This article aims to shed light on the world of rendering for architects and interior designers. I want to answer questions that I often get asked. As well as help you work out if using 3D visualisations artists is worth it for your team.
What is 3D Visualisation?
The most common use of 3D Visualisation is when a designer sends a 3D artist CAD plans of a project. The 3D artist will turn the CAD plans into a 3D model. From here the 3D model gets materials applied to it and the stage will be set for the image.
The 3D visualiser will then use a render engine to create an image. Photo-realism is the most popular use of 3D rendering but there are many other types of render. Here is a range of styles.
Almost everybody in the design process can benefit from seeing the 3D visualisation. Usually people prefer to see how their new project will look in real life, hence why the photo-realistic render is the most popular. Many clients have a hard time visualising their project from a 2D drawings.
What if I have 3D already?
It is becoming easier to turn your 2D into 3D with software like Sketch Up. 3D is a huge benefit when planning a space. When I receive 3D I deal with adding the last 10% to the images to make them press worthy. I can't emphasise enough how important images are to selling a product. Without emotion-evoking images a potential client is unlikely to buy a product.
Why is it so important?
If a client is buying a £3 million house for example this is not an impulse buy. It is not a disposable item, it is a home where their family plan to spend a part of their lives. If they spend a small percent of the overall cost to confirm that they are getting what they want it becomes a very worth while investment.
You could compare the need for visuals to a label on a wine bottle. If the client has never tasted that bottle of wine before all they have to go on is the label. So you should make your label the best it can be. It is the label that is going to sell the product.
What makes a good image?
Getting the basics right is key, the lighting, composition and realism are important. But one thing that stands out more than anything for me is emotion. What emotions do you want the client to feel?
What do you need to give the artist?
Whatever you have, the more you can give them the better. The plans are pretty key, but I have done whole projects based on a few sketches. Mood boards and materials samples are a massive help.
I recently meet an interior designer that was doing it all, from design, materials, lighting, CAD, marketing and 3D modelling. By outsourcing the rendering they would save time and money. Imagine the interior designer spent 2 weeks 3D modelling and rendering a project. A 3D artist could do that in half the time. Think of the money they would actually save in billable hours.
Any old images will not provoke an emotion let alone sell a dream. Renderings are the representation of your hard work to the world.
If you want to learn how to make your own images in under 90 minutes check out my Udemy course - Quickest Way To Make Photorealistic Images In 3ds Max
