A lot of people have been asking recently about the process of making photorealistic renders. Here’s a breakdown of the main steps. Not every project requires all the parts, so I’ve used one full complete project for illustration.
1. Basic Blueprint
Everything starts of with a blueprint. Sometimes it’s a complex technical drawing filled with notations, sometimes it’s a 2020 kitchen layout, and sometimes it’s just the dimensions of a room.
2. SketchUp
Next step is to build out the space. I use SketchUp for this. SU is where I cut my teeth in 3d. It’s good at taking accurate measurements and is endlessly customizable. It’s also possible to share an interactive view.
There are lots of plugins and a tremendous library of 3d models. For most of the work, drawing rectangles and push/pushing them around is enough though.
3. LayOut
Another benefit of SketchUp is its sister program, LayOut. Here you can share model with all its measurements and views in a PDF and print-friendly fashion. Now your client can see all the details easily without having to play around with unfamiliar 3d software. As you iterate the design with them, clients can comment on PDFs with all the corrections needed at once, greatly streamlining communication.
4. Maya – Rendering
If you want to get next-level “photos”, it’s time to move on to something more artistic. I use Maya, though 3ds Max and Blender are also popular options. Import the SU file, hopefully without too many errors. Fix any errors, UV and texture the model. Throw in some props to liven things up. Add in some lights. Hit render and take a break until the render is done. Touch up in Photoshop.
5. VR/360
This is usually the least vital step, but also the most fun. Redo the render, with special setting for 360 images. Hit render and take a lunch break – this might take a while… Now you can spin around an look at whatever you want. Pop on a VR headset for a real ride.
6. Build it IRL
Finally get to the most important part – get the real thing built. Your vision has finally come to life. Enjoy it!
