So, you’ve just chosen an architectural visualization provider, but have no idea where to start with. In this article, AIMIR shares our hard-earned experience with you concerning the Dos and Don’ts when dealing with your architectural visualization provider, for those who are struggling with first-time cooperation, or who are thinking about using the provider to their full potential.
1. DO prepare
One of the most effective and fundamental things to get your ideal visualization is preparation. For the first time use, research the provider and check their works and word-of-mouth. And then, the most important part, get your project files organized and ready. For example, you are working with a provider to get a set of 3D renderings for your unbuilt project. It is always the crucial part of cooperation that ALL supporting materials and files of your project are provided timely and accurately. This helps greatly in the working process and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth. Here “accurately” is the key. Please try to avoid a sea of unorganized data and files and incomplete documents. You don’t want a longer delivery date just waiting there while your visualizer is fighting with your messy files.
On top of these, it will be much helpful if you can provide reference images/animations for the mood and atmosphere you like. You’ve seen some fancy images online and you want your project to be created the same type of stunning work. Welcome! Your visualizer is more than happy to see references because it will make the production much easier.
If you think the above are too much work to do, don’t worry, AIMIR has a complete checklist system from the materials you need to prepare and the effect you’d like for final results. Easy to start with.
2. DO know what you want
Before starting a new project, be sure to determine your desired result and make a pact – with yourself and others in your team – not to stray from it. This is vital because AIMIR have experience dealing with clients who seemed confident about what they want in the very first place and suddenly changed their mind out of blue in the middle of production. It muddles the workflow and makes what has been done undone. In this case, your visualizer and you can work together to fix it if the due date is not an issue. It is not reasonable to ask for final delivery within the same timeframe if the design and model are changed in the middle of production.
3. DO feedback
Feedback is an essential tool during architectural visualizing production. It refers to the mark-ups and comments on rendering drafts and feedback during or after the service. There are two key factors when talking about mark-ups and comments on drafts, timely and specific.
Be timely. There will be several rounds when mark-ups and comments are needed. Please try to keep your feedback time within 24 hours after you receive the drafts. And the most important: don’t vanish. We know it sounds funny but it did happen more than once that the clients vanished during the production, and showed up to ask for the final works when the project was about to be delivered.
Be specific. Try to avoid ambiguous comments such as “Wrong.” “I don’t like the color.” “This tree doesn’t look good.” You need to give more specific comments such as “The height is wrong, need to be 5cm higher.”, “Change this color to *color code*.”, “I don’t like the tree, change to palm tree please.”
Also, if you confront any issues or have any concerns, please voice them immediately. In fact, too many people give feedback only when things are going wrong unfortunately. However, positive feedback during or after the production will recognize their strengths and achievements and is beneficial for boosting the team. In the field, AIMIR has a Summary & Survey system. They summarize every project and send a survey to their client to get feedback on the service and product and how to work better in the future.
4. DO listen to others
Yes, you are the architect, you are the designer, but this is still the most important skill that everyone was taught and is trying to master: listening. People love the sound of their own words penetrate the psyche of others. But in some cases, the veteran 3D artists are actually doing a better job than you. It might be a good idea if you listen to them this time. Of course, this rule only applies to some specific circumstances.
5. DON’T be afraid of trying
There might be situations where your architectural visualization provider offers you an idea that they believe better or more suitable. Trust me, they are veterans and they do voice what’s vital. If they say night mood is better than daytime for this rendering, you might just let them make it happen, and then you will see what the night view looks like. You are an expert in designing, and they are experts in visualization. The whole point of this is sometimes you don’t have to stick with your plan. Let professionals do their job.
6. DON’T stay away from communication
You want your visualizer to focus their work on the goals and objectives that you have for the project. But do they know what your plan really is? Have you delivered it precisely and clearly? Communication is incredibly important to any corporation. AIMIR has to say communication can mean the difference between your project’s visualization succeeding or failing. On-time delivery requires the cooperation of both parties. You cannot just give project files to your visualizer and vanish. It is understandable that architects are busy especially during some particular seasons, but if your visualizer asks for a confirmation to proceed, it is decent to reply to your answer quickly, even in a few words.
