The art of rendering and architectural visualization has gone a long way in the past decade or so. With new software tools, solutions, and technologies, the world of architecture is going through its peak digitalization.

No one does things manually anymore, and why would they when they have the fastest, most powerful computers to do all the hard and fine work for them. Make no mistake, though, architectural rendering is all but easy.

Architecture rendering software indeed helps share some of the load, but these tools require a lot of skill and knowledge, as well as a good dose of tech-savviness to find out all about the tricks and things they can do.

The rendering tools we have today are on an entirely new level of rendering power than their earlier versions. There are more options today than ever before, more solutions than you can count.

Tools of today have been categorized by industries they are used in. Our mission here is to pick the top 11 architecture rendering software tools of 2020 you should know about. So, let’s get down to details.

3D Rendering Software is Evolving Quickly

The pursuit for the most photorealistic rendering is neverending and it directly drives the evolution of 3D rendering software.

Since we’re talking about the art that turns plain 3D models into real-life, immersive, and photorealistic images capable of bringing life to your designs, the tools that do it need to address the diverse needs of different clients, industries, business niches, etc.

This is why these tools continuously evolve. It’s also the reason why there are so many different rendering software tools to choose from. While they all do the same thing, more or less, they have additional features that allow rendering artists to satisfy different needs and intentions.

Then, there’s also the price to worry about. Not everyone can afford top-class rendering software. That’s why there are solutions that fit everybody’s needs and budget. Of course, this only means that choosing the right software for your needs is more complicated than you’ve possibly imagined, but if you look at the benefits of having good software, that might help to narrow down your search big time.

This is one of the main reasons we here at Easy Render have decided to create the list of top architecture rendering software solutions of 2020.

These tools are designed to suit your personal preferences and rendering needs. Unique needs and budget are the two main driving factors when you are about to make a tough decision on which architecture rendering software is the right one for you.

Why is it Important to Have Good Rendering Software?

While both construction and architecture have their artistic side, a business aspect is present in the equation. Building and designing beautiful spaces, interiors, and exteriors require a lot more than your passion. They need a healthy dose of business savvy too.

Each profession has two sides, and architectural rendering isn’t any different. This is an industry that is still evolving, but its rapid growth over the last few years is more than imminent.

Architectural rendering has long surpassed its artistic form. It is now more leaned toward satisfying a more practical and profit-driven purpose in the modern business landscape of construction, design, and architecture.

It has become a connoisseur of communication as more and more 3D artists use 3D renderings to communicate their ideas with the clients better and convey the message they want them to hear. This is why they need to have the best rendering software tools at their disposal.

There are quite a few benefits of 3D rendering for 3D artists:

• Staying competitive and relevant – thanks to the digital age you live in, you can provide your potential clients with digital solutions that make you more competitive and relevant compared to the others that can’t offer the same level of service.
• Ease of communicating ideas – nowadays, everything revolves around this modern concept called the customer experience. It is a direct product of the online industry’s rapid development and e-commerce, with the main idea deeply rooted in providing consumers with seamless, positive, and most pleasurable customer journeys. If we translate this to the world of architectural rendering, it all comes down to removing all communication obstacles between you and your clients. Instead of having tedious, long, and exhausting conversations, you can simply skip all that by offering top-class 3D models that will do all the talking for you.
• Exceeding client expectations – modern clients don’t want to be pleased or satisfied; they want to be blown away. Since the architecture rendering market is saturated with all types of 3D artists, your rendering solutions should speak volumes on their own. They need to exceed your clients’ expectations with the levels of artistry and professionalism. Having cutting edge architecture rendering software helps you achieve that and then some.
• Attracting the right audience – targeting the right prospective clients won’t only make your competition go away but drive more traffic to your website and create new revenue sources. It will also make sure your clients keep returning, asking for more.
• Increasing online presence – in the age of the internet, having a strong online presence is not an option; it’s simply necessary to succeed. Since architectural rendering is an industry like any other, you need solutions for increasing your online presence to make sure more clients get to know about your works, skills, and talent. Well, nothing promotes your work better than architectural renderings. The better the software you have, the better your renderings.

Now that you know the importance of having good architecture rendering software and how it can benefit you, let’s move on to our selection of top software tools of 2020.

V-Ray

If you ask any professional architect or architectural studio, they will say the same thing about V-Ray. Considered by many to be the best architectural rendering software of them all, V-Ray is the most powerful 3D rendering tool on the market.

