V-Ray or Maxwell, Blender of SketchUp? There are so many fun, innovative, progressive, and downright exciting rendering tools to try out and choose from, but so little time. Most visual artists – architects in particular – are creatures of habit, forever pursuing that one solution that ticks all the right boxes.

In 2022, the following solutions are considered game-changers.

Lumion 3D

According to Capterra, 67 of the top 100 architect companies in the world use Lumion. By all means, this is one of the best CAD and 3D modeling software solutions out there, the first and unmatched when it comes to rendering speed. Anecdotally, Lumion is so fast that it renders models in real-time.

In addition to its lightspeed performance, the tools’ other admirable qualities include a comprehensive library of highly realistic pre-built models. Lumion is also famous for its no-hassle, no-training UX, which makes complex operations such as adding effects and creating immersive VR scenes a breeze.

Revit

Another architect’s favorite, Revit is a tool used mainly by multidisciplinary teams. It is a BIM software, alright, with all the necessary features for creating gorgeous and functional architecture. Still, it is first and foremost a collaborative platform that keeps architects, engineers, and constructors on the same page.

As for pros and cons, Revit is lauded for its project management capabilities but criticized for its steep price. The tool helps streamline documentation work, automatically updating revisions and notifying everyone involved. However, Revit costs a small fortune and takes a couple of years to master.

Rhino

When reading what veteran users of rendering tools think about Rhino and its best qualities, one word always stands out – accuracy. Rhino is an all-around CAD package specializing in free-form design, making its precision supremacy even more praiseworthy. Complexity is not an issue for Rhino.

Another frequently cited reason to use Rhino is compatibility. It’s not a tool that has to do everything on its own, and it’s better for it. You can integrate it with nearly everything you need, from illustration and animation software to engineering and analysis tools. It’s also inexpensive and easy to get used to.

V-Ray

V-Ray was a no-brainer for the writer of this article, as is generally the case with all architects and designers. Used everywhere from marketing to movies, V-Ray is such a famed tool that it needs no special introduction or review, for that matter. Unsurprisingly, it is a holder of a Sci-Tech Academy Award.

If this is your first time hearing about it, V-Ray is not a separate tool as much as it is a plugin for 3D rendering. It’s compatible with the likes of Revit, Rhino, Cinema 4D, SketchUp, and more. In short, V-Ray makes virtual reality user-friendly and intricate – in architectural visualization and beyond.

Blender

2D drawing, 3D games, audio capture, prototype creation, and video capture and editing are just the most commendable of Blender’s many features. If you need a reliable GPU & CPU rendering tool but don’t want to spend your entire budget on fancy software, it doesn’t get any better than Blender.

Despite being open-source and therefore free to use, Blender is still powerful enough to create engaging simulations. The only potential drawback of switching to Blender would be a required level of proficiency. According to multiple reviews and use cases, this can be challenging for beginners.

Redshift

Redshift is very, very fast. It’s one of the best GPU rendering tools available on the market, but it has no real competition when it comes to speed. The combination of rendering time and quality achieved by Redshift is remarkable, a quality matched only by Redshift’s extensive customization capabilities.

There are a few cons of entrusting your workflow to Redshift, however. Similar to Revit and Blender, this is hardly a tool for beginners. There are many cool ways to achieve realistic textures, for example, but that takes both technical knowledge of the materials and rendering experience. Also, it lacks a CPU.

Maxwell

Whether or not Maxwell is better than V-Ray traditionally sparks a lively debate among architects. Some find it more challenging to use, while others prefer its speed and powerful performance. Be it as it may, some of Maxwell’s strongest points are its excellent camera and quality materials based on arroway textures.

But one feature that truly sets this tool apart from other big players on the market is its ability to help you achieve super-realistic lighting. Many architects use it as a plugin for SketchUp entirely for this reason. There are no GI flicking issues, and the shading is simply unreachable by other rendering tools.

Maya

Maya is known for crashing a lot and often in the most unfortunate moments. It’s also a tough nut to crack if you are still a rookie. However, arming yourself with patience and a high tolerance for accidents will pay off. Once you get used to it, Maya provides a rewarding character modeling and rigging experience.

First, it’s an all-in-one solution mainly used for game character development but offers everything you need for architecture, interior design, object rigging, 2D animation, and even blueprints and wireframes. Secondly, Maya can handle everything from excessive textures to heavy geometry.

Octane Render

Another household name, Octane Render is a sturdy combination of the best rendering tools, features, and capabilities. It’s solid and reliable, boasting all the pros and cons of its most popular competitors. Octane is great with lighting and textures and can conjure uncannily realistic imagery fairly quickly.

Is it easy to use? Initially, no. It takes some understanding of rendering tools before you can grasp and take advantage of Octane’s most valuable features. Is it immune to crashing? Again, no. Octane’s live rendering window fails every time you have a lot of objects with the material, but that’s a small price to pay.

Mental Ray

Finally, a rendering tool that is accessible to beginners. Mental Ray is the absolute winner in the rookie category but falls short in others. To name a few drawbacks, Mental Ray doesn’t have the best quality of results, its export speed is notoriously slow, and it can be a bit on the pricey side of the market.

Nevertheless, this is a fantastic tool if you want to learn the endless intricacies of rendering. Once upon a time, Mental Ray was a go-to solution for visual artists, but it got outdated quickly. It’s been a while since we’ve seen any innovations or fun features, which is why it remains perfect for covering the basics.

Conclusion

If you cannot make up your mind between a few (or all) of these tools, tough luck. We’ve been there many times in our collective careers. The only viable advice we can give you is to take your time before you pick a rendering tool because it might be with you for a while in the future before you master it.

Do you have a favorite rendering tool or an emerging solution you’re excited about?

Let us know.