With the continuous development of the rendering industry, more and more rendering companies keep springing up. The architectural design industry now increasingly relies on such renderings to express or show buildings that have not yet been built or are under construction. After all, 3D rendering today is one of the best ways to directly and effectively present architectural views and concepts. You can find various services on the market, not only for architectural visualization, but also for product visualization and other rendering services. However, which is the best rendering company for you and your project?
Among all these 3D rendering companies, it seems difficult to pick the one that suits you. Some of them may good at exterior rendering, while some may be expert in 3D walkthroughs. Don’t worry. This article shares a list of the top 10 rendering studios in 2023. Hope this helps make a sensible decision.
Why do you Need 3D Rendering Companies?
Nowadays, there is no doubt that rendering is important for architecture companies, architects, interior designers, developers, real estate agents, engineers, and manufacturing companies. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, it can transform boring CAD drawings into compelling, expressive visual narratives that convey the core of the design for the project to the public, stakeholders, and investors. In this process, rendering and animation are able to bring clients closer and even get them involved to improve the project. From this vantage point, it’s more likely to win the bid in a quite efficient manner, while also saving both parties’ time. Moreover, the demand in 3D rendering industry has grown significantly over the past few years, reflecting the trend of the times. For sure, no one wants to be left behind by the times. Top 3D rendering companies are able to deliver this result in the best possible way.
Types of 3D Rendering Companies
Commonly, 3D rendering studios are divided into three types based on their professions:
Architectural 3D rendering studios who are specialized in handling architectural projects. They create photorealistic 3D exterior and interior renderings, floor plans, 3D walkthrough and flythrough, and other architectural visualizations.
Entertainment 3D rendering studios who provide 3D visualization for movies, games and sometimes commercials.
Branding 3D rendering studios who help promote brands by visualizing products, furniture, jewelries, and other tangible stuff.
Currently, 3D architectural rendering studios are the most popular among rendering companies, which specialize in providing architectural animation, interior and exterior rendering, virtual reality, and so on. Another kind of company provides clients with 3D visualizations of games and movies. What’s more, there are also some studios that help with branding and advertising. Therefore, if you seek help from a rendering firm, please check your needs.
How to find and select the best 3D rendering company?
It could be a painful experience when working with a not-so-right rendering team. So, what is the best way to find a good 3D rendering company? We’ve listed some of the best methods exploring best CGI teams.
Browse 3D rendering and architecture forums or other communities;
Search relevant info on social media. Try some tags and target your content;
Look for architectural visualization firms on e-commerce sites;
Use professional network. Talk to your colleagues or friends who may have used 3D rendering services;
Founded in 2006, AIMIR CG is a 3D architectural visualization studio in China, which deserves the first place on the list for its outstanding performance in the rendering market. We boast three products and services: 3D rendering, 3D animation, and 360 virtual tour, having a global presence. Besides, all 3D artists in our studio have working experience of over 8 years. What is accompanied by much experience is the advantage of great communication skills with clients in order to achieve an impressive experience. Through the commitment to each project, we have gained a good reputation for efficiently providing excellent quality to our clients. By demonstrating our professionalism, we are proud to say that we have been devoted to promoting and delivering China’s architectural visualization to the world.
AIMIR is guided by well-maintained and client-oriented philosophy while maintaining a good working process. We believe you would not regret it if you choose AIMIR.
Omega Render is a 3D architectural rendering and animation studio with 10 years of experience. Regarding the art of visualization as a combination of technical and artistic mastery, it performs well for 3D rendering for architects, developers, brand agencies, and product design firms. There are some well-known brands as the architectural design company Gensler, among their clients. By now, the studio has worked with companies from more than 25 countries and has more than 1000 projects and over 7300 realistic images in the portfolio.
Although MIR is just a small studio located in Bergen, Norway, it has a long history of more than 20 years and is the oldest one on the list. The founders and other artists believe that they should create a unique overall feeling in the image rather than only on the project. Unlike other companies, MIR allocates the members to draw concept sketches from different initial angles, and then compare the effect and atmosphere of different sketches before making choices and modifications, which unleash their maximum creativity and obtain stunning products. This architectural visualization company is literally creating art, so their services and works are of great value and high price.