7. DON’T be repetitive
As an old Asian saying goes: “There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.” People have different feelings and opinions about the same thing. But when you are visualizing a project, it is helpful to have the agreed comments. It doesn’t matter whether you’re working for yourself, or you’re in a team. AIMIR has clients who gave comments on drafts and when they received the modified drafts, others in the team had come up with contradictory comments. Another example is an architect who commented differently on the same drafts. Multiple feedback only leads to repeated modifications and adjustments, which are timing-consuming. It is important to keep your visualizer’s eyes on your goal, the simple and straightforward goal, in order to work effectively with you. AIMIR has an article on how to give comments here.
8. DON’T be disorganized & poor scheduling
Have a schedule. Make the deadline crystal clear in the very first place. In most cases, the production won’t be as smooth as chocolate, things may happen, both you and your visualizer need to have an idea about the due date so that both of you are able to arrange things and prioritize them. AIMIR is trying to avoid unscheduled projects with an out-of-blue rush requirement on final delivery. It is well-known that sufficient time is crucial to high-quality drawings which take time to upgrade details. The same to architectural visualization. For a high-end rendering, it usually takes 6 hours to 24 hours for rendering and post-production. As to animation, the number may double. No one likes rush works since the quality will take a back seat due to insufficient time.
Okay, now you have the Dos and Don’ts in dealing with architectural visualization providers. Some of them are hidden rules that no one will ever tell you. For a reliable 3D architectural visualization provider, you can feel free to contact AIMIR at info@aimircg.com, and AIMIR will assist you on your journey.
As a crucial tool for professionals, 3D rendering software is widely used in different areas including architecture, simulators, movies, video games, automotive design, fashion, and more, and the extensive applications contribute to the prosperity of the software market. However, how to pick a suitable one among these alternative choices? This blog will give general introductions and suggestions about the remarkable 3D rendering software.
Before the introduction, basic knowledge about 3D rendering software is necessary. This is the computer software designed to generate images or videos from a built model. It gives the final appearance to the models and animation with visual effects such as shadows, motion blurs and texture-mapping. Therefore, the result can be viewed on TVs, laptops, and smartphones.
The Free yet Powerful Rendering Software
LuxCoreRender: open-source physically based renderer
Based on state-of-the-art algorithms, LuxCoreRender simulates the flow of light according to physical equations, thus produces realistic images of photographic quality. In addition to its strong capabilities of dealing with the transportation of light, the great universality allows LuxCoreRender to work on any number of CPUs and GPUs. Another merit is that LuxCoreRender can produce all kinds of effects of materials – either the matte of the generic materials or the glossy of glass and metal.
Blender: the generalist in the free rendering software market
Blender has loads of advantages. First of all, with a powerful rendering engine named cycles, it supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation. Secondly, the openness of software allows users to take a page from the resources and materials in the program’s active community. Not to mention it’s beginner-friendly. Equipped with simple tools, the interface of Blender is so intuitive and easy to understand.
The Rendering Software Totally Worth the Price
Iray: recommended for the beginner ($295 per year)
NVIDIA® Iray® is an intuitive physically based rendering technology that generates photorealistic imagery for interactive and batch rendering workflows. Although it is designed for beginners and laymen, Iray’s capabilities is nothing to sneeze at. Equipped with AI denoising, CUDA, NVidia OptiX and Material Definition Language (MDL), Iray is able to generate photorealistic imagery as efficiently as possible. Deep learning is another genius of Iray. The adoption of Tenors Cores on the latest Nvidia hardware allows AI denoising to work effectively. In this way, it accelerates the completion of final pictures and interactive rendering. In addition, Iray is adept at rendering on some special fields such as education, architecture, and entertainment industries rendering, especially for the car.
Arnold: especially suitable for film industry ($45 per month or $360 per year)
Arnold is an advanced Monte Carlo ray tracing renderer built for the demands of feature-length animation and visual effects. The strong compatibility is the first notable aspect of Arnold. A variety of top 3D modeling software such as Maya, Cinema 4D, Katana can run smoothly on it, let alone its great practicalities in the film and TV industry. Based on a fast ray tracing render engine, Arnold is capable of computing light transport in CG scenes efficiently and supporting volumetrics. In this way, Arnold spawns a number of successful works like Gravity and Monster House.