It’s a cutting-edge tool for creating top rendering solutions for a wide range of industries, including automotive design, entertainment, media, film, VFX, architecture, and other industries. It is suitable for both professionals and newbies and comes with an extensive set of features and tools.

Lumion

If you’re looking for software that will allow you to turn your 3D models into immersive videos and photo-realistic images fast, Lumion is your option number one. What makes this software tool worthy of mentioning is its user-friendly interface and an increased usability level that makes this software an absolute pleasure to use.

This tool allows 3D artists to make 360 panorama videos, which clients can view with VR glasses. However, it’s its library of materials and effects that make it stand out. It’s also compatible with many 3D modeling programs.

Blender

Here is an insanely good architectural rendering software that you can use without spending a dime! Why? Because it’s free! Aside from that, Blender is an incredibly powerful, open-source rendering software solution that is quite capable.

It brings a wide range of great rendering tools and features. Still, its most significant advantage is an online user community where you can exchange experiences, find solutions, get opinions from seasoned users, and so much more. Use it for game creation, video editing, motion tracking, rendering, animation, and more.

3Delight

If your project requires you to work in demanding production environments and produce photorealistic images, the best way to provide high-quality, fast results is to use 3Delight architectural rendering software.

It is a RenderMan-compliant rendering tool that is quickly earning quite a reputation. It is a very popular renderer that has become a benchmark in rendering technology. The most significant advantage of this rendering tool is its support for all the latest point-based rendering technologies. It also comes with three incredibly powerful plugins: XSI, 3dsMax, and Maya.

Artlantis

Developed for designers and architects, Artlantis is a state of the art 3D rendering application that is simply perfect for creating top-class, high-resolution animations and renderings with ease. It comes with tons of excellent materials and is incredibly user-friendly. Setting up this renderer is quite easy, and it gives you the ability to render real and clear images at fast speeds.

Twinmotion

How you interact with your 3D models is incredibly important for delivering top-notch results that will exceed your clients’ expectations. Well, Twinmotion can help you achieve this goal with ease.

Aside from improving the way designers and architects interact with their models, this renderer also allows you to create immersive real-time visualizations. It is a fully packed visualization tool with an amazing asset library that enables 3D artists to build presentation-ready scenes and carry out digital designs quickly.

Corona

Corona is still relatively new on the market, but it’s already making waves in the architectural rendering industry. It’s an incredibly fast renderer that is capable of creating fantastic light effects and stunningly clean animations. The software tool can be fully integrated with 3ds Max, so you won’t have any compatibility issues when incorporating complex 3D models.

Cinema 4D

While Cinema 4D is one of the less-known software solutions in the architectural rendering community, it’s one of the most user-friendly, easiest-to-use, and fastest renderers available at the moment.

With an incredibly broad set of tools and features, Cinema 4D can help you create breathtaking renderings. The software also comes with great procedural workflows, a powerful help system, and an intuitive user interface that helps users develop their own unique style.

SketchUp

SketchUp is probably the most popular design and 3D modeling tool in the architectural rendering community, right next to V-Ray. You can model anything with this rendering tool, from energy-efficient buildings to treehouses.

This is both powerful and intuitive architectural rendering software for creatives and professionals of all kinds with a great suite of tools. It is used in various industries, including interior design, woodworking, construction, engineering, architecture, etc.

Octane Render

Considered by many to be the fastest architectural rendering software around, Octane Render can produce top-quality, outstanding renderings promptly. It comes with an extensive set of top tools and powerful features, including an incredibly rich library of textures and materials.

The most significant advantage of Octane Render is its rendering engine that utilizes Nvidia graphics cards. You can use it to seamlessly handle complex rendering requirements, such as subsurface scattering, motion blur, and depth-of-field effects. The software comes at a very reasonable price; probably the biggest reason it’s rapidly growing in popularity.

The Wild

The Wild isn’t only a rendering software; it’s an immersive remote collaboration platform that allows 3D artists to harness the power of augmented and virtual reality to enable BIM teams, design technology, and architecture to save effort, resources, and time while improving decision-making process along the way.

The platform allows both clients and 3D artists to experience the work together in a shared virtual environment. The software natively supports Revit and SketchUp and is perfect for remote cooperation.

Conclusion

At Easy Render, we’re fully dedicated to providing our readers with the best stories from the world of 3D art, architecture, visualization, and rendering. We sincerely hope this article will help you find the best architectural software for your rendering needs and get ahead of the competition curve.

Visit our website to find more exciting stories about top rendering solutions and how to use them. Visit our blog and read more about the latest architectural rendering industry events and how it helps architecture evolve.