What is 3D modeling? When talking about it, someone may still raise this question even though there are many 3D modeling products all around and people benefit from such a technology in daily life. This article will refer to what 3D modeling is, what it is used for, and how it works, which will help with learning about this technology.
What is 3D Modeling?
To start with, 3D is short for three-dimensional, which is three-dimensional graphics. Applied in computer graphics, 3D modeling is a kind of technology to produce 3D digital representations of any object or surface. Generally speaking, it is to use 3D production software to create a model with 3D data through virtual 3D space.
How does 3D Modeling Work?
In the virtual space, some dots called vertices are manipulated to link each other in a polygon shape(usually a triangle or a quadrilateral) and form a mesh, the core of the 3D model, which acts as the object surface and can be changed by adjusting the position of vertices. Every vertex has its coordinate data so the location of each vertical and horizontal point can be identified by the software.
With these vertices, artists are enabled to create their various works. When the works are displayed on the computer screen, the different gray levels of color make the human eye produce a visual illusion, and the 2D computer screen is perceived as a 3D image looking realistic.
What is 3D Modeling Used for?
Maybe we don’t realize it, but 3D modeling is used in many industries, and it is also a dependency for many practitioners in creative careers, such as architects, game designers and animators. The following part will introduce several common uses of 3D modeling.
Architecture
It’s very common to apply 3D modeling in architecture. Both outdoor design and interior design are inseparable from it. 3D renderings produced through modeling can be displayed to convey design concepts and ideas in great detail, enabling stakeholders to foresee the architecture work. In addition, potential problems can be easily seen, which is conducive to the refinement of the whole project.
Game design
3D modeling is widely applied in game development, so there are 3D games that many people are familiar with, like World Warcraft and Heroes of the Storm. It creates characters, props, scenes, basic terrain, and so on, which realizes a vivid and realistic world for players. Building immersive experiences, 3D games succeed in engaging players and thriving.
3D printing
Another popular application for 3D modeling is 3D printing, ranging from the auto industry to the medical field. For sure, the scope of its application will be wider and wider in the future. Differentiating from general printing, 3D printing use metals, ceramics, plastics and other materials instead of ink and paper to turn 3D models into physical objects.
Entertainment
The entertainment industry, such as animated films and television shows, is booming today thanks to the development of 3D modeling. At the same time, it is also used in special effects in advertising and other fields, benefiting from its eye-catching effect.
Product design
Nowadays there are lots of products involving 3D modeling for the reason that the adoption of it in product design enables designers to pinpoint errors in time and correct them accordingly, reducing the waste of time, manpower and money before the production process. Furthermore, it will have a good effect on presentations to customers or investors, who can envision the product directly.
Types of 3D Modeling Software
Since 3D modeling can achieve such powerful and diverse functions, there must be a variety of 3D software technical support for different purposes. Some excellent software is listed below.
Blender
Blender is a free, open-source 3D modeling software offering a range of animation solutions from modeling, animation, textures, and rendering, to audio processing, video editing, and more. It has to be said that it is a great choice for 3D modeling.
AutoCAD
As an automatic computer-aided design software, AutoCAD can be used to draw 2D drawings and basic 3D designs. With a wide range of adaptability, it can be run on microcomputers and workstations supported by a variety of operating systems. It is especially popular among architects and engineers.
Autodesk Maya
Well-known as the world’s top 3D animation software, Autodesk Maya has an excellent reputation and a high price tag because it features perfect functions, flexible work, extremely high production efficiency and realistic rendering. It’s applied in professional film and television advertising, character animation, special effects, and so on.
If anyone is wondering whether 3D modeling is worth learning, the answer is yes. Because of the continuous development of 3D technology and increasing popularity, the future market has unlimited potential among many industries. Architectural designers, video game designers and animators are all available careers if you master 3D modeling. It will create many career opportunities as long as you commit to learning it.
If you want to do learn more about 3D modeling, check the case studies on our website. They introduce the process of 3D modeling and 3D rendering thoroughly. For instance, a house in California with explicit 3D modeling process. At the same time, the internet is a good teacher because it boasts free software and readily available resources for learning. After picking up the basics and getting familiar with the software, it’s feasible for you to start your own modeling.