V-Ray: the all-round good rendering software ($745 annually)
V-Ray is a 3D rendering software that is compatible with most major digital content creation applications including Autodesk’s 3ds Max, Maya and Revit, Trimble’s SketchUp, McNeel’s Rhino, and Foundry’s Modo, Nuke, and Katana. As a high-end rendering software, the particular feature of V-Ray lies in its algorithm that includes both CPU and GPU+CPU hybrid rendering options. Besides, featuring the adaptive ray tracing technology and propriety scene intelligence, V-Ray can create the picture extremely resembling a real photograph.
Lumion: the master of architecture and interior rendering ($1,817 for the standard version, $3,636 for Lumion Pro)
Different from the other 3D rendering software, Lumion is especially practical in architecture and interior rendering. It breathes life into the rendering by animating the still images. Designers can review their works in the form of images, videos or 360 panoramas. In addition, designers can find a number of materials including people, lighting, grass, skies, water, plants, cars, and many more things from Lumion’s vast library. Numerous special effects are also provided. Although Lumion runs faster than any other rendering software, its quality should never be underestimated. Lumion’s strong compatibility with CAD software allows users to easily upload the architecture designs to the program. The last but not least, Lumion is easy to operate, which makes it a beginner-friendly rendering software.
Do you want to find out which is the best choice for you and your company? Welcome to contact AIMIR’s experts! You can also read our portfolio and see some examples of our works using those powerful software. We are ready to help you share your vision in your project.
The year 2020 is a year that we are all sure will be remembered forever. We had to learn to deal with unexpected restrictions. Habits that had become cherished and human closeness were suddenly no longer a matter of course. The great news is we have never stopped our clock and continued delivering 3D renderings to the world.
AIMIR has selected the top 10 compelling 3D renderings of 2020. Let’s check them out!
No. 10
Project: Heqi International Financial Square
Location: China
Time: October 2020
Architect: G* Design
This financial square will be the new landmark for the business center of Guangzhou which connects the busy civic areas to the neighboring cultural center. This inspiring building has great sustainability with a deliberately chosen orientation, with a 50 degree shifting to the east-south axis. It is believed in traditional Chinese culture to have a positive effect on the energy balance.
No. 9
Project: Eggerberg Villa
Location: Switzerland
Time: March 2020
Architect: A* Studio
Providing mounting views, this Villa is located in a nice small town in Switzerland. With sunny rooms and an amazing view of the mountains and sunrises, this place surely is a great place to escape.
No. 8
Project: Canada Villa
Location: Canada
Time: March 2020
Architect: S* Architecture
This living space is infused with a natural tone to enhance its modern design. Check the natural textures: wood, marble, black metal, tactile fabrics, which echo with coziness and relaxation. Who doesn’t want to relax on a sofa in such a room?
No. 7
Project: Jinan Stadium
Location: China
Time: April 2020
Architect: C* M* Design
This is a design for the new Jinan Stadium. What makes it different isn’t the 40,000-seat concrete bowl on the inside, but a separate structure that surrounds the concrete and gives more than just character to the venue. Aerial view is always the best choice for stadiums.
No. 6
Project: UK Kindergarten
Location: UK
Time: November 2020
Architect: S* Architecture & Interior
At this kindergarten in the UK, kids make the most of a magical environment designed just for them. Its see-through windows-walls and animal sculptures foster a warm and playful environment. Ambient architectures are simplified and marginalized per the client’s request, to spotlight the kindergarten at a glance.
No. 5
Project: Jetty Fish
Location: Qatar
Time: February 2020
Architect: W*
An art gallery built along the beautiful shoreline becomes the new recreation place. It provides a seamless connection with the river to improve the resiliency of the waterfront and integrate with multiple lines and curves, forming a smooth and breath-taking structure.
