Newbie need some advice on workflow for Architectural Design.

[matsjonasson]

I’m pretty new to the world of 3D and Architectural design and would be very happy if someone could guide me in the right direction before I start learning all the applications. I need a workflow.

 

I will start working AND learning in the Autodesk applications as I have access to them on the computers at school. My goal is to learn architectural design just for fun to begin with. Design my apartment with all the stuff in it, for example. I don’t mind if it take me a lot of work and time to get where I want as long as I get there and get started in the smartest way.

 

So here we go. Say that I want to design my apartment with everything in it. I want to make it accurate from the beginning with all the measurement 100% correct. Maybe in the future I’ll want to try out a new livingroom design in my “virtual” apartment before I go shopping. Where do I start?

 

What’s the best way for making floorplans, designing the raw interiors and so on? Say that I want to design the kitchen table with the correct dimension and angles. Should I start in Autocad to draw everything and then export it to 3Ds Max for the final touch and so on? Maybe Revit is better then Autocad?

 

It’s hard for me to explain my thoughts exact the way I’m thinking them but if you go with my example of designing my apartment as my project to learn about Architectural design. What would be the best way to go for me if I want to do it the way the pros doing it?

 

You don’t have to write the bible of architectural design, just show me the path

 

Thanks you!

[Tommy L]

Learning 3d is like learning to cook. You have to do it to learn it. Try rendering some stuff and put your results up for critique.

[matsjonasson]

Well, thank you for the answer but I wanted to have some advice on the workflow. Of course I know that I have to do it, look at some tutorials and stuff like that to learn. I want to know from the experts in what way to start, not just that I have to learn it..

 

I'm trying to learn right now but the answer you gave me didn't learn me anything new, sorry.

 

Learning 3d is like learning to cook. You have to do it to learn it. Try rendering some stuff and put your results up for critique.

[Chris MacDonald]

Workflow? There are dozens of workflows, it depends on what you're aiming to achieve.

[williamcai]

I am not sure whether you are asking what application you want to learn...

 

Whatever you do, dont end up like me learning almost everything and being a master at none. Pick one software and absolutely master it as one is already enough. You dont need to learn "all the applications"

 

If you want 100% accuracy in 'Real world Architecture / dimensions' then Revit is the way to go. My friend achieves stunning renders with Revit + PS. Ofcourse the draw back is that you cant do a nice 3d walkthrough video.

 

If you want to do Arch Visualisation with 100% accuracy then just learn Vray + Max

 

If you want to do "conceptual / experimental architecture" with 100% accuracy you would use Rhino.

 

Edit: Don't learn AutoCAD... it is being phased out...

Edited July 17, 2013 by williamcai

[Chris MacDonald]

Not entirely sure I agree with that.

 

I've yet to see a "stunning render" created with Revit, it isn't built for visualisation and you will quickly find yourself stumbling when it comes to creating things that are relatively simple in a visual package, such as instancing/proxies, complex materials/shaders & lighting setups, displacement, and you can't import 3d content from the likes of evermotion with all the shaders set up, etc. If you are looking to solely do arch vis, do not use Revit.

 

And as for phasing out autoCAD; I can't see that happening for a decade - thousands of practices still use it globally. And I'd say 3DS max is the least accurate of the ones you've listed, in that you can't do simple things like dynamic input for splines of x dimension, etc.

 

Don't forget Sketchup, can be exceptionally powerful if you learn it fully.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Macker

[williamcai]

I cant wait to show you my mates 3d renders with Revit. It's more like 80% photoshop. As for AutoCAD, I live in Australia and I can guarantee 1 in 10 job advertises for AutoCAD in the Architecture field. They might export in DWG and everybody has AutoCAD, but it doesnt mean they use it for production. All 3 firms I have worked / working for I have used AutoCAD, but all 3 are small firms and want to migrate to Revit...

[Chris MacDonald]

Well then perhaps recommend photoshop instead of Revit?

[williamcai]

I don't know, Revit is still good for Architecture as Architecture... Your're right, not the viz business i guess....