Conclusion
3D modeling plays an increasingly important role in the production and people’s life, and its development prospect is not to be underestimated. Hopefully, this article has helped with learning about it and stimulating the motivation to learn.
AIMIR performs professionally in providing 3D rendering services, showing its superb 3D modeling technology. We are always ready to help with creating impressive architectural renderings if you need them. Please do not hesitate to contact us!
As our annual tradition, AIMIR recaps some of the best architectural visualization projects completed in 2022 that have won applause of our audiences on various platforms. These data are collected from our website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Behance, Twitter and other platforms.
In 2022, AIMIR has delivered more than 500 projects to our clients and partners across the globe. Some of them remain confidential (due to the signed NDA), but some other projects are already loved by our audience or ready to be loved.
Therefore, from luxury houses to commercial towers, here are 10 architectural visualization stories from 2022 (and don’t miss the bonus project at the end):
Not far from the Athens Riviera, nestled within a private cove of sparkling water and majestic palms, O Resort & Beach Club is a magical haven of exquisite natural beauty and superlative luxury. A Hotel and Residences Club created by extraordinary imagination and existing to offer degrees of excellence which defy convention. As a powerful tool for traveling industry, our 3D renderings create the full story for this Resort & Beach Club in Greece, to spark dreams of relaxing in this getaway destination.
We are proud to create not only 3D renderings but also 3D floor plan of the luxury vacation place. Our visuals show the different faces of the site, providing a glimpse into the masterplan as well as the close-up view of the accommodation.
Miami Station Tower is a 39-story building that includes 309 apartments, over 200,000 square feet office space, 8,508 square feet commercial space, and 510 parking spaces. This is a project that involved different phases from 2019 to 2021, and the plan was submitted to the Urban Development Review Board earlier in 2022. It is one of the best advantages of 3D rendering that the design can be changed over time before it’s actually built.
Our visuals add inevitable impact to the demonstration of the tower. During each stage of the project, we use realistic materials, textures, and lighting to create the scenes where all viewers are astonished at first sight.
The latest proposal “Butterfly House” is listed in Beverly Hills, California, for $45 million. Having majestic views of Downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean, this megamansion is inspired by the wings of birds and butterflies. AIMIR’s 3D exterior renderings help present the design of the structure, especially the wing-shape ceilings, the relocated swimming pool and extreme large terrace on the main floor. Meanwhile, in the interior rendering, our 3D artists emphasize the furniture layout and selection by creating a unique and welcoming atmosphere.
Situated on the outskirts of CBD of Bratislava, Slovakia, this 3D animation unveils the true face of the new development project of a mixed-use. Our client wanted to use this fly-through to persuade the municipality and public that the overall idea and entire concept is the right one. Thus, in this architectural 3D animation, we need to show briefly what they are going to build especially the bigger multifunctional hall and public spaces.
This project is a luxury private villa in Desert Palisades, Palm Springs, California. The architect was looking for 3D images to showcase key effects and demonstrate the design details of the structure before it’s built. To support their intention and at the same time develop the design stage of the project, we created these persuasive 3D exterior renderings.
From building the 3D model from CAD plans to the final processing of the scene, our 3D team dedicated to giving life to this house by adding explicit details.
MVRDV’s renovation plan for Shenzhen Women & Children’s Center set an important precedent for repurposing buildings for Shenzhen. Situated in Futian district, the 100-meter-tall tower will see a “great wave of adaptive reuse”. MVRDV smartly adds a grid of multi-colored exterior frames to the building that dramatically increases the façade’s depth. This new building includes a library, a theater and discovery hall, an exhibition hall, a family service hall, and other supporting facilities such as offices and hotels.
To support our client’s vision, we created this image highlighting the accessible and distinctly women-and-children-friendly character of the design. The vibrant façade of the podium and part of the tower manifest its functionality for certain group of citizens.
