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Best software for modeling and rendering

allarme

Hi guys,

I know the question may sound stupid, but I'm looking to purchase and learn a 3d modeling program and a render. Until now, for my academic works, I've always been using Rhino and Vray (and Photoshop for post-production), but Rhino often crashes since I update to Windows 10, and doesn't work as well as it used. Now i'm going to graduate, and I want to improve my works and start learning how to use a software which is used largely in architectural professional studios, and that could also help me to find a job. Can you please help direct me to a design program that fits my request? 

Sorry for my english!


Regards,

Greg

 
Oct 30, 16 12:27 pm
chigurh

revit and a third party rendering software

Oct 30, 16 1:07 pm  · 
 · 
zonker

Formit, Revit and Dynamo - they all work together - Lumion and V-ray that chigurh may be referring to

Oct 30, 16 4:54 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

Revit + Dynamo + Vray, Rhino + Grasshopper, 3DS MAX +Vray/Corona

Oct 31, 16 4:26 am  · 
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s=r*(theta)

sketchup + maxwell

sketchup + vray

vectorworks + renderworks

Oct 31, 16 2:37 pm  · 
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media-n

I don't understand your issue with Rhino - on windows 10 I have zero problems. Anyways depending on where you go to school software for school and software for a career is different - a lot of large-scale firms that will do rather boring work will probably mainly use Revit and Sketchup... sketchup you can learn in a weekend and Revit you should use for perhaps some coursework in school so you learn it but you shouldn't use it for studio - it would completely be useless. A lot of firms now are looking for Rhino users, 3ds Max and now you see requests for Maya and Cinema4d... don't tie yourself to one software - be flexible in many, Maya, 3ds Max and Cinema 4d are all polygon modeling and you could move between them without much difficulty.... sketchup is just a giant fucking disaster that people use only because it is free and it is easy to do a box in but anything of interest would be very limiting and revit is a great BIM software but its capabilities would be rather irrelevant in a school atmostphere. 

Oct 31, 16 3:15 pm  · 
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nabrU

Whatever works for production and the task at hand?

Saying that a lot of the architects I know rate Modo very highly for modelling.

I started on 3DS Max but switched to Maya 3.0 back when I used to do 3D stuff
(Alias | Wavefront times) as for me it's a lot more intuitive when modeling, QWERTY, Box models and NURBS, when Sub D's were implemented it was great, as was MR for rendering instead of doing fake geodome light rigs to get psuedo GI. Renderman was cool to use at Uni too.

Does anyone use Blender for architecture?

I was actually quite impressed with the UV mapping from Sketchup.

Personally I'm not a fan of VRAY and Max as it's very hard to get the same quality/intent as Maya and Mental Ray/Renderman and a lot of the renders have a certain look.

The most important thing is to approach 3D from a photography/cinematography angle in terms of final renders in my opinion.

Oct 31, 16 8:34 pm  · 
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s=r*(theta)

I guess im confused to the opinion of sketchup being a disaster when some very prominent visualization companies use sketchup in thier workflow. 

In the end play with them all, keep asking questions, till you find one you like and even then keep asking questions

Oct 31, 16 11:01 pm  · 
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nabrU

ahh questions and missing links theta, there's a lot to learn.

Oct 31, 16 11:29 pm  · 
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archietechie

Agree with most replies here except for Revit. It severely limits your abilities as a designer with its inherent rigid workflow. It's more commonly used for CD after importing from another 3D software.

Your next best bet would be 3dsMax/Maya as an industry standard tool for curves/nurbs modelling. Maya now comes with Renderman (Free and excellent) while 3dsMax is compatible with many other workable rendering engines.

With that said, I'm hearing many good things about zBrush's capabilities to model sculptural/fluid shapes (better than rhino), only if you're into that kind of stuff.

Nov 1, 16 12:33 am  · 
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archiwutm8

It doesn't matter that Revit "Limits" your creative  abilities, if you want a job you'll learn and use it. It was never created to be a "creative" or freeflow modelling suite anyhow. Does anyone actually use Maya in architecture? I've seen like 2 offices with 1 guy who uses it for animation but that's really it, otherwise I'd learnt it in a heartbeat.

With Zbrush you don't work with it straight from the get go, you normally model the basic shapes in 3DS max or w/e software you're used to and use it to sculpt in ZBrush.

Nov 1, 16 4:41 am  · 
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archietechie

^ Hence the "...commonly used for CD..." comment. Not my fault you interpreted the way you did.

And considering OP is fresh off of Rhino, Maya seems a good fit (T-splines/nurbs/mesh modelling) whether offices use it or not as long as it achieves the same results. Would you have deterred others from using Rhino just because it wasn't common in the past?

