DrFx

I'm an architect who can do architecture, but I'm currently doing much more viz stuff. You don't need to have the full arch degree to do viz, it comes down to a good sensibility about light, composition and materials, plus some technical know-how. The architecture degree is much more encompassing than that, but I don't think it's wasted time, it's one of the best foundations you can get as a (technical) artist.

Yeah, I'm there, too! It's a chance to practice the skillz, and also put into practice a whacky design idea! I think it will be great fun, hope to see more people there!

Hi, mac!The only book I've read about it was "Mastering 3d Studio VIZ" by George Omura for Sybex. I can't really say if it's better than others, since I didn't read them! But what I've found is that the help system in Max is one of the best in all programs I know! The tutorials are one of the best ways to learn for yourself, and the reference is quite good indeed. Good luck!

Lol, the way things are going, Autodesk will release both of them by 2010!

It all depends on what you're showing. If you want to look at, say, a candelabre with more attention, you should be moving real slow, but if you're in a long, boring corridor, you'd want to move quicker. A normal human's speed walking fast is about 5 Km/h, but most stuff would be kind of boring at this speed.

I think pretty much everything has been said already. There are a lot of communication problems between clients and architects, and (good) CG can help, as can good design, good oratorial skills, good (gasp!) hand renders, etc. In our profession, it has become extremely important to have good self-advertising, CG is a part of that and it will become standard practice. Good luck Gipper and thanks for sharing your views everybody!

Wow! I fell like a sucker in all 3 illusions! That's really amazing!

I agree. Bad architecture is bad architecture no matter how much gloss you pour over it, and good architecture will stand out, even with average presentation.

Ihab hits the nail on the head, IMHO. Real-time is the key word. I also think 3d will be much more present in the design process, instead of just being the glossy pic you make at the end of that process.

What's wrong with the 900XGL? It's not that slow, especially on maxtreme. I replaced my fan with a CoolViva heat pipe (I think it's from coolermaster) and it works, but the I had to connect the fan to the motherboard because the connector was nonstandard. Go figure! There are several similar solutions on the market now from thermaltake, etc. Mine is virtually silent. There are screw thingies on the card, so that's no problem.

Once you integate 3d into the workflow (or "pipeline"), it will be a fairly simple matter and not be considered that much of a cost. If a client is going to plunk down a mil on a building, is he not going to want to see what it will look like first? Even if it costs him a few hundred bucks?!? you just have to factor the 3d job into the "design" cost.

Aaron, if I may suggest something, you could probably resort to an external rendering company to "test the waters". Try it on a project you think will benefit from it. There are freelancers that do renders for pretty cheap, but of course the general tendency is for practices to have it in-house. Learning Viz can be time consuming, because at first, you will only be able to produce "passable" renders, but in a few months, with practice, you can start producing great quality stuff. Good luck!

A "full-blown render" is something that is becoming standard these days, and in about two or three years, it should go without saying. It makes all the difference! Most clients do not have the spatial skills to "imagine" how a building will look like at all. From my experience, they will look vacantly at a plan and say "it's ok... I think..."

Thank God I'm not a british monkey! In my country the term "monkey" is used for people who do a dull, repetitive job, for low pay, kinda like a "sweat shop" job. Yes, it's demeaning, and yes CAD-draftspeople of the lowest ranks are sometimes designated this way. I am not talking about a CAD-technologist the way Janzer described it! To earn the term "monkey" you have to know nothing of building regulations, not make design decisions, and have only a faint idea what it is that you are drawing!