Which method for newbie?

[vodka79]

I'm learning viz 2007 from sketchup. I've got the book by Brian smith, saw the tutorials from the resource section, and the tutorial by 3dbuzz as well as an viz beginner book.

 

All of them shows different methods in making walls, windows etc.

 

There are the lofts method, the line extrude method, and even a box / rectangle + extrude method(interior).

 

Adding doors or windows using the AECs, using quick slice, using bevel with boxes.

 

I'm kinda confused, which will be the easiest and most productive method? I believe using the AECs are the simplist, but why do other tutorials uses other method more complicated such as using the edge method (from the resources of this website)

 

Though i do not know which is the best method for me, i want to know which is the most productive to use and will not cause any problems in future amendments or rendering etc.

 

Thanks.

[mr. a]

I would say it depends primarily on two main factors:

1) Your comfort level with each of the techniques- in relation to speed and changes after the fact. For this, experimentation with each method and even some tests with complicated hypothetical changes to determine what works best FOR YOU.

 

2) Complexity. The more straight forward / traditional the design, the more you can use AEC objects. The trade off sometimes is the amuont of detail in the AEC objects and also the additional polygon count. Obviouslay, the smaller the scene the less this is an issue. I have sometimes started off with AEC objects and converted them to editable polys for further customization.

 

Generally I like editable polys for their speed, and often leave certain edits as separate modifiers in the stack so it is easier to react to changes while decisions are still being made.

 

What is everyone else doing?

[aaron-cds]

Morning Aji,

 

I too am a sketchup adict. I'm trying to find time to learn modeling in max. Is there anyone else out there who's changed their workflow? Is there anyone who used to model in max, but has changed to modeling in sketchup?

[AJLynn]

I prefer Sketchup for modeling - there are some things you can do in Max that you can't do, or could do but it would take too long, in Sketchup, but for what I need to do working in Sketchup is much, much faster.

[Antisthenes]

ya i would say some of the same.

 

you WILL encounter situations were you need to do it the traditional way and you will find AEC "smart' objects just don't cut it or cause to much complexity/simplexity or don't work in the particular situation in a design.

 

what is said about sketchup i say about Rhinoceros, each person more proficient in the tool they master most...

[martin walker]

Is there anyone who used to model in max, but has changed to modeling in sketchup?

 

im "in the process". I find it a very steep learning curve, I think its difficult getting into the mind set of modelling in such a high level way, and not being able to push and pull vertices in Max.

 

Paradoxically Sketch Ups simplicity is quite confusing !!!

 

Im sure once Ive built speed up I will save lots of time, but I sort of get the impression you can only take a model so far in Sketch Up, and the final polish needs applying in Max (especially working on organic shapes and site plans / landscapes etc)

[Camby1298]

I have found that modeling in sketch-up and then exporting to max causes the objects to have face/vertices properties that make it hard to add more detail to, it seems like all the work you put in to sketch-up to save time, has to be used to 'clean' up the object when its imported into Max. Although there is a chance that Im not modeling correctly in sketch-up but none-the-less there are certain objects that can be done in Max a lot quicker and easier. For me I still haven't found any profound evidence as to modelling in sketch-up first and then take it into max. My personal preference is laying out the site plan/building plan etc in AutoCAD and using that line work to create objects in Max.

[aaron-cds]

Just so people reading this thread don't get the wrong idea about sketchup, anything that's not organic can be modeled in sketchup. Believe me, it can compete with max for arch-viz. My problem with it is when it comes time to make quick changes to the model.

 

Here are some examples of pure sketchup modeling (the cars are sugar-3d.com cars).

 

 

 

[Antisthenes]

and that is y i prefer to stay in rhinoceros /w bongo and ALL the rendereren for all the changes and GOOD polygon display BYIO - Intelligent Tessellation (b3l3iv3 m3 i have seen some horrible stuff in max and sketchup, as i think u 2)

 

it models far more organic accurate and speedy, for an affordable price esp for students and teachers, than sketchup max autocad will ever be for me. it pains me to see so many people, and it did pain myself, to do it the mega corporate deaf ear way.

 

now is the chance everybody has wanted to escape the autodesk adobe empire the time is ripe.

[Matt Clementson]

Aaron - nice looking models.

 

Personally I'm an edit-poly man, I just find that the easiest and most flexible way to work. I've never used the AEC objects - they just don't have what I need. I've tried the SketchUp -> Max workflow but as mentioned above I spend far too long cleaning it up that its just faster to do it in MAX in the first place.