Presentation

[Foxcraft]

Can anyone tell me what kind of Presentation features Chief97 (and Chief 6.0, I should soon get my copy) I want to be able to present my final drawings to customers for their approval in a way that will impress them and make their job of visualizing their new home easier. I think I should be able to do this with the help of Chief but I'm not real sure of the features it has to offer. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Marrin]

The new VRML feature of CA6.0 is very exiting. It allows you to do a 3D VRML export with all associated textures and "walk" or "fly" your client through a semi realistic textured model of your plan using a freeware VRML player called COSMO, included with the upgrade. I think once you get the hang of this new feature, you'll love it.

Dan Marrin
Lake Shore, MN

------------------
Dan Marrin
Lake Shore, MN

[Foxcraft]

Thanks Dan, this sounds like what I want to do, now if my upgrade would come!!

[fitz]

There are options as follows:
1. Send views to layout, and print from there.
2. With no layout page open you can print directly from any screen view directly to the printer. Does not print any images - trees, people, etc, but everything else as you see it on screen.
3. Instead of "Print", use "Print Image". Go to full screen first, in highest resolution available to you before you "Print Image". No longer vector, lines will be jagged, but will show tress, people, etc and can be stunning. Especially I like to show interior views looking out a window with trees outside (and the glass topped round table with an umbrella), kitchen views, and out patio doors.
Email. You can even email a teaser view to show your clients how you are progressing, or to prospects. I will email you something if you ask.
4. From a lap top, especially if you are in their home and send the picture to their own big screen T.V. It can be done but I am not doing that yet.
5. I have a 20" screen, and usually my second appointment is in my office, blowing their minds with the views, and making changes in real time, changing what they want. Usually these sessions take two to four hours but we achieve all that we need to do without going back again & again.
6. VRML is incredibly exciting. I have not got the textures right yet, but have incredible ideas for this.
Yea, aint life fun with Chief.
Mike Hall - San Diego

[Foxcraft]

Mike,
Could you e-mail me something so I can get a better idea of what you are saying? THis sounds pretty exciting

[Dave Gaither]

Foxcraft;
Any time you can get a customer to watch you work with Chief while they look on is exciting. The VRML feature is great for viewing the entire house as a walk through, but I especially like showing 3d views of the interior. With interior views, they can choose colors, while you make changes on the fly. They can also begin to feel as if they are truly getting a custom home made especially for them. Another impressive feature of Chief is the 3d framing views we can produce now. They might not understand all the framing, but they will be impressed.
While you're working with them, you can easily print any particular view that they like. This gives them something to carry home and think about.
It's much nicer for them to actually see everything on the screen as you move through the house, to show them nearly any view they want, than to just have a set of blueprints laying out on a table.
Just watching you work with Chief, will knock their socks off.

------------------
Dave Gaither
Designer/Builder
American Bldg. Co.,Inc.

[David J. Potter]

Visit my site, I have many renderings done in Version 5 and 6 in various formats http://members.spree.com/djpotter
I have seen some VRML done in Verson 6 done by Charlie Williams or Michael Angelo Leone, I am not sure which or where. I think VRML has a "gaget" appeal but I would not use it to show a client myself as it is a little too "virtual", "too cartoon-ish" for my tastes at least in it's current version. I bet someone will figure out how to make it shine and look slick and professional someday.

------------------
David J. Potter
Austin, Texas

[fitz]

Very nice job, David. Well worth the visit. Great presentations.
What font are you using for the Sheet Name, the hollow font?
How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the site
1. In obtaining business?
2. Service to your clients?
3. Other?
Mike Hall - San Diego

[This message has been edited by fitz (edited 28 August 1999).]

[David J. Potter]

Till ART launched it's new site Charlie Williams and I were the "featured" sites through most of 98' and 99' so that is where all the hits came from. The font I used I acquired from Caleb "Chieftan" McLennan when I worked with him on a Log house he was designing I helped make the working drawings and renderings for that job, I had to have the same fonts he was using for obvious reasons and since I have been using them in my own drawings. I reccommend that you contact him about the font names not because he is the copyright holder or such but they were a necessary share between us.
I don't directly use the site with remodeling clients except to show them what can be done for them in general terms in design display during planning stages. I have ofcourse been put into communication with CAD design professionals and occasionally custom home clients. Mainly it is a great showplace for examples of my talents and art. (I am a shameless show-off) but the site is worth ten thousand words when needed.

------------------
David J. Potter
Austin, Texas

[David J. Potter]

The most professional looking renderings I have seen are by Dennis Quenzle, Randy Wilkins and Charlie Williams using Chief 3-D dfx models rendered in ArtLantis($6-7C) or LightScape($5-6C) rendering packages, Dean Johnson is the best I ever saw using Pov-Ray (Free-Open source) renderings of Chief models, examples of their renderings are at Chief-Udraw@Egroups.com and their respective sites. I haven't had the extra $$$ for Lightscape or ArtLantis and haven't the time or grey-matter to learn Pov-Ray, my hat is off to the guys that have and do.

------------------
David J. Potter
Austin, Texas
http://members.spree.com/djpotter

[Charlie Williams]

Thanks for the compliment. Actually I have been using version 6.0 with textures, bitmap images and backdrops; doing a 3D shot and then running them through filters in Photodeluxe (came with my digital camera)and maybe PaintShopPro. You will notice mine do not have shadow lines.
Charlie Williams