Funny, not what I hear from animators. You CAN start off with Zbrush before rationalizing it in other software but again, that's just what I heard.

Nov 1, 16 6:01 am  · 
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archiwutm8

It does matter actually if offices uses it or not, if you show up with Maya and some guy shows up with 3DS Max, the office only has a license for 3DS Max. Who do they hire?

OP said "start learning how to use a software which is used largely in architectural professional studios, and that could also help me to find a job"

He/She didn't ask about creativity really...so, Revit +Dynamo and Max IMO.

3DS Max/Maya/Sketchup or whatever > Zbrush is the workflow I've seen, not that I've used it intensively.

Nov 1, 16 6:24 am  · 
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archietechie

Again you seem to miss my point.

If it's for CDs, go for Revit.

"He/She didn't ask about creativity really" - Actually he did, inferred from: ("...and I want to improve my works..."). Thus Maya was suggested as he is used to rhino. Besides, he is looking to purchase the software, makes sense to save cost without having to purchase a third party rendering/animation engine.

"if you show up with Maya and some guy shows up with 3DS Max, the office only has a license for 3DS Max. Who do they hire?"

My argument still stands as long as he can demonstrate he is equally capable in his portfolio. Or does your firm not peruse one of those in a design industry? lol

*ZBrush (modelling and texturing) > Maya (rigging & animation)/Cinema4D (animation)

Nov 1, 16 6:43 am  · 
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archiwutm8

Again you missed OP's goals

"OP said "start learning how to use a software which is used largely in architectural professional studios, and that could also help me to find a job"

I get that Maya is good and he'll create nice models/renders. But my point stands, would OP be comfortable learning something and then relearning something else again? why go the long way around when you could kill to birds with one stone.

OP Learn Revit and Max, if you wish later you could do Maya.

Nov 1, 16 7:05 am  · 
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archietechie

I...I give up.

Nov 1, 16 7:09 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

Who cares about renderings and software... learn to design a parapet/roof connection that makes sense and you'll be miles ahead of the rest of those who obsess about shiny images.

Nov 1, 16 8:48 am  · 
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s=r*(theta)

^ agreed, client doesn't care if your are using horse manure and pig fart, long as its on time, in budget, and exceeds expectation's.

but you will always have more value providing day to day basic architecture services than building pretty digital models and life like renderings which is prolly 10-15% of projects.

you will have significant value if you can do both past clients expectations. ;-D

Nov 1, 16 11:54 am  · 
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archiwutm8

^ But it isn't the client who cares in this case, it's prospective employers and by the sounds of it OP is just either graduating or still in academia. Sure OP can know construction details but without the tools he/she'll be against thousands of others who do know both. 

If a designer can't use tools to put his/her creativity on a piece of paper/computer its worthless. The ability to use programs is the same as drawing on a board + paper by today standards.

Nov 1, 16 12:03 pm  · 
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s=r*(theta)

^ however the office lights stay on and the front door stays open determines who cares, last time I looked its clients who write checks, chuh ching!! (unless you work for a starving artist) and in 10yrs of working at 7 diff firms only once has a client asked what modeling software did I use, & that was because he said he started out in architecture when he was in college but didnt continue

all thing equal, roughly 60% of our job is cd's, that said, head to head in a job interview who do you think will win: a person who can bang out shinny pictures or a person who can competently bang out a set of construction documents?

Nov 1, 16 12:54 pm  · 
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gwharton

Use the right tool the for job. What are you trying to accomplish? At which point in your process? Use something that can generate results you like quickly and easily.

We generally use Sketchup + VRay or Lumion in the design phase. Sometimes 3DS Max + VRay. Occasionally we do something more exotic, like UE.

If the design has complex geometry, that will sometimes be done in Rhino + Grasshopper or more rarely Revit Dynamo, then exported to either SKP or Max before rendering. There is a VRay plugin for Rhino, but I don't think we've ever used it.

Later, in DD and CDs, the Revit model will be used as the base for renderings, but it again typically goes into Max +VRay for that.

Nov 1, 16 1:03 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

s=r*(theta) - to be honest lately I've seen more firms want kids who can bang out shiny pictures.

Nov 2, 16 2:36 am  · 
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s=r*(theta)

^ im positive the "kids", as you put it, are not keeping the lights on. and with that said, in the future address me as Mr.Theta or better yet Lord Theta or even better your Highness Theta, or even more better than all that Mr. Lord Highness Theta

you shud have no trouble with that last one, it sounds more shinny ;D

Nov 3, 16 1:16 pm  · 
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