No. 4
Project: H+C Office Building
Location: US
Time: February 2020
Architect: S* B*
High above stands the billboard of Audrey Hepburn, which recalls the golden times in Hollywood movies. The major presentation belongs to the office building beside the vintage annex. It has a streamlined framework of French windows, allowing adequate sunlight into the rooms. The mid-platform offers a cozy outdoor lounge for taking their minds off the daily grind when break time hits, perhaps rolling some afternoon tea.
No. 3
Project: Scottish Rite Tower
Location: US
Time: January 2020
Architect: N* M* Architects
This building is a shining beacon of glass and steel, allowing ample sunshine inside. Based on the building’s function, AIMIR chose to highlight its structure with a clear mood and a dusk mood to provide different experiences for the viewer, with an aerial view and an eye-level view.
No. 2
Project: Matthews Avenue Apartment
Location: Australia
Time: May 2020
Architect: N* Architects
The modern electric fireplace and built-in TV in this room make it possible to create an elegant space with art and a wide range of home furnishings. The build-in garden next to the living room is fully sun lighted, providing this home a hint of green.
No. 1
Project: Open (Xin Ou Peng)
Location: China
Time: January 2020
Architect: C* S* Architectural Design & Research Institute
This is an interesting project. Since the client had no clue about the mood at all, AIMIR’s 3D artists recommended a couple of moods based on their experience. The client was so satisfied with these moods and accepted the final image without a second thought. Check this beautiful modern sculpture in two different moods.
That wraps up our Top 10 renderings of 2020! Thank you for coming with us for this trip. For more high-quality 3D renderings, please check our SNS and website.
At last, it’s a rough year for essentially everyone, but it’s also been a year of hope and inspiration – here is to 2021.
It is almost inevitable to have an extra workload when dealing with a project. Things happen. At the same time, it is understandable for AIMIR to charge extra if the workload is much heavier than expected. In this round, AIMIR is extremely cautious because AIMIR doesn’t see this as a purpose but a fine line between clients (no matter regular or new), a guarantee for workflow and production quality, and a respect for all the 3D artists.
AIMIR has posted two blogs on this topic, giving a general idea from various perspectives. The first blog was posted in 2018, analyzing the general situation and listing several cases where an extra charge applies. The second one was posted this year, which is an additional explanation for the first. More professional and detailed classification is created, with quantifiable criteria for extra charges when confronted with various situations. This transparency delivers equality for every client and provides references when there is conflict.
Here, more refined and organized case studies are presented as examples for better understanding.
Scenario A: Model Correction
In all cases, the nightmare is definitely the model correction after rendering and postproduction. AIMIR wants to make it clear that it is totally acceptable for minor revisions after rendering and postproduction, and no extra charge applies. However, if a considerable scale in the model needs revision, which means a brand new image is needed for rendering and postproduction again, AIMIR has to charge extra.
In this case, AIMIR charge 30% – 60% per shot based on the workload.
Scenario B: Camera Angle Correction
Clearly, camera angles count. Please always confirm the camera angles before moving to the next stage. AIMIR is happy with any mark-ups and feedback. However, our client should understand that if the camera angle is changed after rendering and postproduction, the whole image needs re-render and re-post produce, which stands for re-do the image.
In this case, AIMIR put an additional charge of 30% – 80% on each image. In some case of replacing a brand-new image, AIMIR charge 100%.
Scenario C: Mood Correction with same model and camera angle
AIMIR’s 3D artists always hold to the clients’ confirmation of mood. Once the image is rendered with mood, changing the mood is equivalent to re-render the whole image.
In this case, a 60% additional charge applies per shot.
Scenario D: Change of Design
This is a tough one. In the past projects, AIMIR has confronted with two main situations regarding design change after rendering and postproduction.
The first situation is relatively gentle, where the client suddenly wants to change some parts of the model. Since the main model stays the same, as well as camera angle, mood, and landscape, AIMIR charge 50% – 80% per image.
The other situation is quite tricky: the landscape and vegetation are being modified. As one of the most time-consuming processes, the landscape needs plenty of work. In this situation, a new image is to be done.
In this case, AIMIR charge additional 50% – 100% per image.
