especially the windows ,  I have been playing  around with windows glass trying to get the look you have.. I will take your advise and run with it.   

It seems like every render i see on CA Facebook community  has used and external AI program to add realism.  Is this the norm  now? In addition  to CA upgrades I have to purchase other software?  CA has great interior rendering options  but are lacking in exterior realism .  I do a lot of exterior  for clients , They send me their house plans . I create the 3D model  adding various cladding options giving the client opportunities to see the finished house before buying the products  , great way to decide which siding or stone looks and suites the house style. 

If CA cant provide exterior realism like their interiors. what software can I  purchase without  costing me and arm and a leg. Lumion is out of the question based on cost.  Even Twinmotin is over 1000.00... 

I have heard of cloud rendering services that are pay as  you go but the one I was hoping to use FOXRENDERFARM is not compatible with Chief 

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated

Is anyone familiar with this rendering cloud service- FOX Renderfarm

I intend to try it out for a particular project I'm working on - see  the results   but they asked me this question

 Can you tell us the version of the software and plug-in you are using, we will help you check if the platform supports it now.   The software I know  but what is PLUG-IN?

Thanks

Levina