SkIndigo Progress Updates (Whaat's Development Blog)

[Kram1032]

@ dougal2:
How many frames of this did you actually render? 'cause if you do it right, you only need to render the diamond rotating from one edge to the next....

Cauchy_B-including animations have two big problems:
1) The long time it needs that a single frame actually shows smooth caustics
2) The high change of caustics when the light hits the diamond in a slightly different angle...
I wonder if you would be crazy enough to render it at 200h/frame? O.o

[dougal2]

@kram:
that's what I did. 24 frames in total.

I let this run for about a week on a single core. (4 frames a day, 6 hrs per frame approx.. ?)

I might try it again one day on my quad

[Kram1032]

nice
You had a 2core, then, right?
So, in the same time, it'll be about twice as developed (if you don't use aperture diffraction, that is... But it would be very nice to see that, too)

[dougal2]

no, it was on a single core P4 3ghz (my machine at work).
This was rendered with aperture diffraction too.

Tests with the p4 3ghz i have here at home show the quad to actually be 8x faster. The memory speed makes a big difference too.

[Kram1032]

Oh?
I thought, this was a render before 1.0... hum...
anyway, it'd be a lot better for sure

[Whaat]

I must admit, I haven't been working on SkIndigo as much lately. However, I have been busy with other projects that SkIndigo users may be interested in.

I was so tired of SU renders being criticized for being too low-poly that I created a subdivision modelling plugin. Now we should finally see some silky smooth SU->Indigo renders!

Here's a link to the release announcement:
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf ... 24&start=0

Cool tutorial video by chippwalters:
http://www.screencast.com/t/CCpcWqzOWU

Development 'blog':
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf ... 180&t=5687

New project:
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf ... 180&t=9435

Not to worry...I won't be abandoning SkIndigo. I will try to keep it up to date with the latest Indigo as much as possible.

[suvakas]

Congrats Whaat !
Seems like you really started to like SU development

[cpfresh]

DAAAANG thats awesome!! The videos really remind me of modelling in Maya. Nice work Whaat! Time to quit your day job!

[crojack]

Great Work

[kwistenbiebel]

Very cool plugin, Whaat .
As you see, I already had my share of fun with it.

Modeled using the subsmooth plugin combined with the FFD plugin :

[crojack]

WOW!!!!
that is sweet, never would have thought that sketchup could do that.
time to break out the wallet!

[Kram1032]

O.o could you rerender that with a fully transparent or a semi transparent SSS material? That must look amazing!

[Whaat]

Here's a preview of the next SkIndigo. Hopefully, I can release it within a week. Some major surgery has occurred in the material editor. Take note of the following:

- color picker interface
- shader implementation
- new streamlined displacement interface
- light layer selection
- emitting materials

[kwistenbiebel]

Looks amazing. I can't wait to try it.

That improved displacement interface, light layer assignment, and shader support is very much welcomed.

Does the color picker only work for emitting materials?
I ask this because in your image the color picker points at 'base emission'.

[Whaat]

Does the color picker only work for emitting materials?
I ask this because in your image the color picker points at 'base emission'.

Right now, only base emission uses the color picker. I might add it to other attributes (SSS, G-Spectrum) in the future if users like the interface. It works a bit different than a typical color picker. You have to edit the color using the picker first, and then click on the swatch to update it. (It's really easy...just different)