Founded in 2011, ArchiCGI has developed to be an excellent rendering company in the UK 3D rendering services market and has 4 branches. It specializes in interior and exterior rendering, architectural animation, 3D virtual tour, etc. Moreover, it has a multitude of teams with different specializations and an online library for projects containing a large number of scenes and photoreal 3D models. All this helps to achieve great delivery quality. It also seeks to deliver products quickly and efficiently so that they promise that clients can get their 3D renders for free if they do not deliver on time. It’s convenient for clients to request a price guide to find out what is included in each service and how much your project will cost. And if your project starts, you will get a personal rendering team serving you at any time.
Located in Toronto, Canada, Render3DQuick is a 3D visualization company with a history of 8 years. It offers a variety of 3D rendering services, such as house staging, video tours, and fly-throughs. Also, it has to be mentioned that it works well for creating photorealistic digital representations of real estate. Thanks to its professionalism, it wins customers’ favor. It has worked with thousands of real estate companies including almost every major real estate brand in the US. Of course, the three largest brands Lennar, PulteGroup, and D.R. Horton are also its customers. Besides real estate brands, Render3DQuick also works with other brands which have architectural visualization needs, ranging from convenience stores to airports to car dealerships. Some of the most well-known clients include Audi, SevenEleven, and ExonMobil.
VRender is known as an experienced 3D architectural rendering studio for more than 17 years in the US. Its products and services involve architectural visualization, interior rendering, 3D modeling, 3D Floor Plan, and so on. It’s so trustworthy that when architects, developers, and other building professionals show their designs to regulatory planning board members, they tend to choose its services. VRender is devoted to providing clients with the highest level of satisfaction while maintaining affordability and promptness of the services. If you are interested, you can browse the company website and even get a quick quote by contacting the company.
Located in Vancouver Canada, Real Space 3D has been in the rendering and animation industry for 15 years. As a multifaceted 3D rendering company, its customers range from house renovators to Fortune 500 companies locally and worldwide, and offer a fairly wide range of services at a good value, such as 3D architectural rendering, condo rendering, and house rendering. If you would like to know more, please click the link and get the info you want. Of course, you are free to get a quote by filling out the contact form and providing info about your project if you like.
As another well-known 3D rendering company in the US, Bottomline Studio offers 3D rendering services all over the world. Besides, its products and services also include 3D walkthrough animation, 3D product rendering, CAD drafting, aerial birds eye view, etc. Its clients involve construction companies, architects, builders, and interior designers. You can view more services and learn more about this 3D architectural rendering company on its website. If you want to get a quote, there are clear instructions at the bottom of the home page.
Easy Render is a platform that gathers 3D artists from 139 countries and outsources projects, which is totally different from other companies on this list. Clients post a job and receive offers from a global network of artists before hiring an artist. And then they can manage jobs seamlessly with online collaboration tools. Therefore, clients can choose the best artist and get the most satisfying product they want. Just check the website if you would like to learn more about this reliable 3D rendering firm.
Rapid Renders is a rendering firm providing services of 3D architectural visualization, product visualization, and furniture rendering. It is based in Sri Lanka, but its business spans America, Europe, and Australia. By combining traditional photography techniques with the latest CGI technologies, this company is committed to creating the most realistic alternative to traditional photography in the marketplace. Please refer to the website to learn more info.
Location: Sri Lanka
Experience: 15 years
Services:
Architectural Rendering
Building Rendering
Virtual Reality
Furniture Visualization
3D Exterior and Interior Rendering
Conclusion
This article simply introduces the 10 best rendering companies for your choice. Each of them has their own strengths and unique style. When considering working with a 3D rendering team, please include the visualization quality, turnaround time, pricing, style, and team culture into consideration. As a matter of fact, above are just 10 popular CGI studios among others. We hope this article could be of help when choosing your own rendering team.
The 3D exterior and interior architectural visualization projects should be an idea tool to reveal the building in any conditions. It means you may find the architecture in the snowy region or surrounded by tropical landscapes. Today, we’ve summarized various architecture such as houses, hotels, offices, shopping malls under different geographical conditions.
Geographical Conditions
A large part of architecture visualization projects are depicting buildings under regular geo conditions. For example, a country house in the urban area, or a shopping mall in a busy CBD. These surroundings create a safe and friendly environment for the viewers. With the help of these photorealistic renderings, real estate agents, architects, interior designers and other professionals find it easier and quicker to demonstrate their design ideas and sell more.
