ArielVision FAQ

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about ArielVision :

Rendering
Downloads and Purchase
License and Authorization

Rendering

How should I get started?

First watch our getting started videos
Start with a small model, and learn how to use lighting and reflection before trying to render large, complex models.
Use the Interior Lighting Basics to learn how to place lights.
Use the Reflections Video to learn about reflections.

First Exterior Rendering A simple, "first" rendering using default rendering settings. Download an exterior model from the Google 3D Warehouse and render it with the default settings.	Play	Simple Rendering of an Object Default rendering with an object, rather than an exterior. Download a model from the Google 3D Warehouse and render it with the default settings.	Play
Interior Lighting Basics Add lighting to a simple room Ceiling lights, floor lamp and turning an object into a light.	Play	Getting Started with ArielVision Setting relfection for materials Setting glow for materials

How can I increase Rendering Speed

Use the small or medium render preview size while working on your model. Smaller resolutions render much faster, and you can switch to the larger resolution when you are ready for the final rendering.
Only model what you need in your scene. Items which are not visible just slow down the rendering process. You can organize different parts of your model by layer, or just simply hide items which are not needed.
Try to simplify the components you are using. If you can use fewer sides for circles and arcs, or if you can use square, but smoothed, edges, then you can increase rendering speed significantly.
See if you can replace some complex components with images. SketchUp and IRender both do a great job of rendering images, so for detail which is in the background using images instead of complex components will simplify the model and speed up rendering.
Reflective surfaces, and lights tend to slow down the rendering process. See if you can get the result desired with fewer lights and fewer reflective surfaces.
Eventually you may want to try a faster processor. IRender nXt utilizes dual and quad core processors, so get the fastest process possible when multiplyig the processor speed by the number of cores. (e.g. 4 X 2.66 = 10.64)

Images I placed in my model do not show up in IRender?

One typical problem with images not appearing:

They are in the same plane as the face behind them and the renderer gets confused (it can only render one item in the same place). either move them out a little, or cut a hole in the face behind them

What is High Dynamic Lighting?

We wanted to supply a lighting model which would work very well for exterior scenes - producing subtle shades and shadows - and would provide good lighting for objects.

High Dynamic Lighting emulates the light in a forest, with the sun filtering through the leaves. It produces a very good rendering without having to modify your SketchUp model with lights and reflection. You probably turned on the Sun in SketchUp to get a better rendering. Turn it off for IRender and use High Dynamic lighting instead.

I'm having a problem rendering a large model

Often new IRender users start with an existing, often quite large, SketchUp model they have to see how well it renders with IRender. You will get much better results if you are able to hide (or turn off layers) of geometry which is not visible.

For instance, if you are rendering the outside of a house, turn off layers which have detail, furniture, etc. on the inside of the house.

Or if you are modeling an interior, turn off layers which have details for the outside which are not visible.

Because of the way a good renderer works, it is possible for geometry which is not visible to effect refections or reflected light. But very often the invisible geometry is not necessary for a good rendering.

If that doesn't help, you may need to reduce the complexity of your model by removing, or simplifying, complex components.

I would like your recommendation for a good rendering software which supports SketchUp

I am architect and use SketchUp for my design. However, I would like your recommendation for a good rendering software which supports SketchUp. Thanks

We think ArielVision and IRender nXt is the best choice. But of course, we are prejudiced because we are the people who have interfaced the nXt Rendering engine to SketchUp.

Try it out, and I'm sure you will agree that we have created a powerful, and friendly, rendering interface.

It is, or course, difficult to make an interface both powerful and friendly. As we add each new capability or feature to the rendering engine, we have to find a place for it in the user interface, and, as a result the interface gets more and more difficult to use.

However, one of the things we have worked hard on is a set of 4 lighting presets, (outdoor, indoor, etc.) which make good renderings with little or no modification of the model.

Give it a try, and let us know what you think.

Downloads and Purchase

How to Purchase

How can I purchase a Product?

Visit: Purchase Page

Haw can I purchase after my trial period is expired?

would like to purchase the program, but your website is very confusing on how to do this without shipping the product by mail.

The 30 day trial I'm using has expired, how can I simply give you my credit card details in exchange for the activation code?

On our purchase page, Purchase Page, just select the choice for Single seat license and click "Buy Now" and proceed from there.

We don't "ship" anything for that price. We will just send you a license number by email, so that you can authorize your software.

DO you ship a CD? or can I download the product?

It looks as if you intend to ship my IRender Nxt by mail. It is not mentioned anywhere prior to purchase that I will have to wait potentially weeks to receive my software.

