Boss man wants better rendering. What is your opinion?

Hey everyone,

We have come up to a fork in the road here at my company. Currently we are generating renderings on...get this CS2 Photoshop...the president of my company showed another companies render and we look like we are in the stone age here. We have the Civil 3D Design Suite (I believe that's what it is called) came with Map 3d, Raster Design, and 3DS Max along with some others. My dilemma is that I don't know a whole lot about the other programs but wish to be able to generate renderings that don't look like they got printed on a dot matrix printer. I have searched for site plan rendering tutorials but not sure what platform would be best to use. We are a civil engineering company so the renders would usually be a plan view with maybe, maybe, an isometric view. Bringing a 3D render just looks so much better than 2D when done up. Any and all advice would be great.

Thank you,

Miller

At the last company where I worked, I used 3ds Max for doing site renderings. I'm now working freelance and I use Modo to do these renderings, but it's really the same idea, just different software.

Since you already have 3ds Max as part of your design suite, I would recommend you stick with that for doing renderings. It has a steep learning curve but it has always been at the top of the food chain when it comes to 3D architectural visualization software.

You can build your site models in your CAD program, if that's where you're most comfortable, and then import your .dwg file into 3ds Max to apply materials, set up lighting and do your renderings.

There are lots of books and video tutorials I can recommend, if you're interested. Let me know.

https://lumion3d.com/

For 3D only, just buy something that makes life easier, like Lumion. Drag a few bars, adjust a few parameters, and bam - excellent looking renders, with the ability to do animations and walkthroughs. Worth every penny.

Lumion Example Outputs:

https://www.google.com/search?q=lumion+images&espv=2&biw=1365&bih=940&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiyh6WA_PDOAhVG8GMKHVE9AqAQ_AUIBygC

I wish I could afford that program, but it's way out of my price range.

I wish I could afford that program, but it's way out of my price range.

Yeah, I have played around with the demo version and it's super easy to use. I would love to have a license but I just don't get enough 3D work to justify the cost. Maybe some day?

I have been trying to use Unreal Engine, but you have to jump through so many hoops to get your models into the Engine and get them textured and build lighting, etc., then, if anything changes in the design, you have to re-import everything, re-apply materials, build lighting again. It's too much hassle.

I have been trying to use Unreal Engine, but you have to jump through so many hoops to get your models into the Engine and get them textured and build lighting, etc., then, if anything changes in the design, you have to re-import everything, re-apply materials, build lighting again. It's too much hassle.

He did this for a while and finally gave it up. The Unreal Engine thing is for the "tinkering" type of people. When it comes to production, the cost of something like Lumion just lets you jump in and run with it. Time is of the essence these days! Which I'm sure you're all too familiar with, since rendering is not sensitive to "quick" outputs.

I'm really glad the two of you responded. CAD64 I would love some input on the books/tutorial recommendations you have. Tannar, I spoke with my supervisor about Lumion, he said that he is not interested in purchasing new software. I really appreciate the help fellas.

Ugh, yes... I have a friend who went down this road. I think he's a member here? Alex Cunningham. We used to work together and still stay connected on social media.

 

He did this for a while and finally gave it up. The Unreal Engine thing is for the "tinkering" type of people. When it comes to production, the cost of something like Lumion just lets you jump in and run with it. Time is of the essence these days! Which I'm sure you're all too familiar with, since rendering is not sensitive to "quick" outputs.

 

Yeah, that's where I'm at with Unreal right now. It's just not practical for the type of work I do, where the design keeps changing and the client wants to see different options. Maybe if it was for a final flythrough or something, but even then, I would end up losing money on all the set up time.

Lumion really is a point and click type of program. Just drop your model in, slap on materials, drag and drop trees and shrubs, etc. And creating the flythrough is so easy.

I have been picking up a few more 3D jobs lately. I'm just waiting for a big project to come in. Lumion is at the top of my software wishlist, I just need to get more work to justify the purchase.

