What exactly is the Job of a 3D Visualizer?

[vickys]

Hello CGA community, I want to learn "3D Architectural Visualization" and it might soon be my Career, So I wish to know...

1. What exactly is this Job?
   
2. What is the relationship of a Visualizer with an Interior Designer and an Architect respectively?
   

Note: I am not educated in Interior Design/Architecture.

 

Will be very Thankful to People who Share their Knowledge

Kindly direct me to related thread if it is already there.....

[John Dollus]

1. varies greatly.

2. Visualizer is to Interior Designer and Architect as fruit picker is to chef (if you ask the architect/designer)

[Scott Schroeder]

1. This job is being an expert mind reader because when the client says blue, they really don't mean blue blue. They mean more of a red blue. By that, I mean red. Maybe, green.

 

2. You make the architect look way better than they are without getting credit yourself. You make the interior designers mad when you select a tile that just looks cool only to find out that it is $500 for a square foot and they only have budgeted $100 a square foot. But the client has seen the renderings and loves the $500 tile, but will only pay $100.

[James Vella]

1. ranges from concept,interior design, garden design, other design categories (atleast understanding the basics), color theory, composition, basic science, basic IT, perspective, topology, geography, videography,motion graphics, photography, patience, communication, business savviness, networking, some basic accounting/book managing, time management, project management, marketing, and a whole range of things in between which you tailor towards your end goal (artistic, management, technical work, owning a business etc).

 

2. Architect creates the design of the structure, Interior Designer creates the design for the interior, you communicate this with the market visually - and hopefully if all 3 are sync with each other you are successful.

[Lewis Garrison]

1. Take words, plans, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, schedules, and cut-sheets, and turn them into beautiful visualizations depicting the project in the most appealing way.

 

2. The Architect provides you with as much (or as little) information they have on the project. From there the relationship relies on proper communication to get the result the Architect is paying you to achieve. Because of this proper knowledge of architecture is advantageous. Like what Scott Schroeder said, putting $500 SF tile in a $100 SF project is asking to get chewed out by the Architect. Again communication is key.

[vickys]

Thanks for your Informations

Edited January 10, 2018 by vickys

[NigelStutt]

If you dont know what it is why do you want it to be your career? You really need to investigate your career choices properly not just ask on a forum, because you wont get many decent answers on a forum. I wouldnt even think about archvis unless you are extremely dedicated, artistic, and creative because anyone remotely artistic is heading this way these days and the market is saturated with very cheap artists. Be a scientist or a lawyer or something sensible instead if you want a reasonable standard of living. By all means do this as a hobby and perhaps you may get some money at it but it isnt really a very sensible option to support yourself with full time.

[vickys]

If you dont know what it is why do you want it to be your career? You really need to investigate your career choices properly not just ask on a forum, because you wont get many decent answers on a forum. I wouldnt even think about archvis unless you are extremely dedicated, artistic, and creative because anyone remotely artistic is heading this way these days and the market is saturated with very cheap artists. Be a scientist or a lawyer or something sensible instead if you want a reasonable standard of living. By all means do this as a hobby and perhaps you may get some money at it but it isnt really a very sensible option to support yourself with full time.

 

Ok, let me make my question more precise then.

3D Visualization = Photography?

Like Photographing the finished Building. Except that "3D tool(3DS MAX, Blender, etc.,)" is the Camera here. I know this is what a Visualizer do even before starting this thread, I just want to be 100% sure about this.

[Andrew _GF]

It's similar but the learning curve is quite long.

 

You need to learn many separate skills like modelling, texturing/shading, lighting and postproduction, and on the top of that have a good eye for composition.

 

Also if you want it to be your job you need to like it enough to work in kind of a narrow subjects variety, and find something interesting in another interior/architecture order/job. I know some folks who were good at this but got bored and discouraged after several years.

 

There is a big competition in this industry now, so you need to really love it to make it your job. For me personally a big surprise was how much the 2D postproduction is important, and also didn't find enough of love to work only on archiviz so I went into a different branch of 3D.

 

I guess there is no other way than to give it try and share your work with professionals like here. You will figure it out on the way.

Edited January 16, 2018 by archman

[NigelStutt]

Ok, let me make my question more precise then.

3D Visualization = Photography?

