Realistic Renderings ??.... help the newbie, plz

[Plani_Choix_Mike 0]

I'm attempting to create 3D rendering with renderworks/landmark for the purpose of promotional brochures for a residential developer. I see many excellent quality photos with smooth surfaces, detailed and extensive vegetation, perfect angles etc... said to have been created with vectorworks. How can I create renderings that compete with those on other developers websites? What are they using or doing that I'm not? Am I missing a type of render mode? Do they use a different rendering software?

If anyone creates renderings regularly, can you please give me some hints/tips to get these picture-perfect models as seen on the net?

If photoshop is the key, which filters are used? If another software is used for those finishing touches, which is it?

Lastly, we recently ordered Landmark assuming it would contain all the types of vegetation seen in the gallery models and case study articles but all we can find are trees and more trees. Where can we find; shrubs, flowers, small bushes, for example, small plants to be used in a flowerbed. Do these not come with landmark? Where are these 1200 types of flora discussed on the website?

Thank you for your time and help, please send me towards the light !

[Gytis 9]

Ummm...I'm sure it's not an answer you wish to hear, but a good rendering is not something created with a few clicks out of the box, but with the distillation of experience. It is a skill unto itself, and if you are in a time crunch, you might wish to outsource.

If you have time, it takes training and trial and error. RW is plenty capable, you just may want to develop your library of quality textures and image props. There are Help Files, Traning CDs, many threads in this forum, etc., to help learn.

I don't use plants, so some one else will have to help you there.

[Christiaan 760]

Ummm...I'm sure it's not an answer you wish to hear, but a good rendering is not something created with a few clicks out of the box

Indeed. For that you'll want to use Artlantis instead:

http://www.artlantis.com/

[Kaare Baekgaard 25]

>Indeed. For that you'll want to use Artlantis instead:<

No you won't... Renderworks can do the job and Artlantis is for geeks ;-)

With the new HDRI capabilities of Renderworks lighting the scene has actually transformed fram an artform into something that anyone can do. Buy a decent HDRI skydome. Load it into the scene and delete all directional lights. Play around with the parameters of the HDRI texture and render the scene a few times to get it right. Thats all.

For vegetation you will need to use image props. A good place to get those is at the homesites of artificial plant manufacturers or resellers. There are at least a dozen of these on the net, that have neat pictures in a decent resolution with neutral backgrounds, that can be made invisible when creating the imageprops.

You still need to train, but it has become a lot easier.

[Christiaan 760]

No you won't... Renderworks can do the job and Artlantis is for geeks ;-)

Renderworks may be able to "do the job," but not in a few clicks, which was my point. Quality renders with a "few clicks" is something Artlantis excels at. So it's a little strange to suggest Artlantis is for geeks, when Renderworks is the one you need all the training for.

I use both Renderworks and Artlantis on a near daily basis and I don't consider Renderworks to be a competing piece of software; I just use them for different things, and realistic renders in a few clicks is not a job for Renderworks.

You still need to train, but it has become a lot easier.

And you don't need to "train" to produce work with Artlantis. Once you learn how to operate the interface (a 10 minute lesson), you can get on with making quality renders at the click of a few buttons.

[Plani_Choix_Mike 0]

Thanks a bunch boys. I'm glad to see some responses to my ridiculous questions. Is it possible to elaborate on the HDRI Skydome, the importing of objects i.e. plants and trees (do i need to clean them up in photoshop), the correct filters or positioning used in vectorworks.

I'm really dissapointed in the plants offered in Landmark, I feel that there is not enough selection of flowers (only 1 available that I can find) and the trees look awful repetative.

If you get a chance, go to these links and get an idea of my target. Its too bad I cant attach my lastest rendering to show you where I'm at.

http://www.grilli.qc.ca/Le_Brunello/le_brunello.html

http://www.illustra.com/

Thanks again guys, please keep sending me hints and tips, but remember I'm new at this. Urban planner by trade, temporarily rendering...

[CipesDesign 129]

Try the trees in the "Objects-X frog" folder. They are organized by genus/species and even though not every tree is here, there are lots of good ones. As for smaller plants (like flower beds), there are some decent ones in the "Textures_nature" folder. To use them you must first create a 3d form to which they can be applied. The shape of this form (or the form of this shape?) needs to be irregular, like a real flower bed, for it to look good when rendered. HTH's

[Plani_Choix_Mike 0]

Thanks again for your help. I've been using the Object-X Frog Library but I'm still disappointed that I cannot find or there has not been any small shrubs or flowers included.