I'm really glad the two of you responded. CAD64 I would love some input on the books/tutorial recommendations you have. Tannar, I spoke with my supervisor about Lumion, he said that he is not interested in purchasing new software. I really appreciate the help fellas.

Ok, I'll gather up some information for you later today when I have some time.

I need to get motivated to work right now. It's Friday and we're headed into a holiday weekend. I really don't feel like sitting here today.

Ok, I'll gather up some information for you later today when I have some time.

Sounds great. I know how valuable time is. Thank you

Ugh, yes... I have a friend who went down this road. I think he's a member here? Alex Cunningham. We used to work together and still stay connected on social media.

 

He did this for a while and finally gave it up. The Unreal Engine thing is for the "tinkering" type of people. When it comes to production, the cost of something like Lumion just lets you jump in and run with it. Time is of the essence these days! Which I'm sure you're all too familiar with, since rendering is not sensitive to "quick" outputs.

 

Have you guys seen this?

http://www.halvr.com/hal-archviz-toolkit-v1

Have you guys seen this?

 

http://www.halvr.com/hal-archviz-toolkit-v1

That looks pretty cool, and very useful. I'm still trying to figure out a way to work interactively with Unreal though. When the design changes in my CAD plan, and I make adjustments to my 3D model, I need to have the ability to update those changes quickly and easily to Unreal without having to reload my 3D model and reapply materials to everything. That's the biggest stumbling block I have right now.

Supposedly, the newest version of Modo has the ability to export models, with textures, to Unreal without having to rework the materials in game. I should probably download the demo and give it a try. If it works the way they say it does, that would be fantastic.

Here is another one I am watching..

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

You all know me and SketchUp

Have you guys seen this?

 

http://www.halvr.com/hal-archviz-toolkit-v1

Very cool!! Two things I really liked were the mirror on the floor and the reflection (I know its not a big deal but I really liked it) and the floor plan with the marker and view orientation. It was like a Call of Duty map haha. Very cool though.

I need to get motivated to work right now. It's Friday and we're headed into a holiday weekend. I really don't feel like sitting here today.

If you happen to find some, send it my way hahaha

Very cool!! Two things I really liked were the mirror on the floor and the reflection (I know its not a big deal but I really liked it) and the floor plan with the marker and view orientation. It was like a Call of Duty map haha. Very cool though.

Yeah very FPS like

Sounds great. I know how valuable time is. Thank you

Since you will most likely be building your site models in your CAD program, you really just need to learn about 3ds Max materials, lighting and rendering. I learned most of what I know about these subjects from the book in the link below. It's an older book though, for an older version of Studio Max, so probably not as relevant for newer versions of the program.

https://www.amazon.com/Rendering-mental-first-Steen-published/dp/B00EKYZW50/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1472842569&sr=8-14&keywords=rendering+with+mental+ray

There is a newer version of the book here, but still kind of old, 2009

https://www.amazon.com/Rendering-Mental-Ray-3ds-Author/dp/B010BG1ENY/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1472842768&sr=8-16&keywords=rendering+with+mental+ray

I have loads of video training from way back when I was learning the program, but most of the companies that made these videos are either gone or they have turned into subscription services. It seems that you can no longer just purchase the videos. You have to sign up with them and watch the videos in your browser.

Here's a good subscription service with a ton of good 3ds Max training.

Digital Tutors: http://www.digitaltutors.com/software/3ds-Max-tutorials

Hope that helps

I dont know how well they work for what you guys do but I use Solidworks visualize(stand alone) which is bunkspeed rebranded. Also Keyshot. Both powerful and user friendly but ive never done that kind of work. Mostly renders of concept vehicles I create. Both have 30day trials.

Yes, I have Keyshot. It's not a standalone version, it's a plug-in version that works with ZBrush. It's great for product renders but I've never seen anyone use it for exterior arch-vis stuff.