vray plugin for sketchup....or if you love maya and want sketchup rendering looks - 3dsmax

Podium is ok and also cheap and very easy to use.  V ray is better quality but a much steeper learning curve and takes longer to render. 

Get Vray for Sketchup.  Most modeling softwares use Vray so you can always transfer your skills down the road.  Word of caution, unless you're a getting paid well to only do renders or have all the time for it, try and find ways to cut corners and do it quick.  Trying to create perfect photo realistic renders entirely on rendering softwares is time consuming and you'll rarely end up with what you want unless you know the rendering software like its your only job.  Instead, use vray or similar rendering plugin for quick base renders, then post process/collage the hell out of it and get creative using photoshop :)

http://pixelflakes.com/behind-the-scenes/

http://www.alexhogrefe.com/tutorials/

Ditch Sketchup learn rhino get vray

Rhino is on the opposite spectrum of 3d modeling software in relation to Maya (industrial design to animation). There is a free plugin for sketchup and I think its called kerpathia or something. Pretty good quality

^^ Kerkythea

Decent quality, but it does't run inside SketchUp, which can be very problematic.

Pick up a paint brush and do something inspiring like J. Curtis Woodhouse. I find his work memorable and inspiring. It communicates the intangibles of architecture instead of just “here’s how it will look….” All of our renderings were water colors.

Computer generated perspectives are okay. A perspective is a communication tool and getting it done no mater the media is all that matters. It has opened up this ability to so many….the ability to communicate your designs/concepts is central to the process. My Son uses Sketch-Up in his work to communicate to his clients during the whole process to help them understand what he is trying to accomplish….so Sketch-On in that regard. But for formal presentation renderings more is needed, expected and required.

My Son farms out his formal computer renderings to Vietnam, imagine that. Jesus.

http://www.curtiswoodhouse.com/index.html

Thank you for the info peeps. A few of my friends from college use Rhino and I've wondered about it. If I go with VRay now I can always take it over to the new software later. I have my own studio so time is kinda on my side, sometimes. I often work with a friend who is in his 50's and doesn't know CAD/Revit much less 3D modeling. He doesn't mind the cartoony look of SketchUp but for my work I would like a more photo real image that reflects the material use more accurately.

As far as hand drawing, my friend is amazingly talented and I 100% appreciate them but we both think it takes too long. I've done them in college but if my client wants a change it becomes difficult on the tern around. I do like them Carrera. Definitely a lost art.

Thank you acceskb for the links, WOW. Really helpful.

" I do not have plug-ins for my SketchUp ", Why not, some of the best ones are free

-extension warehouse for sketchup

-smustard

-vali architects

-fredos plugins,

sketchup is super user friendly with a minimal learning curve and just about compatible with most design software, tons of free tutorials, the software is evolving form were it 1st started, plus the plugins for sketchup typically cuts your modelljng time by 30-60%

i agree with accesskb cocept of modeling and rendering, except i prefer maxwell

my 2cents

SkethUp and Rhino are fairly interoperable, and Rhino is cheap - with SkethUp's new BIM tools, it may be the combo to go with for small offices. Skethup for BIM, Rhino for its precision and access to plug-ins for environmental analysis, parametric form generation, and live physics. Given that, I would do V Ray, as it works with both softwares.