[Guest calumreid]

If you are just wanting to do viz then why bother learning a premium package that costs money like Revit, when you are doing the majority of the 'magic' in photoshop. Just learn a free modeler like sketch-up or blender. However if you already work in an actual architecture practice that already utilises Revit and you want to introduce some visuals, then by all means use Revit to get the base render, seeing as you already have and know how to use the package.

[notamondayfan]

why bother learning a premium package that costs money like Revit, when you are doing the majority of the 'magic' in photoshop.

 

If you are looking to work for visualisation studios then Max is a must. I don't know any arch vis studios that don't use Max. If you're doing it for your self, then choose what ever you want, but you can't ignore what's industry standard I'm afraid.

 

 

As for "work-flow", I truly believe any arch visualiser should have great modelling skills, so start there. If you don't have a good mesh to work with, it makes the rest of the process harder. A lot of intern / junior positions will be for modelling, so it's always a good step in the right direction. Plus you can start to put together a portfolio of work using very basic lighting and materials to illustrate your models.

 

Dean

[Tommy L]

If you are looking to work for visualisation studios then Max is a must. I don't know any arch vis studios that don't use Max. If you're doing it for your self, then choose what ever you want, but you can't ignore what's industry standard I'm afraid.

 

 

As for "work-flow", I truly believe any arch visualiser should have great modelling skills, so start there. If you don't have a good mesh to work with, it makes the rest of the process harder. A lot of intern / junior positions will be for modelling, so it's always a good step in the right direction. Plus you can start to put together a portfolio of work using very basic lighting and materials to illustrate your models.

 

Dean

 

I'd agree Max and basic modeling is the best place to start. Depends what software this guy has access to.

[Guest calumreid]

Oh no i wasn't meaning don't bother learning max, was just saying don't bother paying for Revit if you are just going to use it for viz when there are much better free options. I use max everyday for modelling (precisely for what you mentioned, my first job in viz so i do a lot of modelling, luckily its my favourite part!). So certainly if the OP is looking to get a job in arch viz then learn Max, no question.

[Scott Schroeder]

Revit's version of Mental Ray is like taking a Ferrari body and putting a lawnmower engine in it. It might look nice when you arrive but it'll take you forever to get there.

 

If you are planning on being the viz guy, you will want to learn Revit to the extent that you can get around a model, turn off layers, manipulate 3d views, and do some general model cleaning, because Revit models are always 95% bloated geometry, before you export (either via FBX or direct Revit link).

 

Same reasoning for learning AutoCAD, you'll want to know how to clean up floorplans before exporting them to Max or whatever other software.

 

For the comment that AutoCAD is being phased out, that's not entirely grounded in reality. For most places AutoCAD is still much quicker at cranking out just base plans than Revit. If all you need is a 2d plan during the SD phase, Revit is just a clunky overbearing pain in the ass. Revit comes in handy in DD when you can use the BIM side of things. But if you need a fast 2d plan, for most places, AutoCAD is still King and will remain there.

 

The reason why you want to have a basic working knowledge of Revit and AutoCAD is that many times jobs you get will have all of the info in either of those 2 packages. Even if you just use the Revit model as a guide to recreate everything in Max, which is the preferred way to do it as Revit geometry is generally crap.

 

But don't discount even more important tools that just software knowledge. Learn camera composition. Learn color theory and balancing. Learn shot staging and all sorts of visual cues. Learn why light matters and how shadows aren't the devil. Learn the art side. Remember, doing visualization is art. So approach it as an artist and not a technician.

[notamondayfan]

I'd agree Max and basic modeling is the best place to start. Depends what software this guy has access to.

 

The 30 day trail is a good place to start, then look at educational licences. Then press F1.....

[Tommy L]

Oh, and another thing you need a good handle on is Windows. This is often overlooked, but a lot of technical troubleshooting requires knowledge of what the OS is doing.

[notamondayfan]

Oh, and another thing you need a good handle on is Windows. This is often overlooked, but a lot of technical troubleshooting requires knowledge of what the OS is doing.

 

I don't really agree with you there, so long as you don't install anything you shouldn't, and don't mess with anything, then you shouldn't have any problems running Windows. Perhaps a quick overview of the task-manager is useful.

[Guest calumreid]

Oh, and another thing you need a good handle on is Windows. This is often overlooked, but a lot of technical troubleshooting requires knowledge of what the OS is doing.

