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Can you explain post-processing? or lead me to a site to read about? I really want the 3D model to look like a real room, if thats possible. How feasible is this for me to learn in the next couple of weeks, or am I better off just hiring someone?
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google sketchup has a free download version, but I use the pro version all the time at work (yes, I'm an architect) so I can't tell you off the top of my head what the differences are between the free version and the pay to use version.
Their website has a .pdf download that will walk you thru the basics, and you should be able to pick things up quickly. It is an amazingly easy prog to use.
When it comes time to add furniture and such, you can search their forums for free materials and components here (just type in keywords to search).
Materials and Components
formfonts.com is a site that has a wide variety of furniture (including practically the entire Ikea catalog), as well as people, materials, vehicles, etc., but you have to pay a small fee to download.
Formfonts
best of luck