But these “normal” renderings are not the only choices for 3D rendering industry. Actually, in some particular cases, the “irregular” geography may picture a more impressive scene. Of course, it depends on many factors to choose atypical environment for 3D rendering.
Okay, let’s enjoy some of AIMIR’s architectural renders with irregular geographical conditions.
#1. Deserts
To be honest, not everyone likes a lifeless bare desert. But on the other hand, it is not difficult to image how the architecture is highlighted against such background. Limited by the location, architecture in arid areas does not limit the inspiration of the architects and designers. On the contrary, many professionals are exploring the potential of desert architecture. And in the hands of architectural 3D rendering specialists, the desert architecture is represented beautifully in the deserts.
Desert has a special landscape that nowhere else you can find. In the world of CGI, 3D artists emphasized on the plants, sky, and sands, to unit human and nature.
Alila Villas in La Ribera, Mexico. Image by AIMIR.
Not only hotels and vacation houses look fabulous in deserts, other architecture types are a good player with desert as well. For example, residential houses may look highlighted in the barren area.
Desert Palisades in California, USA. Image by AIMIR.
#2. Forests
Forests is not an irregular element in architectural design. Actually, some houses in the countryside enjoy a green terrain and is set in between tree trunks. 3D renderings of such designs tend to emphasize on the livable environment, however, architecture in forests ask more for the beautiful settings around. As you see, the magical effects of 3D render of architecture in the woods does not only lie in the peaceful and calming atmosphere, there are also unduplicated visual experience waiting for the viewers.
Vacation house in Huizhou, China. Image by AIMIR.
Unlike deserts or other environment, forests are a friendly element that brings calmness and tranquility. Thus, it’s difficult to find large shopping malls or entertainment parks in the woods. Residential houses, villas, apartments, and vacation houses are more easily to find themselves in forests. In 3D rendering, the 100% life-like trees and vegetation are the key elements determining a good rendering.
Radwyn Apartment in Pennsylvania, USA. Rendered by AIMIR.
#3. Seaside
Oceanfront architecture is not rare to find both in real life and 3D architectural rendering. Designing a house, hotel, office tower, shopping malls, museum or any kind of architecture overlooking the sea is a challenging job, because many factors need to be considered carefully. For example, the material against sea wind, or the glass windows for viewing. At the same time, an architecture siting near the sea is one of the best theme to visualize. Actually, there is no bad 3D render, just unqualified 3D artists.
710 Edge in Miami, USA. Rendered by AIMIR.
When creating 3D renders for oceanfront buildings, the unique architectural design and a meticulously landscaped exterior as well as the human activities near the sea define the visual image. Usually, AIMIR’s 3D artists focus on the overall mood as well as the details to present a perfect seaside architecture visual image.
Naladhu Ocean House in Maldives. Rendered by AIMIR.
#4. Others
Not limited to the above geographical conditions, architectural visualization also includes various projects such as the snow mountain, under the sea and even the moon or Mars. These atypical environment nourishes the architectural design, and in turn enrich the depth of the 3D image.
Barkers Island Redevelopment in Wisconsin, USA. Rendered by AIMIR.
Above are some of the examples of 3D rendering projects under irregular geographical conditions. No matter what type of architecture you’re working on, 3D rendering services are able to provide you a perfect solution within an incredible short time. Want to nail your client with your design? Using 3D architectural visualization services to impress your audience with the most efficient and awe-inspiring way by contacting AIMIR today!
Resolution is one of the important indicators that directly affect the rendering effect, especially when it comes to 3D rendering and 3D animation in the architectural industry. Image you’re presenting to your client about your ideas, but the only visual you show is pale and blue. Apparently, the key issue is the resolution of the image, or rendering resolution. In this article, we’d like to introduce rendering quality, aka the resolution of renders with concepts and examples.
What are Rendering Resolution and Pixels?
Rendering resolution, or pixel resolution, is the number of pixels per unit area, while a sequence of numbers of pixels composes an image, and this smallest unit is denoted by “px”. The pixels determine the picture size. The units of resolution are dpi (points per inch), lpi (lines per inch), ppi (pixels per inch), etc. Resolution is generally divided into image resolution and screen resolution (display resolution), and it affects the fine degree of bitmap image details. For instance, a resolution of 2000×1500 refers to the image has a 2000 pixels width and 1500 pixels height.
