What is the best workflow to render from Revit?

[kastarts]

Hey guys,

 

if i understand correctly the better choices you have if you made a project in Revit are:

 

a) render in A360

b) install Vray in Revit and render

c) export to 3dsmax and render to Vray

d) render in standalone Vray

e) other?

 

From your experience what is the preferable way to save time and have the best visual result (i am only familiar with vray as a renderer) and keep as a general workflow?

 

In case such a post exists please share the link

 

Thank you

[Nicolai Bongard]

The answers you get will vary a lot since everyone has their own workflow and thus will claim that it is the ultimate one since obviously they will be more familiar with that process and thus have the impression that it is the most efficient one. It also depends on what your definition of best visual result is. I am unsure if Revit has any scattering solutions to make forests or similar stuff, and if that is important for your visualisations you workflow should include a software that has those capabilities. While it is awesome that vray is expanding into the different Architecture modelling softwares i think the major benefit is that architects can setup basic materials and somehow get an impression of how it will look before it is transferred to the one who is doing the visualisations, and then it is up to them to push it even further in whatever software they choose. But to answer your question, i would go for option C- export to 3dsmax and render with vray, as 3ds max has a lot of tools that are lacking in Archicad (a Revit equivalent), and most furniture and other props are easily available in different formats that 3ds max can use. However if only a more basic toolset is required to achieve the look of the visuals you desire, then you could perhaps get away with going for another option.

[beestee]

I think the future is moving towards real-time. You might want to look at what these options are now offering for Revit workflows:

 

Autodesk Live Design

Enscape

Lumion

 

From the options you gave, if you are most familiar with Revit, staying native has it's perks and the little bit that I got to play around with VRay for Revit it left a good impression. If you need super accurate lighting and high print resolution output, I think that is the way to go for you. If you think having a significantly more responsive process might be more beneficial, and you are okay sacrificing ultra high quality, you might want to look at those real-time options.

[sebastiankavanagh]

Ultimately it depends on what you are striving to achieve. Are you trying to make quick and dirty renders which quickly communicate an idea or are you looking for ultra realistic renders?

 

a) I've never used the A360 render engine but it will produce renders fast but lacking in detail.

b) I've used Vray in Revit and it offers alright results. Obviously it needs work in post production but it produces images relatively fast. An example of my work: http://imgur.com/aPw0rIN

c) This is probably the best option for ultra realistic images. I'm trying to learn it at the moment but there seems to be a huge learning curve involved.

d) I can't really comment on this as I've never tried this.

e) Other render engines can do some amazing work for instance C4D which I hear is easier than 3DS Max and is made by the same people who make ArchiCAD.

 

At the moment Vray in Revit works best for me at the moment. However, I am trying to learn 3DS max and Vray as it offers better results albeit a lot of time is required to model, set up cameras and figure out materials. Not to mention a lot of time is needed in post production. Best of luck with your endeavour and remember it ultimately comes down to practice!

[rossenhristov]

It seems that there is a new version of VRay for Revit recently release which claims to make things go up to 4 times faster.

[Silicon Valley infomedia Pvt. Ltd.]

When discussing the best workflow to render from Revit, consider these steps for efficient rendering:

1. Model Preparation:

   • Ensure the Revit model is optimized with proper materials, textures, and lighting settings.
   • Reduce unnecessary elements and clean up the model to improve performance during rendering.

2. Choosing the Right Rendering Engine:

   • Revit has a built-in rendering engine, but for more advanced results, consider using external tools like Enscape, Lumion, V-Ray, or Twinmotion. These tools provide real-time rendering, better lighting control, and enhanced realism.

3. Material and Texture Adjustment:

   • Revit materials are often not optimized for photorealistic rendering. Fine-tune or replace materials in external rendering software to achieve higher quality and more realistic visuals.

4. Lighting Setup:

   • Use natural daylight, artificial lighting, and environment settings properly. The placement of lights can drastically affect the outcome. External renderers often have better options for HDRI skies and sunlight simulations.

5. View and Camera Settings:

   • Set up your camera views in Revit carefully. Adjust the focal length, depth of field, and view angles to capture the best perspectives for rendering.

6. Export Settings:

   • If you're using an external renderer, export your Revit model in formats like FBX, DWG, or use direct plugins that allow seamless transfer between Revit and the rendering software.

7. Rendering Settings:

   • In the rendering software, set the rendering quality, resolution, and passes. For final presentations, opt for high-resolution settings but for drafts, a lower resolution will save time.

8. Post-Processing:

   • After rendering, use post-processing tools like Photoshop or Lightroom to enhance the image by adjusting contrast, brightness, color balance, and adding finishing touches.

This workflow ensures that your Revit renderings are optimized and realistic, providing the best visual outputs for your projects.