Hello, I would like to open a thread to collect some experiences and points of view about the workflow I've been using for the last two years, which is based on Sketchup (for modelling) and Cinema4d+Vray (for rendering, and adding entourage).
The reason why I want to ask other user to step in with their own points of view is that I find this workflow really underrated: it's so hard to find information on the web, expecially in contrast with the "skp to 3dsmax" w.f. which has been broadly discussed and demonstrated (for example by some great artists like Ronen Bekerman or Peter Guthrie).
I'll start by briefly explaining my personal workflow which I would like, after two years of usage, to re-analyze more critically, also comparing it to other users' experiences.
In my case, I model the building (sometimes even part of the furniture) in sketchup, giving materials to every surface (usually I just use colours as placeholders, because I will apply the real materials later on in C4d). Important thing: in sketchup, I model everything as separated objects: for example if I have to model a bookcase, I will make every shelf as a group, as well as the main structure of the bookcase and then I will group everything together or even make a component. Doing so, helps me with keeping the model tidy but will also imply some ease of use in C4d.
After having modeled everything and applied colours/materials in Skp, I move to Cinema, by exporting the model as .3ds file with the option "by materials" -but now I would like to give the "full hierarchy" option a try (never used the "by layers" option since I rarely use layers in sketchup). There many more things to be said about the "export texture maps" option, and the fact that the .3ds file will have separated faces and edges so that you will have to optimize the meshes in cinema, but I would like to start the discussion with the basic facts moving to details later.
Thanks in advance to everyone who will join this discussion, hope it will help other people!
