Economy aside, how stable is Arch-Viz likely to be in the future?

[Creationtwentytwo]

Hey guys, let me preface this by saying that without a crystal ball or time machine, a lot of possible answers to this question will be speculative, but I'm keen to hear some experienced thoughts on this.

 

Basically, I'm facing a bit of a decision. I've just graduated from an Interior Architecture degree and I've realised over the last few years that I much prefer the artistic/visualisation side of design rather than the actual designing bit.

 

Now, whilst studying I have worked part time in an architectural practice doing all manner of assistant tasks from helping with the CAD side, to the QS'ing, and primarily arch-viz.

 

I'm at a point where I feel freelancing is a possibility. I've got enough contacts to set up on my own and at least get a fairly firm footing. The big alternative is to go back to school to study animation which is a lifelong dream that I've only just got round to considering. This isn't really a 'should I do that' thread though, I'm more interested to hear about the future of the Viz industry.

 

So, where do you guys see the industry in 5, 10 even 20 years from now? The three things that concern me are cheap outsourcing (I'm in the UK), BIM, and also the fact that a lot of Architects learn things like VRay during their studies.

 

With BIM becoming more prevalent, and BIM software coming closer to providing the '1 click render', will the viz artist eventually be unnecessary?

 

As I said, I know it's such a tough question to answer but I feel like I want to consider my options before I go drop a stack of money and get 5 years deep in a dying industry.

 

Thanks

Edited April 22, 2012 by Creationtwentytwo

[RyderSK]

I think everyone is a bit overly concerned. There will never be a satisfying "one-click" solution. There will always be people who can press that one button better than others. Architects nowaday know how to model in Revit and render with vray. Doesn't mean they have time to produce high-quality work in order to compete with others in their extremely saturated market.

 

As for outsourcing, I would rather fear South America, they are really good, architecture is popular there due to modernist movement heritage. But India/China/so on ? Those won't be able to satisfy european market for long time. The culture and what they consider pretty is so different to us I don't even care about that. When was the last time you really saw good work from there ? I didn't.

 

It's not dying industry, it's rising industry. The scope is getting larger, furniture companies (from local to IKEA), car companies, architectural offices, developers, property agencies, advertising agencies, game studios,....so on ! It's endless. There is plenty of work.

 

Technology is rising extremely fast, it's very exciting industry, all you need to be sucessful is to be quick learner and catch-up with all the new stuff.

 

Besides, you're interior architect. I know many incredibly sucesful interior studios who can make beautiful renders in-house by themselves and have clear edge against competition. That's very enjoyable job, and it's something I do partly too.

 

Freelancing is best option too in my opinion. Don't bother slavering for any sub-par studio or architectural office, buy some book (Freelance rockstar...etc...) and start ;- )

[Jonathan]

Agree pretty much wholly with the last comment. I came from a similar background, interior architecture degree, professional practise and then realisation. It is indeed an exciting, growing industry which is evolving so fast. Creativity is an absolutely necessity for longevity.

[Scott Schroeder]

It's the same old question that has dogged this industry for years. The napkin sketch, while crude, shows off the style and look of the building just as well as the thousands of dollar hand sketch. Well, it's just been updated for the digital age and we're into renders now. But, fear not, there will always be that need for the high quality render. You just have to find the right set of studios who care about quality.

 

I too have noticed a lot of old school, or traditional arch viz studios have adopted more of a broader branding approach. They survived this economic mess by expanding their client base. Those studios that didn't and decided they will live and die by the single family housing market, or condos, etc, have suffered the most.

 

As far as the future, I'm sure AutoCAD was supposed to be the big killer a few years ago. I've yet to see any BIM software come even CLOSE to what can be achieved by a skilled artist. Revit has such a dumbed down version of Mental Ray. It's a Ferrari body with a Yugo engine. What you are seeing as a dying industry, I see as a cleansing. A lot of really awful art was being done during the boom by el cheapo labor at studios run by sheer greed and incompetence. They saw an area they thought they could make a quick buck in and they jammed their way into it. Those studios are getting cleansed out of the system as they can't survive in this changing economy.

 

If you want to be in Viz and want to learn skills for the next 5 years, I'd start to dip your toe into real time rendering and augmented reality. That's where this industry is headed, at least the forward thinkers.

[Creationtwentytwo]

Thanks for the replies guys, encouraging stuff.

 

I should clarify, when I said 'dying industry' I meant if it is a dying industry, not it is a dying industry.

 

I guess I'm just somewhat anxious about making the best choice. I'm 27 now and spent enough of my 18-23 years messing around with different jobs so I'd rather spend a bit of time making the best decision now; hence the desire to research future possibilities.

 

Thanks again

[Tommy L]

Its been dying for a while now if you listen to the nay-sayers... one thing thats true is that the industry is quite susceptible to economic swings.

So far as technology (push-button rendering) putting all the artists out of business, I dont think thats going to happen any time soon.

