Tips for creating stunning 3D architectural representations

3D architectural representations have become a tool increasingly used by architects to show clients what a completed project would look like, more realistically than the use of artists' illustrations or designs. But for the architectural representation to be a success, it must be as photorealistic as possible. Here are some tips on how to achieve a higher level of realism in your representations.

3D Architectural Rendering

1. Change your edges. Even in man-made objects, there are no perfectly sharp edges. By beveling its edges with a chamfer tool in the rendering software, it makes the rendering more realistic but provides more detail by allowing the edges to capture the highlights of your lighting source.

2. Do not use 100% black or white colors. To show that an object has volume, it must have areas highlighted and shaded using halftones for contrast. If you have a totally black virtual material, your model will look flat because the differences between shaded areas and halftones will not be visible. The same with a totally white model, except that in this case, the differences between medium tones and light areas are not visible.

3. Use fuzzy background or depth of field effects in your 3D architecture representations, since a certain amount of blur is associated with real-life photographs to indicate movement. You can apply depth effects during rendering, or add them in postproduction using the lens blur and transfer functions.

4. Use specular cards. These cards add more realism to their rendering by telling the rendering engine which parts of it should have a high brightness (specularity) and which are more diffuse. However, you can also use specular cards to make the objects have a uniform finish, such as ceramics, highlighting natural irregularities such as bumps and scratches.

5. Use the shadows of the area. When rendering outside, you need to know what time of day it is supposed to be to reflect it in projected shadows. For example, if it is supposed to be in the morning, the shadows should be soft and undefined. On the other hand, at noon, the shadows are clear. The type of lighting you use to render is also something to consider. For example, sunlight creates softer shadows compared to artificial light, which can project a sharper shadow.

6. Add dirt and clutter to the image. In real life, even things that are supposed to be new are not virgins and will have imperfections. Add these details to your representations, like small cracks. Or, when creating a room, keep it from being too orderly by adding untidy details, such as scattered elements.

7. Include asymmetry. In nature, things are never completely symmetrical. Then, once you have completed your 3D Architectural rendering add an asymmetric variance to make them more realistic.