Architectural rendering has been around since the renaissance. It has revolutionized the fields of architecture and design, allowing their subsequent designers to visualize their plans through the means of sketching.

We've come a long way from the days of paper sketches, and we can now create fully rendered 3D environments to explain our ideas and express ourselves in a new dimension. Creating art doesn't require endless designs, stacks of paper, and hours of drawing.

A simple error can be corrected through a click of a button, and it's about time that we talked about the software and hardware solutions that make this possible for us. That is what we've set out to do in this article. Below, you're going to find all the essential information on architectural rendering, and the two computer components that work in perfect tandem to make it all possible.

What is architectural rendering?

Architectural rendering is a crucial part of architectural design, which helps artists completely visualize their design through 2D and 3D environments. These are fully computerized, and allow artists to check their design from different ages, in different lighting situations, and a different setting.

It saves quite a lot of time and allows artists to immerse themselves in their design fully. It helps artists continue the development of their plan through meticulous testing, oversight, and revisions. There are different types of architectural renderings, which serve a myriad of different purposes.

The sheer variation of rendering techniques allows architects to complete their designs without issue. Some methods entail using a flat 2D image to set an item in a particular environment or situation, while others make a fully rendered 3D environment that is fully explorable.

Most often, these are used for representational purposes. If it's a 2D rendering, it's most likely going to be hyper-realistic, allowing the artist to express his idea in its full potential before it's presented to an approval board.

AS stated above, architectural renderings serve a multitude of purposes, such as:

●        2D images of still renderings

●        Fully 3D explorable environments

●        Making virtual tools

●        Devising specific floor plans and schematics

●        A series of presentation 2D images

●        Different lighting, angle, and shading montages

What is the use of architectural rendering?

Real Estate Purposes

Architectural rendering has quite the implementation when it comes to real estate. When you're attempting to present a brand new project, it's best to do it through a fully rendered 3D environment. Now, this will allow the architect to paint a clear picture of his design to the approval board, and boost the approval chances.

Conceptual architectural renderings also serve an immense real estate purpose, to appeal to customers. Showing customers the potential a future building could reach could secure steady funding for the actual project.

When it comes down to real estate, making detailed floor plans and schematics is far more comfortable if there is a fully rendered 3D environment involved. 3D visualization and the real estate industry are deeply entwined due to these reasons.

Modification, Alteration, and Adjustment

When a building or an environment is fully rendered in a 3D setting, the designer can observe it from several angles, with different lighting and colorations. It allows the designers to fully immerse themselves in their project, which in turn provides room for any needed adjustments and alterations to the original design.

Visualizing the project in 3D is also going to give the architect a chance to develop their idea fully. Merely thinking about something or projecting it within the picture isn't enough to provide the whole picture.

How does architectural rendering work?

Architectural rendering has gone quite a long way since the days of pen and paper. Now, all architectural rendering is done through the use of software and hardware, which work in tandem to make it all possible.

Making realistic 3D renderings isn't a simple process and takes quite a long time based on your equipment. It's an essential aspect of real estate, architecture, and design in general. If you're looking to get into 3D rendering, you can. Architecture is no longer exclusive to those with a talent for drawing.

There are free 3D modeling and rendering programs available, and some high-end options come with free trials. That means that you can give it a shot with absolutely nothing to lose. Architecture, and thus, 3D rendering, is an art form and is going to take quite a lot of time to master, so you need to be patient.

Making full 3D renders or an inclusive animation about your project isn't going to be a quick or straightforward process. It's' just going to be far more streamlined compared to the endless stacks of paper of the years past. If you're looking to get into 3D modeling, architectural visualization, and rendering, you're going to need the following equipment.

Software

Many things work in tandem to make sure that your rendering is possible. But, the frontline is the software you're using to render your project. The software itself will guarantee quite a lot about the speed, quality, and end product.

The prices of rendering software do vary quite a lot, with some of the essential software being completely free, while others can cost several thousands of dollars.

The difference between these pieces of software is their subsequent sophistication. The sophistication of a rendering software is going to entail quite a lot concerning its function, as well as some critical roles.

If you're an amateur looking to start, you're going to want to start with a more straightforward software. If you're a professional who is deep into the trade, you're going to find the more expensive option to be satisfactory. It all depends on your requirements and needs. You do not need to start with professional software.

If you're running an architecture firm and you do not have much business, or you're a small company, you're not going to have many benefits from several thousand dollars worth of software used by a small number of employees. You need to purchase your software based on your unique needs.

Different Options and Their Price

In this section, we've decided to list some of the best software options on the market and their price tag. Again, the prices indeed do vary wildly, and you don't always need the most expensive variant available.

1. Blender Free
2. LuxRender Free
3. Indigo Render $835
4. Octane Render $699
5. Artlantis $650
6. RenderMan $595
7. Maxwell Render $520
8. Lumion $1,499

Hardware

When it comes down to the hardware, you're going to have to understand a different thing. Rendering is quite a complicated process and takes quite a lot of time. The rendering process requires your computing power, and it can come from two different sources; the GPU and the CPU.

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is your processor. It's the option for lower-end rendering software, as the CPU is not as good at rendering as the GPU. The GPU, on the other hand (Graphics Card), is far faster than the CPU, as it serves what it was made for, rendering graphics.

A GPU can deliver far better results than the CPU, and some software has the option to switch between the two processing units. All in all, do some research on specific products before you decide to purchase.

Rendering requires processing power and uses up the cores of your PC. Your CPU has far fewer cores than your GPU, and they're always in use by other processes running on the PC. Your GPU has more cores than the CPU, and their primary purpose is to render graphics. This is precisely why having a great graphics card is superior to having a good CPU, at least when architectural renderings are concerned.

In the following two subsections, you're going to find a lot of different options with varying price tags. While the more expensive options might perform the job better and faster, the lower end options are still going to be reasonably competitive.

Different CPU Options and Their Price

●        AMD Ryzen 5 2600 $115

●        Intel Core i7-9700K $400

●        AMD Threadripper 3990X $3990

●        Intel Xeon E5-2699 v4 $4500

Different GPU Options and Their Price

●        Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 Ti $699

●        AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 $315

●        AMD Vega 64 $650

●        Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 $500

In Conclusion

Architectural rendering has come a long way since pen and paper, and it's the software and hardware solutions that make it possible. If you're looking to improve your game, you're not going to need the highest-end equipment out there.

Plenty of people started with what they had. Start practicing and learning the trade, and then gather your equipment and work arsenal along the way. There are plenty of budget options out there to keep you occupied for hours.