This is a 31-story mixed-use tower planned for Tampa’s northwest section of the Downtown area. Towering over Downtown Tampa and the Hillsborough River, AER is equipped with 334 residential units, 11,629 square feet of retail spaces on the ground floor, and 514 parking lots. This building is postmodern in style. Floor to ceiling glass windows and vertical rows of stacked balconies connect the façade of the skyscraper, which is covered in smooth stucco. And the tower stands out from the nearby structures thanks to the parapet wall at the top.
For the interior views, we build from the scratch based on hand sketches. Our 3D renderings show various faces of the structure, providing a glimpse into what it’s like to live and work in this mixed-use.
Located in Rancate, Switzerland, this structure is a two-story apartment building bearing a modern style with a roof floor and an underground floor. In our 3D renderings, not only the exterior of the residence is demonstrated in various views, we also arranged different stories that show how the SPA, pool area, parking space, and interiors accommodate the needs for its future dwellers.
This residence in Switzerland bears a modern style. In our 3D renderings, not only the exterior of the residence is demonstrated in various views, we also arranged different stories that show how the SPA, pool area, parking space, and interiors accommodate the needs for its users.
This mixed-use redevelopment in New York, USA is a 172-foot tall building with 17 floors, featuring retail shops and office spaces. The existing building is an 11-floor structure and the new “over build” 12 to 17 floors are the main part to demonstrate in this rendering project. Our 3D renderings are a vibrantpresentation of this project including the exterior, lobby, retail and terrace spaces.
Speaking of top projects in 2022, we’ll never miss 710 Edge project in Miami! With its unique fluid curves and its distinctive exoskeleton exterior, 710 Edge serves as a beacon for both residents and visitors. It is a 55-story ultra-luxury mixed-use for local community. Probably you can tell the uniqueness of its exterior, the development team is one of the developers of Miami’s iconic One Thousand Museum designed by Zaha Hadid.
AIMIR is lucky to have the chance to demonstrate this stunning project with our 3D renderings! And more important thing is, the project is still under design phase and we’re working with the architect team to more renderings of updated plan.
Come as a bonus project among the Top 10 in 2022, this project was actually completed in 2018. The reason why we list it here is that the project is finally granted to publish in 2022.
As a proposal for a parking garage and retail, the architect proposed five plans, and each of them are demonstrated with two renderings, a front view and a back view. In six days, we created 10 images for this project, so that our client was able to present at the meeting.
These wraps up the best 10 ArchViz projects from 2022. From exterior to interior, residential to commercial, image to animation, we are always on our way to deliver the best 3D rendering services to the world.
We’ve packed this special day full of healthy hugs and best wishes just for you! Thank you for your continuous trust and efforts. We hope to move forward, create gorgeous projects, and set new goals together with you in 2023!
We wish you a safe and joyous Christmas and Happy New Year! AIMIR is having a three-day holiday from 31 Dec to 2 Jan 2023. If you have any inquiries please feel free to contact us at info@aimircg.com, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours!
It’s known to all that 3D visualization and rendering is now a necessary tool in any architectural project in the highly competitive construction industry. It plays an important role in both demonstrating the design and facilitating communication with clients. Thanks to its outstanding advantages, it has simply become a driving force for architectural design and marketing. Therefore, choosing the right type of 3D visualization really matters for architects and designers. Talking about 3D rendering genres, it is generally divided into two types: realistic and artistic 3D visualization. Which is better? More exactly, which is suitable for your project? This article will talk about this question.
Realistic vs. Artistic Rendering
Before comparing advantages and disadvantages, we should address the ambiguity when it comes to the two terms. In the ArchViz industry, realistic and artistic 3D visualization are also technically called photorealistic and non-photorealistic 3D rendering techniques.
On the one hand, realistic 3D visualization or photo-realistic technique focuses on making rendering images look like reality as much as possible through adjusting textures, lighting, shadows, and so on. That is to say, it doesn’t require much artistic creation. Instead, it requires 3D artists to find ways to make the buildings or other designs appear exactly how they would look in real life. This visualization presents the successful simulation of the physics of something.