No matter what the resolution is, it actually indicates how many pixels are in the horizontal and vertical direction of the image or screen. The combination of pixels and resolution determines the amount of image data. High-resolution renderings contain more pixels than low-resolution ones. Accordingly, the rendering time will be longer. Of course, the resolution quality depends on the situation, the task, and the requirement. Each designer can set the resolution in his way.
Definition of Render Resolutions
Actually, there is no exact size for one single pixel, because the image is digital instead of in physical form. However, in the printing industry, “resolution” can be used to describe the actual size of pixels.
As we described above, resolution is related to the quantity of pixels in an image. And render resolution is how many pixels in one inch. Here, we’ve compared some of the international standard pixels in the image below.
Resolution: the Higher the Better?
The answer is definitely yes. If the resolution is low, the image will look blurred and even you can see some squares. In general, the higher the resolution of a rendering, the more pixels it contains, so more detail and more subtle color transitions can be presented, and the colors on the screen will be clearer. In brief, high-quality rendering requires higher resolution.
A 1000 pixel images vs. a 300 pixel one. Rendered by AIMIR.
We may get confused when distinguishing the resolution because different concepts refer to different objects. Let’s look at screen resolution as well as printer resolution.
Screen resolution is a property that indicates how much information is shown on a computer screen, and it can be measured in pixels. A screen of the same size displays fewer pixels in a larger size when the screen resolution is low (eg. 640×480), but more pixels in a small size when the screen resolution is high (eg. 1600×1200). The resolution of the image is directly affected by its size, measured in pixels per inch (ppi). For instance, since there are 25.4mm per inch, we can know of 72 ppi of the screen image resolution when it is operating in 800×600 px mode.
Printer resolution refers to the maximum number of points per inch that can be printed horizontally and vertically during the printing process. It usually uses the unit dpi (dot per inch). The printer resolution is a key index to measure the print quality, which affects the precision when printing images. That is to say, the print resolution also determines the output quality of the printer.
Image Resolution Requirements for Printing
Different devices and media vary in requirements for basic resolution so that they can represent a good-quality image. Let’s talk about some typical use cases for images.
Printing magazines
In general, for an offset image to be sharp enough on high-quality paper, the image resolution should be twice the screen resolution used for printing. Since the screen resolution used for magazine printing is about 150 dpi, the image resolution it uses should be 300 dpi. But for the better quality of products such as 3D renderings, it often adopts higher resolution. For example, when you would like to print a 3D rendering image of brick walls, it usually applies 400 dpi. What’s more, line art images should have a higher resolution. Most printers recommend a minimum of 800 dpi and the resolution from 1200 to 2400 dpi will be better.
Newspaper print
Because of relatively low-quality paper and high-speed printing speed, newspaper print does not require high resolution. It usually uses the resolution from 200 to 250 dpi. Besides, it recommends from 400 to 600 dpi if for line images.
Billboard printing
Due to a billboard features large size and a long distance of viewing, it only needs a 30 dpi resolution. That means digital cameras are quite able to achieve this. If the resolution is higher, it would be a trouble for the computer loading.
Printing photos
If you want to print a high-quality photograph by using a 1000 dpi printer, 250 dpi will be the best choice of printing resolution. With this resolution, the printer is capable of printing satisfying colors of images.
A regular rendering vs. a postcard printing rendering with Xmas mood. Rendered by AIMIR.
Rendering Resolution Recommendation
In fact, there are no strict restrictions on any rendering settings. As mentioned above, each designer can set the resolution based on the task, the situation, the quality, and other requirements. In most cases, it would be sufficient when you adopt the resolution 720×480 px for preliminary renders. If you want to go further by using higher resolution, then you can choose 2000×1500 px for draft or sample renderings and 5000×4000 px for final renderings.
Animation Resolution and FPS
When talking about animation, we should first mention FPS (frames per second). Generally the higher the frame rate in the animation, the smoother and more realistic the action. The minimum comfortable value is 30 FPS while a standard viewing quality of a video should not be less than 24 FPS. If you tend to increase the animation resolution, you have to deal with each 3D animation image, so of course, you need more time to render. Meanwhile, with the increasing of pixels, the rendering also naturally requires more graphics processing units (GPU) to process. By the way, you should pay attention to the medium on which it will be projected when you choose resolution because it should be higher than the screen resolution that you use to present.
