Creating 3D visualizations and renders is not an easy thing to do. Of course, a lot of people can do this, but can they do it properly? This is the real question. The reality is that technology has made things easier in the architecture world.

Today, you can use various software solutions and digitally create amazing visualizations that can offer many benefits to both clients and stakeholders. However, technology has also made things more difficult as it has raised standards for 3D visualizations. Everyone involved wants to be given the best possible visualization.

Architects can see their work presented in a clear and precise way and make appropriate changes, contractors, and clients can see how their future home will look like firsthand. Today, we are going to talk about certain essentials you need to keep in mind when doing visualizations to bring them up to the current standards.

1. A high level of detail is a must

The point of renders and visualizations is to look as realistic as possible. This means that a lot of time must be put into adding details. First of all, after finishing the general visualization of the architectural project, you need to add other elements that will make the whole thing even more convincing.

This includes people, vehicles, animals, and other elements that are not really relevant to the project but make it more convincing. However, this is not where it ends. You also need to pay attention to tiny details within models, including furniture, home appliances, windows, bricks, facial expressions, trees, branches, weather conditions, and many other details.

Try to think of the details that can further showcase the functionalities and practicalities of the project. Try to emphasize elements which have interactivity and make them stand out through details that could bring the whole visualization closer to reality.

2. You need to think about shadows and lighting

The lack of or excessive amounts of shadows and lights in 3D visualizations are the things that make them look very artificial and plastic. When there is insufficient light, viewers will have a hard time seeing what you are trying to show them. In case there’s too much light, all the details will be lost and all that effort you’ve put into adding them will have been in vain.

Because of this, you need to take care of lighting and shadows to ensure that there is more depth as well as a perspective for the viewer to immerse themselves into. On top of that, quality lighting can make 3D renders more focused, as they can highlight the important parts of a certain project and tell viewers where to look.

Many designers use vignetting, a technique that changes saturation, contrast, and brightness on the edges of the screen or images to focus the attention of viewers on what is in the center. When done properly, the people looking at the visualization don’t even notice the darker edges.

3. Add nature around the project

Many people will say that nature is obsolete within architectural projects. However, the surrounding scenery can greatly improve the realness of the render. Still, even though this sounds simple, creating nature around the project can be very demanding. You will have to add dozens of trees, plants, sky, sun, clouds, bushes, and so on.

This takes a lot of time and makes the render larger and more difficult to process. This means that if you are working on a slow device, it might take more time to actually finish the render. A lot of designers don’t practice doing this and they end up having really poor skills for building the surroundings of the project.

This is a must, no matter how much of a nuisance it seems, it means a lot to the clients for whom the project is done. They can have a better overview of the whole area and be able to visualize it better.

4. The view needs to be naturally consistent

3D visualizations have come so far that today they have to look like a short movie that will show people what a certain architecture project will look like when finished. They have countless 3D model combinations which allow viewers to look at through various angles.

This kind of camera-based overview makes the visualization more realistic and immersive. A lot of designers focus on creating great models, add a lot of details but their camera movement is simply not adjusted well, and this reduces the credibility of their work.

Modern standards for 3D visualization demand that you create presentations that are very realistic and this includes the angle of the camera and height adjustments. This needs to be done for the whole project. The best way to understand how to do this is to think of yourself as a photographer and try to imagine how a photographer would present their images.

5. You need to avoid creating sterile visualizations

Professional visualizations simply show what the designer thought about how the space was going to be used, its functionalities, and practicality. It is not only about being clinically accurate. You need to add personality into the designs so that the clients who look at the visualizations can imagine using that space.

This is why houses for sales which have tours of the area are sold more often. You cannot simply display empty space and expect that people will be able to visualize themselves in it. Add context through all the necessary elements that will be in the space and, if needed, show people using these elements.

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These are the five essentials to keep in mind when creating 3D visualizations. Never forget about them and, of course, work on your technical skills to make them happen. It is both about being skilled and having the right mindset to deliver the best experience for the viewer and help them imagine what is in front of them.