I've also found the nature folder and it includes 2 2d flower beds which are pratically the same image. I've applied this to a extruded object and it still doesnt give me what I'm looking for. I need something with substance, not a flat texture.

Also, I've tried added or creating my own image prop of a 'rock' which i found a jpg of on the net. I've cleaned up the surroundings in PS and have now imported it into VW but I have a squared grey background surrounding it. How can I bring in this object without that background? Is this a masking problem, because I've tried to mask it but it only lets me mask the object itself and not its surroundings. Does it need to be cleaned up more in PS or is there a way to create the 'rock' jpg without that grey background box?

Thanks and keep em coming!

[Plani_Choix_Mike 0]

(Too bad I only found heard about this site yesterday) While I'm being such a nuissance... got another question (and I'm sure there's several more to follow), I'd like to bring in exterior light fixture, (lighting itself is not important) to give the home some detail and personality, are there any in the library... I've searched and cannot find. If not and if possible, can I bring those into VW as a prop? but will they turn with the camera and once again how to I clean up the boarder surrounding the fixture jpg that I borrowed off Google image?

Thx

[G_Hannigan 0]

As a first step in creating image props, I would suggest reading this section of the VW Help file:

Contents:

VW Fundamentals:

Creating and Mapping Textures:

Creating Image Prop Objects

George

[grant_PD 230]

Image props are a good key to adding "life" to your renderings. I would also not discount the marriage of all rendering programs and photoshop. While outside architectural renderings are not my forte, I'd be willing to be that there is some degree of Post work in those renderings as well.

[Kaare Baekgaard 25]

Christiaan: Sorry for the 'geek' label... it was a cheap joke.

But with the new HDRI capability of Renderworks, I must disagree. Renderworks is extremely easy to use. And while it still lacks the sophistication of other rendering platforms, it has caught up tremendously. I do not do a great many exteriors in my line of work, but here is an example of a small solar cell lamp:

http://homepage.mac.com/kaarebaekgaard/.Pictures/Solarlamp.jpg

The deal is, that there is absolutely no lighting of this scene - lighting and reflections comes only from the HDRI map. How hard can that be?

[Christiaan 760]

Have you used Artlantis Kaare?

[Kaare Baekgaard 25]

Only the demo - and it was a few years ago. Never got past confusion, Christiaan.

[Christiaan 760]

Well things a moved on a little since then.

I think Artlantis is so fast and easy because it's designed entirely around the rendering process, whereas Renderworks has to fit into the CAD/modelling paradigm. There is really no comparison when it comes to ease of use and speed.

I'm going to do some more controlled experiments now that 12.5 is out and I'll let you know how things go.

[islandmon 4]

I'm going to do some more controlled experiments now that 12.5 is out and I'll let you know how things go.

This comment qualifies as full-blown "Geek" ; )

[Christiaan 760]

Haha, yeah, I may be a geek, but that doesn't mean Artlantis is for geeks!

[APE Design Ctr 0]

Kaare,

I have to admit, that is pretty impressive. Is that an image map on the lamp, or are the textures done in VW?

[Christiaan 760]

By the way Kaare. Maybe you'd like to send me the Vectorworks file for the above image and I can export to Artlantis to compare?

[G_Hannigan 0]

Here's a C4D model & render sample:

http://www.home.earthlink.net/imagelib/s...owing%20Machine

This is a VW file exported to C4D, rendered in C4D:

http://www.home.earthlink.net/imagelib/s...mp;target=_self

George

Edited October 4, 2006 by George Hannigan

[Ray Libby 1]

Another Renderworks example:

http://www.raylibby.net/vwdump/library_3d.jpg

[APE Design Ctr 0]

Wow guys, pretty impressive. Ray - how did you do all your trim profiles, just a profile and extrude along path?

[Christiaan 760]

Can you post the VW file Ray, so I can compare with Artlantis?

[Danielj1 0]

Here's a quick collaborative effort between Julian Carr and I, an experiment in lighting actually. Custom radiosity with a weakened directional light.\:

http://www.practical-architect.com/courtyard.jpg

Dan Jansenson

http://podcad.tv/podcad/home.html

VectorWorks audio podcast

[Danielj1 0]

Forgot to post the info:

MacbookPro and Macbook, VectorWorks/RenderWorks 12.5

OS X 10.4.6

Dan J.