How to make a render: hyperreal architecture visuals

Have you ever wondered how to make a render? Many describe this practice as a photorealistic representation of an architectural project, offering a three-dimensional perspective of a space made in a completely virtual way.

Its main objective is to help transmit the vision that the client has, in order to show a more realistic staging.

The process of creating a render is an art. In each of the stages, a fundamental piece is added so that the project that is formed little by little exists with the highest quality.

How to make a render part by part

The stages of a render can be summarized in 5 steps:

Modeling → Materials → Scene → Rendering → Postproduction

Here we explain them all:

Modeling

The process for preparing a render begins with the modeling stage, where a geometric model is created based on polygons that represents the structure of the 3D model.

Materials

At this stage, materials also known as “maps” are applied, covering the different faces of the geometry with images, which you can rotate, scale and edit to your liking in order to show the different finishes, materials, textures, colors and effects.

Scene

When talking about the scene, we mean everything involved with lighting and atmosphere. There are several types of lights and lighting techniques which you can control and regulate.

The quality of the latter depends a lot on the rendering engine you use.

Rendering

Once the parameters of the scene are defined, we can start rendering to a fixed image. We also have the option of a sequence of images that, through to the texture and materials of the model, lighting calculations and others, a final render is achieved as a result.

Postproduction

This stage is not mandatory, but it is recommended to optimize the image, since taking the final render to an image editor can create effects and correct aspects such as contrast, lens effects, exposure, materials, reflections. Altogether, this makes for a good photograph.

Tools for rendering

3D modeling software

Models are created with these programs.

  • Autodesk 3DS Max
  • Sketchup
  • Maya
  • Blender
  • And a long etcetera

Remember that it is also important to create an environment and context that resembles reality, because that way the resulting image is more convincing.

Render engine

These programs calculate how light bounces in 3D geometry.

  • V-Ray
  • Octane
  • Lumion
  • Arnold
  • And more

Postproduction

Among the programs that may be needed for the post-production stage, in order to get more out of the images, there is a very popular and widely used one: Adobe Photoshop.

In addition, there are its alternatives, such as Affinity Photo or GIMP.

Each professional uses the program that suits them best or the one they like the most. If you don’t know of any, don’t be afraid to try each one of them until you find the one that works best for you.

Renders as a real estate marketing strategy

Most of the real estate companies use renders as a marketing strategy to captivate the client, putting images of how their project will look in their advertising.

This is very useful, since hyper-realistic renderings create an authentic vision that creates a sense of security and reliability to the client.

Due to the rendering process, the companies that are in charge of interior design projects have the possibility of commercializing the properties before carrying out their construction, so they need these to create a greater impression of what the project will be.

3D tours are a parallel solution to renders, through which you can see the perspective of the space in video form as if you were really there.

It is a great advantage to have high quality visualization of what the project will look like, either only in images or also in videos. The point has come where it’s basically a necessity.

Thanks to these tools, attractive advertising material can be generated that inspires true emotions in the audience and allows them to visualize themselves in a true experience within the project.

The image you offer to your client, many times, is everything. Generating clear and attractive visualizations allows your prospects to understand the project to fall in love with it, convincing them towards the sale.

Leave a Reply