[Gary Brown]

I agree with RyderSK completely! This is definitely a growing field. I am an architect in a large office and I see more and more clients asking for rendered images especially during design development stages. And even though most of the architects here would love to be able to produce quality images, they simply do not have the time to learn and develop the artistic skills needed. And as building system technologies become more diverse and complicated they have even less time.

 

For example, my office has over 100 employees, (architects, interior designers, landscape architects, etc) and I can guarantee you that not one of them would know what 'Gamma' or 'Linear Workflow' was. Nor should they because they're busy working on LEED or taking continuing education classes.

 

And arch-viz is definitely becoming more diverse. I graduated college into the recession and could not find a job as an architect for 2years. I survived by doing rendering and animations (with some green-screen work) for architecture firms, ad agencies, and developers.

 

Don't give up! This field has just begun to spread its wings and with the economy turning around, arch-viz is going to be very busy.

 

(Hmm, why am I an architect again??)

Edited April 23, 2012 by gary brown

[Creationtwentytwo]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the comments.

 

It's great to hear such positive comments. I think I'm gonna go for it, the prospect of freelancing has always appealed to me and hopefully with my existing contact base (albeit fairly small contact base) I should at least get things moving.

 

Time to go software shopping!

 

On a somewhat unrelated note, what should I make sure to purchase in terms of software (or other stuff) I'll need to get started freelancing? Hardware wise I'm sorted, and I'm planning to pick up Max, VRay and Photoshop since those are the packages I'm most comfortable with.

 

On top of that, I was going to pick up either a foliage-generation tool like Onyx (can only afford Broadleaf I think), or GrowFX, or possibly just a decent tree/plant library instead. I'm also thinking maybe some kind of generic furniture/vehicle library might be a good first-buy too although I'm not sure. Suggestions welcome!

 

Thanks again

[Gary Brown]

Onyx is nice but I try to keep the number of software packages I have to learn to an absolute minimum. I use premade anything unless its something I can model quickly or is scene specific. Having a strong library of entourage saves a lot of time. Make sure you use a really good filing system and naming convention to easily pull up what you need. Also, try and learn maxscript. That can greatly improve your efficiency. The faster you can work, the more work you can do. I stick with Max, Mental Ray, Photoshop. I don't have Vray but that's just because it is hard to justify the expense to my firm when Mental Ray comes with Max.

[Creationtwentytwo]

Thanks, Gary.

 

Yeah I do like Onyx, and I've tried the GrowFX demo too which seems really awesome. I'm just not sure if I'd really use it though, I mean, for the same money I can get a library of 150+ plants/trees and whilst I could model 150 unique trees in GrowFX/Onyx, I don't think I'd have the time or patience to do so. I know Onyx comes with a great library, but as I said, I can only really afford Broadleaf which likely won't be diverse enough on its own.

 

I'm considering going with MR too, the only issue is that I've never used it in enough depth to fully realise what it's capable of. It seems worth having a go with considering I can save £1000 if I get to grips with it, I'm just a bit anxious about jumping into professional work with an engine I'm not familiar with. It's a shame it's not the other way round!

[Gary Brown]

I agree about the plant software. As far as MR vs Vray, I havent used vray before but have heard good things about it. Considering the price, I would use MR. I would think that if you know the base concepts of rendering and textures then transitioning to MR shouldn't be very difficult. Plus, you're going to get MR anyway with Max so you might as well try it.

[Creationtwentytwo]

Yeah good call, I'll have a go and see how I get on.

 

With regards to vehicle libraries, who do you guys recommend? Evermotion look good but I've never used them, are there any other high quality options?

Edited April 23, 2012 by Creationtwentytwo

[Gary Brown]

Evermotion is good and the quality is consistent. I feel they are a bit overpriced but I pay anyway. In their bundles they offer a free sample so you can get a better idea on the quality of their models.

 

I never use to use turbosquid but they are getting a lot better.

[Creationtwentytwo]

Ok thanks.

 

Finally, without turning this into a C&C thread, do you guys think I'm in a position to start shopping myself out for freelance? Here's two of my most recent works, one is a personal portfolio piece, the other was the last job I did at the studio I worked at for a domestic scheme.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33057988/Barn%20End%20Rear%20Render%201%20No%20Text.jpg

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33057988/DayFINAL.jpg

 

Of course, there's always room for improvement, but I just want to be sure I'm not going to get laughed at at this stage.

 

Thanks again.

[Tommy L]

Yeah good call, I'll give it a try and see how I get on.

 

With regards to model libraries, are there any recommended sources for vehicles? Evermotion look very good, but I haven't used them before and I didn't know if there's any higher quality ones anywhere?

 

If you're already skilled in Vray then buy Vray. Otherwise you'll be learning on the job which is the last thing you want when trying to keep your first client happy. Libraries / plants / cars etc can just be bought as and when you need them, then you know there's a fee coming that will cover the investment. That said, if you have a business budget that covers it then I'd recommend the Onyx garden suite. Has both libraries of preset trees and the ability to make custom ones. Also has a grass generator and Treestorm for direct link into max and support for dynamics (wind) in the trees.