On the other hand, artistic 3D visualization or non-photorealistic technique is based on the photorealistic one. Also, 3D artists are given the freedom to create arts, making their works look like what they should be. Such renderings can involve the inner structure of architecture and create a stylized environment in which collaboration and appreciation can occur while artistic 3D visualization is unable to achieve, being impressive at the same time. A good example of this kind of visualization is the exploded view drawing.
Photorealistic 3D Visualization
Realistic 3D visualization shows its advantages in displaying architects’ realistic expectations of a project. If the images are vivid and realistic enough, the concepts and ideas conveyed will be crystal clear. In that case, it’s helpful to avoid vague feedback or even misunderstandings in communication. Furthermore, when artists succeed in seamlessly blending the basic disciplines of photography and CGI, the works would be undoubtedly impressive.
However, it cannot be denied that realistic 3D visualization is unable to effectively communicate some things, such as the internal components of objects or buildings.
Artistic 3D Visualization
This is why artistic 3D visualization comes into use. As mentioned above, the exploded view is a kind of such visualization and an important function in 3D visualization software. Different from what objects look like in real life, the view drawing showcases various parts and components separated at a certain distance, which enables clients to see the relationships between the parts and understand the order of assembly. In the construction industry, non-photorealistic 3D rendering is used for the internal components of the building system and its electrical and plumbing drawings. It anticipates what the final look of a project should be, showing its important role.
So, Which is Better?
For sure, there are more pros and cons of realistic and artistic 3D visualization, but this article won’t go into much details. It has become clear that these two visualizations are really apples and oranges. In other words, they are different things. In any case, the question of which is better doesn’t have an infallible answer, as a mathematical question does. Obviously, it depends on the circumstance. Therefore, this question comes down to preference and necessity.
Certain parts of a project will always require a specific technology to implement because of different advantages and capabilities. So with that in mind, 3D artists can decide which visualization to use for certain parts. That is the necessity. And then in addition to technical applicability, artists have to take clients’ suggestions into account when choosing which visualizations to use during the project. Through adequate communication, artists should understand the client’s preferences and expectations and facilitate collaboration between the architect and the client at the same time, so that they can fine-tune the project. After all, the architect and the client are the ones who finally make a decision and have to fund the project.
Conclusion
Actually, it’s better to combine realistic and artistic 3D visualization. An architectural project generally involves many complex parts. Applying various visualizations helps with refining a project and gaining clients’ favor, so it’s quite essential for 3D artists to have an open mind and get their act together. In the long run, presenting excellent 3D visualizations is the most fundamental way for a 3D artist or even a 3D architecture studio to gain a foothold in an increasingly competitive industry. Anyway, don’t be left behind.
This article simply analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of realistic and artistic 3D visualization as well as the answer to the question of which is better. No matter which visualization we use, we are devoted to satisfy our clients’ need, no matter you are an architect, interior designer, real estate agent, constructor. As a studio with 16 years of experience, we are able to provide professional 3D interior services, 3D exterior services, architectural 3D animation services, and 360 virtual tour services. When you would like to partner with us, we’re glad to help you create impressive architectural renderings to get your project recognized.
Professionals from architecture, construction and real estate industries never hesitate on using architectural 3D rendering services to sell their designs. Given the promising results, 3D renders are able to escalate the presentation and then boost the sales. In fact, 3D rendering can show various aspects of an architecture such as the exterior, interior
In this blog, we’d like to introduce an amazing architecture: a residential building in Rancate, Switzerland. It is a two-story apartment building bearing a modern style with a roof floor and an underground floor. In our 3D renderings, not only the exterior of the residence is demonstrated in various views, we also arranged different stories that show how the SPA, pool area, parking space, and interiors accommodate the needs for its future dwellers.
Based in Milan, Italy, ASArchitectti is an architectural design studio that pays attention to sustainability and human living. Alessandro was looking for top quality 3D images for his design. Now, let’s explore the story behind this apartment together!