Those are the four scenarios that leading to extra fees during the rendering process. For better communication and a faster project turnaround, be sure to double-check and confirm the camera angles, mood, model, and landscape. It will make both parties easier since an extra charge applies especially when modification and correction occur after rendering and postproduction. If you want to know more information about 3D rendering, please do not hesitate to contact us.
To get a beautiful 3D rendering for presentation and marketing is essential, but what are the key factors we should bear in mind when checking the image? Here is a shocker: good renderings are not always powerful and expensive. The general judging rules of details, composition, and creativity are a start. There is more to learn when determining if a rendering is worthy of time and cash. Hence, we listed 8 important rules to help you spot a good rendering.
1. Overall impression
Always view a rendering as a whole. A successful 3D rendering causes a reaction in viewers by the overall impression. It’s always eye-pleasing when a rendering is clean and tidy. There is nothing wrong with a simple, straightforward graph, but a well-composed, color-balanced image that keeps evoking emotions in the viewer by building up aesthetics, is usually considered decent.
2. Mood and atmosphere
No matter how many elements a viewer may consider, the mood is always a deciding factor. Various moods are what define the style and creativity a graph displays, and the function of the architecture plays an important role when selecting the mood. Generally speaking, there are commercial & office, residential, cultural architecture, and hospitality. The cooler mood will use in the commercial projects while warm and cozy will incorporate in residential. The mood means a lot when it comes to 3D rendering. Check the mood along with the architecture in the image to see if they are well balanced.
3. Texture quality
Texture quality is an essential factor that whether a powerful visual story has been told. This is quite straightforward. Choosing the proper texture for objects adds an element of authenticity and draws the eye. In addition, texture can contrast with smoother areas, creating a nice harmony. This also has a strong connection with lighting in a rendering. The texture itself can be cleverly revealed or concealed, depending on the color or lighting. For example, the grass is absolutely lighter in color than ambient trees. If it goes the other way round, the trees will look like floating above the grass, which is pseudo kind.
4. Structure
Has the viewer’s attention been directed to a specific point when composing the images? Have any of these factors, such as the balance, contrast, and other art concepts, being considered to make the rendering jump off the page? A decent 3D rendering has a balanced, clear-linear structure, with a center of interest. For instance, a masterplan aerial view pays more attention to the clarity of the surrounding context. Meanwhile, an interior rendering should have a well-organized subject, with a sharp contour of each object.
5. Spatiality
Spatiality does not just mean space. It is about the layers of different objects, leading lines, a focal point, mood and temperature, and properly placed building of field. To engage the viewer, every 3D rendering must have a certain mood. This can be achieved by locating subjects and objects wisely. To create a sense of viewing tension, the focal point should be off-center. And highlight the space by locating the building with the proper distance. Finally, do not forget the temperature that the image is trying to show.
6. Center of interest
It is always important for the viewer to know where the center of the field is. When creating a 3D rendering, notice the visual path that the viewer naturally follows is significant. However, if there are two centers of interest, be more careful about the composition. More center points of the image, more distraction will have. Learn these options to handle this situation better:
Selective focus with the background remaining blurry is an option;
The use of different camera angles – horizontal or vertical.
Find the center of these objects and place the center according to the golden mean.
7. Details
Since the subject matter will be limited, the strength of the rendering will depend on good composition and the strong use of light, color, and mood. Including elements in the rendering often hints about how the subject relates to its surroundings. This can really create different layers and differentiation to the rendering, because it starts to imply reference and narrative, instead of just being about a single building or room.
8. Harmony/Consistency
Harmony of an image is a much-talked-about but an easy-to-neglect subject. A beautiful rendering draws the viewer in and moves the eye through the entire shot. Harmony is definitely not monotony or chaos. It is that perfect pairing of the finest details and over the structure. For a good 3D rendering, an integrated scene with color, lighting, shape, and proportion is well balanced. In all, harmony is ever-present and highly unique in every rendering.
Above are the 8 tips that are useful for weighing up the pros and cons of a 3D rendering. No matter what type of projects you’re working on, the best choice is to partner with a professional CG studio. Fewer concerns and cost-effectiveness. If you want to know more useful tips in regard to 3D rendering, warmly welcome you to contact us.