[Tommy L]

And yes, your work looks good enough for chasing freelance. Yiou'll need strength in depth though, plenty of diversity in subject matter and lots of images.

And one other thing, when I started freelancing I just had a laptop. It was crippling watching the two render buckets amble around the screen, invest in a node or two at the first opportunity. You'll need power outside your workstation.

[Creationtwentytwo]

Thanks, Tommy.

 

I'll heed the advice about diversity in my folio. I'm planning to spend a couple months putting together a good range of work whilst sorting out the admin side of my business. I notice you have some great viz work outside of the architectural field in your portfolio, is that an area worth exploring? I must admit I have zero experience in product presentation and visualisation, I assume the fundamental approach is somewhat similar?

 

Ah good point about the render nodes too, I've got a pretty solid workhorse but it may well be a great idea to get myself a separate machine set up for rendering.

[Gary Brown]

yeah, looking good. try and work on developing your own personal aesthetic. that will help set you apart from all the other freelancers out there. Good Luck!

[RyderSK]

And yes, your work looks good enough for chasing freelance. Yiou'll need strength in depth though, plenty of diversity in subject matter and lots of images.

And one other thing, when I started freelancing I just had a laptop. It was crippling watching the two render buckets amble around the screen, invest in a node or two at the first opportunity. You'll need power outside your workstation.

 

 

Hehe yes. Less time rendering, more time working :- ) Every hardware investition pays off incredibly fast. Count all the hours you otherwise spend hypnotizing the pixelated screen ( I know you all do too ) when you could be doing something productive (earning you money) instead.

 

But don't jump into spending. You don't need them yet, you don't need Onyx or models right now either. Tom said it incredibly right, buy as you need them, covered by your project invoice.

Edited April 24, 2012 by RyderSK

[Creationtwentytwo]

Oh... well here's a spanner in the works;

 

I spoke to my Autodesk reseller today ready to purchase and they've informed me that as of 2013, Autodesk no longer offer their 'graduation upgrade'. This was a heavily discounted upgrade for students who could upgrade to a full seat of Max for around £700.

 

The price is now a standard commercial seat for £3600, which is in itself more than my initial budget for Max, VRay and Photoshop together.

 

There's no way in the world I'm in a position to spend ~£6000 on software at this point so it look like I need to explore other options.

[Tommy L]

Oh... well here's a spanner in the works;

 

I spoke to my Autodesk reseller today ready to purchase and they've informed me that as of 2013, Autodesk no longer offer their 'graduation upgrade'. This was a heavily discounted upgrade for students who could upgrade to a full seat of Max for around £700.

 

The price is now a standard commercial seat for £3600, which is in itself more than my initial budget for Max, VRay and Photoshop together.

 

There's no way in the world I'm in a position to spend ~£6000 on software at this point so it look like I need to explore other options.

 

Price of entry I'm afraid. Can you still buy 2012 for the discounted rate? Or do they just stop selling that as soon as 2013 is released?

[Creationtwentytwo]

Price of entry I'm afraid. Can you still buy 2012 for the discounted rate? Or do they just stop selling that as soon as 2013 is released?

 

Unfortunately not, they do have the EDU boxes of 2012 still, but the upgrade path is to 2013 only, along with the increased prices.

 

They do still offer graduate upgrade prices on the Ultimate Suite, but that's £4000, which is good value considering what you get, but 90% of it I would never use.

 

I'm just looking at other software options. I'm pretty fluent in Cinema4D but I haven't used it since R10. Modo is very cheap, but I know nothing about its capabilities for Architectural work.

 

Sketchup+VRay/Shaderlight is another 'in-budget' option but I'm not sure that's enough of a Pro solution to work with standalone with the aim of getting freelance work. Again though, I'm not experienced enough with it to comment.

[Justin Hunt]

All those would be fine to start with, modo is a very capable package with the addition of Cadbuddy (a plugin for modo). If you already know c4d then run with that in the short term.

 

Once you get cashflow then you can look in to max and vray.

 

Jhv

[adanchasse]

Interesting thread. I've been freelancing sort of on a part time basis the past 2-3 years throughout college where I'm studying Marketing. I'm actually about to graduate and go into the real job world and am contemplating trying to go full force in freelancing or atleast put my skills to use in some sort of real estate buisness type thing.

[Creationtwentytwo]

Well, looks like C4D is out the question, their 'bundles' are ridiculous. The Visualize version doesn't include cloth, proper particles or dynamics, and the Broadcast version doesn't include some of the rendering features, caustics or IES, and neither of them include Hair. The only viable option is Studio which is more expensive than Max.

 

I remember when they used to do modules that you could purchase individually, shame they don't do that anymore.

 

I tried Modo, and whilst it seems like a capable beast, it's a wildly different modeling workflow and I think it would be foolish to jump into such a foreign package when my intention is professional work.

 

I've been talking to some other resellers in the UK today who are looking into processing a 2012 version which would be ideal, and failing that, there's a possibility I may be able to upgrade to one of the smaller suites rather than just the Ultimate one which should hopefully bring the cost back into budget.