Before the Start: Briefing
Located in the center of a residential community in Rancate, Switzerland, Rancate Residential will be a modern space for locals to embrace the nature while enjoying high-standard living. We at AIMIR had assembled a team with a project manager and a small group of 3D artists to take care of this project specially. We do this all the time, that means each project, no matter small or large scale, has a special team and one-on-one service. This is to guarantee the quality of the final works and the delivery time.
Back to the first step, our professional project manager had a short kick-off meeting with Alessandro. During the meeting, we’ve figured out the vision of this project, and what materials and information he could provide at this stage. Also, we’ve clarified our 3D rendering process and how it worked. After the meeting, we’ve sorted the files Alessandro provided, they are:
The location and site photos. The precise location help us understand the surrounding context, and the site photos are used for composing the background of the final image.
The design. This time, Alessandro brought us the CAD plans. As a standard stage, our 3D artists would build 3D models based on these plans.
The material and texture references. These references are important because they clearly indicates the texture and material for each objects and surfaces. In the CAD plans, Alessandro had included the materials for the exterior of the building.
The camera angles, aka the views. Alessandro shared the camera angles he wanted for this project. Apart from some exteriors and interiors, he also wanted some simple 2D floor plans to help his client understand the design easily.
The furniture selection and layout plan. The furniture in each room is carefully selected.
The moods. Usually, the mood is a key factor determining the overall mood of a 3D rendering. For this project, we used photomontage that composed the 3D model of the building with the actual site photos. In this way, the moods of the final rendering are the same with the photos.
When everything was ready, we started with building the models for exterior and interior separately.
3D Exterior Rendering Services
Step 1: Building the 3D Model
The next step was to create the 3D model for exterior. Based on the CAD plans, our 3D artists built the 3D model from scratch. At AIMIR, we usually use 3ds Max for model processing.
During the 3D modeling process, Alessandro’s team changed a bit of the design including balcony and terrace details, U elements on the fronts and the elevator tower. When we received the updated CAD drawings, we modified the 3D model based on them. The final 3D model is like this:
As to the landscape, the garden area plan we’ve received was very clear. We used it as references when building the model. Meanwhile, the vegetation plan was very helpful when selecting plants for the renderings.
Step 2: Adding Materials, Textures, Lighting and Post-production
After the 3D model is finished and confirmed, the next stage came to the material and texture application. This is the crucial part because the realism of the final images depends on the quality of materials and textures.
In order to create the best and most realistic scene, our 3D artists strictly follow the references Alessandro provided. After looking for the same or most similar materials, we adjusted the lighting based on the mood of the photo. This was to guarantee the consistency of the image. At the same time, we added some people that were involved in the activities to enhance the living atmosphere.
When Alessandro received the color drafts, he marked up some of the minor things that to be adjusted. Below are the marked-up version and updated final image of one of the exterior views.
Step 3: Small Adjustments and Final Delivery
As stated in the previous step, we made some small adjustments to each image, and the final images were done after that! There are three exterior views in total, each of them showcases the residential building under different time of a day. Please enjoy the final exterior renderings:
The truth is we carried out the production of interior renderings at the same time with the exterior ones. The reason why we separate the process of them is to make the process more clear.
3D Interior Rendering Process
The same with exteriors, our 3D specialists built the interior models according to the CAD plans. During this stage, we arranged the furniture in the position as the references. After the model is confirmed, realistic materials and textures were added. Then the lighting was set to bake the mood of the interior space. After some tiny modifications in the post-process, the images were ready to deliver!
We have created four interior renderings for this apartment which are two living rooms, a parking level, and a SPA space.
2D or 3D floor plan is the simplest way to show the layout and dimensions of each room for architects, interior designer, real estate agents and developers. 3D floor plan is vivid and realistic but this time, Alessandro only needed 2D floor plans for simple explanation.
This is a both time- and cost-saving process. Please check the 2D plans for this apartment.
Conclusion
Do you like these renderings for this unique apartment in Switzerland? No matter you’re an architect, interior designer, real estate professional, or you’re thinking of taking 3D rendering as a career, we hope this blog has clearly introduced the exterior and interior 3D rendering process as well as the 2D floor plans.
Talk to us today about your exciting project and see how we going to bring it to life with magic hands!