Conclusion
This article simply introduces rendering resolution and its application, so you know, high resolution plays a significant part in good-quality renderings and animation. You can find answers to what a render resolution is, why use a higher resolution, what resolution for printing, billboard or magazine, and also the guide for animation resolution.
3D-generated images and animations are not difficult to find in today’s daily life. You’ll undoubtedly encounter visual works created by the 3D rendering process on countless occasions, such as blockbuster movies, skincare advertisements, or a magazine you’ve subscribed, and the billboards near the food court.
Now you may realize visuals on these platforms are used to attract you, or let’s say, their target customers. The truth is many industries can’t deny the power of using 3D rendering services in their marketing. It is now a crucial part of the job of architects, interior designers, marketers, engineers, manufacturers, and many other professionals. Stunning their clients with the design, impressing the jury with their vision, or sharing the new idea with their team, they are all beneficiaries of 3D rendering services. Thus, we’ve prepared the most frequently asked questions about 3D rendering in this article. Please keep reading to find out what is 3D rendering, what is the working process, and how to use it in modern society.
What is 3D Rendering?
To start with the definition, 3D rendering is the process of creating a 2D image from 3D digital scene using a computer. CGI professionals use specific techniques and special software to generate a 3D image. Here, the first thing to be clear is that 3D rendering is a process. During the process, 2D or 3D data are collected and used to contribute to the final result.
During the 3D rendering process, 3D models are inevitable. From building the 3D models, the real process starts. To create a realistic environment, there are more steps needing to be done, such as adding photorealistic textures and materials, and setting right lighting to make the scene natural. Moreover, optional effects may help bake the atmosphere. For example, a luxury villa with a large swimming pool is more convincing if there are people swimming and relaxing in or near the pool. Imagine you’re a real estate developer and are selling one of your properties. Does the real-time 3D rendered image of the future house more powerful and persuasive than just showing your client the land with you picturing how the house will be like?
3D rendering of the 710 Edge project in Miami, USA, created by AIMIR
What is a 3D Render?
A 3D render is the final result of the 3D rendering process. It may include 3D rendering images, 3D animations, Virtual Reality tours, 360º panoramas, 3D models, 2D or 3D floor plans, 3D products and many other forms.
Who Uses 3D Rendering?
3D rendering now is used by a various people from a wide range of industries, We’ve listed the most popular ones as following:
Architecture
3D modeling and rendering is no doubt the most powerful tool in the architecture industry now. Architects, interior designers, engineers and other professionals use 3D rendering to persuade their clients, juries and investors with their ideas visualized. Given the nature of architecture industry, where buildings are expensive and time-consuming to construct, 3D rendering services is a flexible tool to view the details of future structures, avoid possible design mistakes. Learn more about 3D Architectural Visualization.
Real Estate
Since 3D rendering is a great tool for architecture industry, no one will deny its charm in real estate industry. With the help of exterior 3D rendering images, real estate agents are able to show the buyers what their home will look like. Interior 3D renderings are a good reflection of the indoor life, and real estate agencies can even use 3D rendering services as renovation ideas to show the house before its renovated. Also, there is no easier way than showing the potential buyers a virtual tour in and around the building to introduce the business.
Interior Design
In the interior design industry, 3D rendering probably is the most frequently and most popular tool. Interior designers’ job is to design the indoor spaces for their clients. Therefore, it is inevitable to find a way to show their clients their design. We all understand it is not possible to actually renovate the interior home for review. Thus, 3D rendering services are the answer. It does not only showcase the designer’s vision in advance, but also allows modification anytime. Learn more about Interior 3D Rendering.
Manufacturing
There is no more explanation needed to explicit the use of 3D rendering in manufacturing industry. Whether you’re designing a new hair dryer or a new water bottle, 3D modeling and rendering is the ultimate tool. Similar to the above industries, product design is also a process which needs 3D tool to design, render and finalize.
Advertising & Marketing
In advertising industry, which is also the marketing industry, 3D visualization is the enchantment of the product or the service sold. Visual impression is a vital idea in advertising industry, and to achieve this, a strong visual presentation is the key to successful marketing. 3D rendering can be used on various platforms such as social networks, TV commercials, magazine advertising, and leaflets to attract new customers.
