NPR Options

[beestee]

Good morning!

 

I would like to get some input on what options are out there for NPR rendering of Architectural models. If you can provide a little insight on their speed, quality, cost, or other pros/cons it would be much appreciated as well.

 

I have looked at Maxon C4D sketch and toon which looks very flexible and promising, and PSOFT Pencil+2 which would seem a little more accessible for our situation due to the integration with our existing 3d package of choice.

 

Our model sources will be Revit and/or Sketch-Up, so I am not sure how well this would integrate with C4D.

 

I do have VRay, Photoshop, and AutoCAD as well already, so anything relating to these could be considered as well.

 

Thank you!

 

P.S. I have got to make a final decision by next Friday, because that is when we will be doing the upgrade from VIZ to MAX if we choose to stay with that platform.

[Ricardo Eloy]

Take a look at Piranesi. It does some great NPR.

[beestee]

I am working in a team of 6, and we need to be able to use the tool(s) in a high-volume production environment and get at least fairly consistent results in a relatively short amount of time. Most of my experiments with Piranesi made it seem like quite a bit of post work was required to get acceptably appealing output.

 

How adaptable is Piranesi in carrying a style from one project to the next?

 

It has been a while since I looked at it, so maybe it deserves my attention once more.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

Have explored everything you can do with Photoshop in regards to NPR?

[beestee]

I run into the problem of destroying the 3D spatial qualities of the image with the filters that I have available. Are there any recommendations for add-on filters that work well with high-res structural/architectural imagery?

 

We have SketchMaster, and it can produce some nice abstract results fairly quickly, but there is a slight issue with image scale that makes it difficult to control at higher resolutions, plus the effects it produces seem more geared towards portraits.

 

EDIT: I have purchased fractalius, it seems like it might help produce some nice effects on high-res imagery.

 

I have gotten pretty far with vray toon and a simple ambient light rig, the boss seems pretty happy with the results...it at least gives us a crutch for awhile.