 

I couldn't agree more. I would say more of a focus on the network/server side of things. Our server got shot to hell and it was a nightmare getting another one (sure an IT guy done the initial setup of the server, but we had to handle setting up our pc's on it) and registering our computers on the domain, into new work groups, local admins, server admins, setting up admin permissions and a heap of other stuff. Granted if nothing went wrong i wouldn't have had to deal with that, but a little extra knowledge cant hurt.

Edited July 17, 2013 by calumreid

[Tommy L]

so long as you don't install anything you shouldn't, and don't mess with anything, then you shouldn't have any problems running Windows..

My point exactly

Its not the running of windows, its understanding why your program is doing something. Max, any rendering platform for that matter, is very dependent on a collation of independent resources. Getting everything to play ball can seem like an impossible task if you dont understand some of the subjects the previous poster noted. Plugins make the world go round.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Tommy L

[notamondayfan]

I couldn't agree more. I would say more of a focus on the network/server side of things. Our server got shot to hell and it was a nightmare getting another one (sure someone else setup the server) and registering our computers on the domain, into new work groups, local admins, server admins, setting up admin permissions and a heap of other stuff. Granted if nothing went wrong i wouldn't have had to deal with that, but a little extra knowledge cant hurt.

 

But how many students / beginners have servers, multiple users, work groups, etc? I'm betting most have 1 PC, 1 log-in. Granted extra knowledge is always an advantage, but I have never studied Windows, networking, or anything like that, and to be honest it's very low on my priorities. If I need some advanced network, then I'd hire someone for a day or so. One thing I've learned since becoming freelance is to concentrate on what you're good at, and what's important, and then get someone else to do the other parts.

For example, I needed some changes to be made to my website, a couple of new features, and to alter the layout. Now I could have spent a week reading up how to do it, then another week doing it, or I could do what I do, get paid for it, and hire a web designer.

[Guest calumreid]

No, of course beginners and students wont have that, im talking about if he has future plans of getting into a studio. I'm in a small studio of just two people, i haven't ever studied networking, but i have learned on the job about basic networking (backburner, admins etc etc like i said). I feel like this thread may have strayed away from the original topic, so im going to leave it at that haha

[Scott Schroeder]

You might be surprised at the use of backburner on one single machine. You got 8 still images that need to render over night? What is the best way to render them while you sleep? Set up backburner on your one machine, submit all 8 jobs, then get a full 8 hours of sleep rather than waking up every so often to fire off a new render.

 

Backburner and network rendering is a critical base of knowledge to learn. All too often new people just waste weeks of their time starting at buckets rendering.

[williamcai]

I’m pretty new to the world of 3D and Architectural design and would be very happy if someone could guide me in the right direction before I start learning all the applications. I need a workflow.

 

I will start working AND learning in the Autodesk applications as I have access to them on the computers at school. My goal is to learn architectural design just for fun to begin with. Design my apartment with all the stuff in it, for example. I don’t mind if it take me a lot of work and time to get where I want as long as I get there and get started in the smartest way.

 

So here we go. Say that I want to design my apartment with everything in it. I want to make it accurate from the beginning with all the measurement 100% correct. Maybe in the future I’ll want to try out a new livingroom design in my “virtual” apartment before I go shopping. Where do I start?

 

What’s the best way for making floorplans, designing the raw interiors and so on? Say that I want to design the kitchen table with the correct dimension and angles. Should I start in Autocad to draw everything and then export it to 3Ds Max for the final touch and so on? Maybe Revit is better then Autocad?

 

It’s hard for me to explain my thoughts exact the way I’m thinking them but if you go with my example of designing my apartment as my project to learn about Architectural design. What would be the best way to go for me if I want to do it the way the pros doing it?

 

You don’t have to write the bible of architectural design, just show me the path

 

Thanks you!

 

I am not sure whether I am the only one to misinterpret what he was saying. I felt he was saying he wanted to design architecture more than 3d viz, and wanted to just put a final touch on his images if he ever decided to render it... Anyways here's is the "stunning" revit render from my friend. He did a whole set including interiors and exteriors and they take around 3 hours of PS work and 15 min of rendering. Modelling wise takes a day for him to model everything.