Entertainment
Finally, 3D rendering, the entertainment industry is able to create a dynamic world to offer people relaxation, dreams and laughs. Today’s visual world is unprecedented massive and advanced. Thanks to CGI technology, people are able to enjoy video games, animations cartoons, and movies with the most impressive and realistic effects.
How Does 3D Rendering Work? What is 3D Rendering Process?
Let’s try to figure out how 3D rendering functions in order to understand it more.
Numerous calculations are carried out by the rendering engine in accordance with predetermined algorithms. The 3D artist’s program-created scenes and models are gradually processed and converted into flat visuals based on the mathematical data. Due to physics and the positioning of other items in the environment, the models acquire distinct lines, colors, tints, realistic shadows, and reflections during processing. As a result, every pixel of the image is improved, and they appear entire and complete. And this is how 3D rendering work.
3D Rendering Software
What 3D rendering software to use to produce such promising result? This is a tricky question, because there are countless 3D rendering software and platforms on the market, and each of them has their own merits and down sides. Some of the most popular 3D rendering software, apps and platforms:
No matter you’re an amateur or professional 3D rendering software user, or you’re in some industry who is looking for 3D rendering services, understanding 3D rendering process is vital. It will help prepare pre-production files and information, choose the suitable service, and know how to get the best result. Now, let’s take a look at the 3D rendering process.
Step 1: Understanding the Project
The whole project team including the project manager and relevant 3D artists need to understand the client’s requirement. This includes the client’s aim, the vision, and the purpose of the project.
Step 2: Creating the 3D Model
3D modeling is the process during which the 2D materials and information are summarized and produced into a 3D model using 3D modeling software. During this stage, the model is able to change according to the design.
Step 3: Applying Materials and Textures
This probably is the determining step. The final result will look realistic only when the materials and textures are right.
Step 4: Setting the Lighting and Post-processing
Here, there is no real lighting used. Even when the 3D artists want to create a scene with natural light, such as the seaside, they use artificial lights to reproduce realistic lighting.
Step 5: Final Delivery of High-res 3D Renderings
When the rendering drafts are confirmed, 3D artists will output the final high-res 4K/5K visual works upon request.
On today’s market, 3D rendering is an artistic visualized presentation of people’s creative ideas, visions, and designs. There are various parts involved in 3D rendering, such as 3D modeling, adding materials, setting lights and post-producing. Each steps is subjected to the actual project, and is flexible with the best results possible.
In this article, we’ve tried our best to articulate the nature of 3D rendering, the 3D rendering process, people who uses 3D rendering, and other frequently asked questions about it. Hope it may help you understand 3D rendering more. If you’re looking for reliable 3D rendering services or teams to sell your idea or products, you’re welcome to contact us! AIMIR is a professional 3D architectural visualization studio from 2006, we’re devoted to delivering high-end photorealistic 3D renderings to the world!
Architects and designers use 3D rendering images to showcase key effects and demonstrate the design details of the structure before, during or after a project is built. We’ve shared many case studies of architectural visualization projects for exteriors, interiors, hotels, houses, shopping malls, museums, and other various types of buildings.
Today, we’d like to introduce a 3D rendering project in a different way. A way from our professionals’ perspective. If you’re looking for a reliable 3D rendering services team, you may understand what we’re thinking in each of the stages and get yourself prepared to accelerate the whole process. On the other hand, if you’re thinking about working as a 3D specialist in the ArchViz industry, this article may provide you explicit details of each step of a typical 3D rendering process.
Okay, let’s get our 3D rendering process journey started!
Step 1: Understanding the Project
Desert Palisades project is a luxury private villa in Desert Palisades, Palm Springs, California. Our partner Paula was looking for 3D renderings to present this amazing structure. First of all, the whole team including the project manager and relevant 3D artists need to understand the client’s requirement. This includes the client’s aim, the vision, and the purpose of the project.
During this stage, a kick-off meeting is ideal for exchanging files and ideas. Or at least, necessary materials and the client’s vision should be shared through email or other platforms. For this project, the necessary information includes:
The design. Paula shared the Rhino model of the house. At the same time, she sent the CAD plans that helped our 3D artists to gain deeper understanding of the structure.