We have changed the order confirmation to specify: Internet Delivery - Please wait for response from vendor. I hope this helps.

If you want a CD, you can order a CD for delivery as from the bottom of the Purchase Page.

Invoice

Can I receive an invoice at the delivery address which includes VAT and the price in Euros please? Thank you in advance.

I can send you an invoice, either by email or by letter (snail mail). We do not collect or report any VAT.

Which Version

Which version should I get - IRender nXt or ArielVision

Both versions are based on the new nXt rendering engine, but ArielVision has fewer features.

See ArielVision Feature Comparison for a comparison between the new versions.

Delayed Order Processing

The order states that it was shipped last Jul 29 but until now I have not received it... Is it normal that 20 days after shipping it still has not arrived?

Sometimes the email we send you gets lost in your Spam filter. If you have not received a response from us after 12 hours, check your spam filter, and/or send an email to Render Plus Support Email

Also, some clients tell Google Checkout not to send us their email address, and the relay of emails though Google Checkout gets lost. If you have not received a response from us after 12 hours, please send an email to Render Plus Support Email using your own email address.

Downloads

I just learned ArielVision is available for download after I pay the software price online via Google Checkout. I want to know how do I download it? Regards,

Go to our Downloads Page to download the latest version.

We will be sending you a license and further instructions when we process your order.

After downloading the ZIP file, open it and click on the phrase: Click here to install IRender nXt'

After installing the Software, start SketchUp, it should appear under the Plugins menu.

Note: The trial version and the full version are the same download. If you have already downloaded the latest version, you do not need to download it again

Educational and Student Discounts

I was hoping you guys could release a student version at a discounted price. In any event, I love your software, and when I'm pulling in the big bucks plan to purchase it in the future. I just wish the future was now.

We offer discounts for students, teachers, schools and classroom lab licenses.

Students and teachers must provide school name and id.

See: Educational Versions

Getting Started with new Purchase

Dear Representative, Is it possible for you to send the program that I purchased yesterday. It is really urgent for me to get it today in order to continue my work. Cordially...

You can download the software from our Downloads Page and start working immediately.

We will process your order as soon as we can.

License and Authorization

License Number

I have not yet received the license number as of yet - please let me know.

We process all the orders by hand. There are two things which can cause a delay:

We have to wait for the order to be cleared by Google. This can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
We generally do not process orders at night in the U.S., or if there are other reasons why we cannot access our order system.

If you do not receive an email from us with your license number, send an email to Render Plus Support Email. Do not just respond to the Google email, because if you send us an email directly we will have your proper email address.

Authorization

I have no idea, how to authorize it.. I do not understand this phrase: Use your email program to send this email to

After you receive your license number from us on-line (for some products) or by email.

New Computer

I plan on getting a better PC, and I will want to move my IRender nXt from my current one to the new one. With a single CPU license how will I do this?

When you get a new computer, just send us a manual authcode request (using the Advanced button the license dialog), and remind us that it is for a new computer.

Note: You are also entitled to a Laptop license which is included automatically in the full version of IRender nXt,

Foreign Languages

bonjour, j'ai commande hier le logiciel irender pour sketchup. J'ai recu aujourd'hui un mail qui dit que ma commande... Vais-je devoir attendre encore longtemps? merci de me repondre rapidement.

QUISIERA SABER, CUANDO LLEGA MI PEDIDO Y CUANTO SE DEMORA EN LLEGAR A MI DIRECCION EN BOGOTA- COLOMBIA

wann kommt der link zum download und alle weiteren angaben wie z.B. Seriennummer usw. ?? Besten Dank

On-line translation works very well these days. Go ahead and send questions in the language you prefer. We will translate them using Google Translate, and respond as best we can.

On-line Übersetzung funktioniert sehr gut in diesen Tagen. Gehen Sie vor und senden Sie Fragen in der Sprache, die Sie bevorzugen. Wir übersetzen sie mit Hilfe von Google Translate und reagieren so gut wir können.

On-line de traducción funciona muy bien en estos días. Vaya por delante y enviar sus preguntas en el idioma que prefiera. Vamos a traducir usando Google Translate, y responder de la mejor manera posible.

On-line traduzione funziona molto bene in questi giorni. Vai avanti e inviare le vostre domande nella lingua che preferite. Noi tradurre con l'utilizzo di Google Translate, e di rispondere nel miglior modo possibile.

Le traduction en ligne fonctionne très bien ces jours-ci. Allez-y et envoyer des questions dans la langue que vous préférez. Nous allons traduire à l'aide de Google Translate, et de répondre du mieux que nous le pouvons.