The landscape plan. Especially for this project, Paula prepared the reference photos for the desert landscaping. This is important for some atypical environment such as desert, seaside, and snow mountain.
The camera angles. Paula was very clear about the camera angles she wanted for this project. In some cases, we’d love to offer some suggestions if our clients do not have any idea of the views.
The materials board. The 3D model had included some materials. Also, Paula shared some images about the textures she wanted for the house.
Also, Paula shared more about the project including:
The site photos. This is because instead of building the surrounding environment, Paula decided to use photomontage for the surroundings. So she took some photos with the same camera angles of the final 3D renders she wanted.
The moods. Aka, the atmosphere for the renderings. In this project, we used photomontage for surrounding context, which meant the moods of the final 3D renderings should be the same or at least similar to the original photos. Paula wanted all three views to be regular daytime.
Step 2: Creating the 3D Model
After collecting all necessary information about the project, our team started the production. The first thing to do is to create the 3D model with the materials received. Because we’ve already received a Rhino model, there was no need to build one. However, the model is not ready to use.
During this stage, our 3D artists fine-tune the model. This includes importing the Rhino model to 3ds Max, sorting the elevations and lines, arranging the included textures, adding details to the 3D model based on the design plans received. The following images shows the comparison of the Rhino model received and the fine-tuned model:
3D model: before vs. after
When we shared the fine-tuned model to Paula, she was excited and she wrote:
“The renders look already very promising. It’s all good in the model except an area that is meant to be cantilevered in V1. The corner should float over the terrain.
I have placed some reference images so that you can see how the landscape and street looks like in that same development for the next phase.”
With the below image shared, Paula was happy with the model and mentioned a couple of minor adjustments to work on. Meanwhile, she sent through some reference images for the landscaping and materials and textures that were extremely helpful.
Step 3: Applying Materials and Textures
The next stages comes to the materials and textures. When working on the materials and textures, our 3D artists will carefully pick the accurate materials in order to show realism. This probably is the determining step. The final images will look realistic only when the materials and textures are right.
To create photorealistic renders, our 3D artists carefully studied the reference images Paula provided, and looking for the most similar and realistic possible materials in our library and the internet. For real estate rendering, or house rendering, we often care about the façade. That is to say, we pay great attention to the presentation of the exterior roofs and walls, our 3D specialists believe that the first impression of a 3D image depends on the overall photoreal materials.
As a result, our 3D team added and adjusted the materials and textures according to the information in the model and Paula’s comments.
Step 4: Setting the Lighting and Post-processing
In the 3D rendering working process, setting the lighting is the final stage. We will determine the lighting to show a better result of the subject. This is a complex process because the light and shadow will change how the architecture looks in total. Moreover, the lighting is able to improve the realism of the rendering.
Different from other projects, this private house rendering project and other projects using photomontage already has the lighting set. The photo used for photomontage has a fixed light and shadow setting, and as a 3D artist team, we need to adjust the lighting of the model exactly the same as the one in the photo.
As to the post-processing, we mainly use Photoshop to apply visual effects based on the whole image to make it more natural and vivid. Of course, the clients may come up with their ideas sometimes. For this luxury villa project, we added some paperback trees and cactus balls in the front of the image and adjust the landscape especially the road to melt the building into the surrounding environment.
Site photo vs. 3D rendering: with the magic of post-processing
Step 5: Final Delivery of High-res 3D Renderings
When the drafts are confirmed, our 3D artists will output the final high-res 4K/5K images. The resolution is subjected to the clients’ need, but usually is 4K or 5K. Actually, our professional project manager will talk about this issue with the clients before the start of the production. So, if you have any special requirements on the resolution, please mention it as earlier as possible. This is because the 3D team need to modify the resolution during the rendering process. It is quite difficult the change to a much larger resolution when the final delivery occurs.
Now, let’s enjoy the final renderings of this beautiful house in the desert.
What do you think about the 3D rendering process for real estate industry? It can be challenging to get a grip on, so hope we’ve made the whole process easy to catch up on. We’ll happy to hear that you get what you want here.
Plus, AIMIR is a creative 3D rendering studio specializing in architectural visualization from 2006. We’re happy to talk with you about ArchViz process if you have any questions or any projects.