Like Photographing the finished Building. Except that "3D tool(3DS MAX, Blender, etc.,)" is the Camera here. I know this is what a Visualizer do even before starting this thread, I just want to be 100% sure about this.

 

Yes it is that. You are creating an image of the building before it has been built to show people, who cant read plans and elevations very well, how that building will look when its finished. Its definitely a very creative art in that the best images have something story-like about them. But tbh most of the work you get here in UK is illustrating houses as quickly and cheaply as possible, sometimes apartments, industrial units or offices. Very rare to get something like a museum or airport - they usually only go to the large firms! But if you find a niche you can do some nice stuff. One person here does images that look like watercolours for example and seems to be very successful. If you want to do this successfully maybe investigate the history of architectural illustration and see what you might like to do in terms of establishing a style. But just doing photorealistic illustrations is a bit run of the mill now - loads of people can do them. But not everyone has the artistic flair required to produce a form of 'art'.

 

But like all arts, including architecture in many respects, the salary is low compared to other non-artistic jobs. Everyone wants to get into art or sport or music - no-one wants to get into accounting, IT or quantity surveying. This is why salaries in those other professions are so much higher. And why you really need to excel if you are to get into an artistic career.

 

This, along with the learning curve, is why I said you are best exploring another career to supplement your income whilst you learn and establish yourself in archvis. For example I am an architect - I do certifications of buildings to supplement my archvis income and previously all me income came from being an architect. If I wasnt doing that I wouldnt be able to live. I see archvis as more of a hobby that may take off at some point and may not. That probably the best way to look at it unless you are extremely dedicated and very creative (or rich).

Edited January 16, 2018 by NigelStutt

[ahmeds]

2. You make the architect look way better than they are without getting credit yourself. You make the interior designers mad when you select a tile that just looks cool only to find out that it is $500 for a square foot and they only have budgeted $100 a square foot. But the client has seen the renderings and loves the $500 tile, but will only pay $100.

 

Thank you for bringing this up! I've always wondered about this, when you're only going by a set of blueprints, who's job is it to decorate the interior? Is FF&E the correct term for this aspect of the rendering process? Do you get a list of furniture to use or do you have to tap into your inner Kelly Hoppen to complete the job?

[NigelStutt]

Thank you for bringing this up! I've always wondered about this, when you're only going by a set of blueprints, who's job is it to decorate the interior? Is FF&E the correct term for this aspect of the rendering process? Do you get a list of furniture to use or do you have to tap into your inner Kelly Hoppen to complete the job?

 

Its your job if you are asked to do it or agree to do it.

 

Often when you are doing a visual the client and architect wont know and probably wont care exactly what furniture will be used in the final building its usually up to the artist to make it look realistic and interesting.

 

That also applies to landscaping around buildings and even external finishes and colours. A lot of the time the illustration will be used to guide the architect and client what might be suitable for that building.

 

But you need to ensure, by prior agreement, if you are doing any design that you either have free reign without objection or if they are going to want to change things several times that you have that time/cost covered somehow. This is where contracts come in.

[vickys]

Yes it is that. You are creating an image of the building before it has been built to show people, who cant read plans and elevations very well, how that building will look when its finished. Its definitely a very creative art in that the best images have something story-like about them. But tbh most of the work you get here in UK is illustrating houses as quickly and cheaply as possible, sometimes apartments, industrial units or offices. Very rare to get something like a museum or airport - they usually only go to the large firms! But if you find a niche you can do some nice stuff. One person here does images that look like watercolours for example and seems to be very successful. If you want to do this successfully maybe investigate the history of architectural illustration and see what you might like to do in terms of establishing a style. But just doing photorealistic illustrations is a bit run of the mill now - loads of people can do them. But not everyone has the artistic flair required to produce a form of 'art'.

 

But like all arts, including architecture in many respects, the salary is low compared to other non-artistic jobs. Everyone wants to get into art or sport or music - no-one wants to get into accounting, IT or quantity surveying. This is why salaries in those other professions are so much higher. And why you really need to excel if you are to get into an artistic career.

 

This, along with the learning curve, is why I said you are best exploring another career to supplement your income whilst you learn and establish yourself in archvis. For example I am an architect - I do certifications of buildings to supplement my archvis income and previously all me income came from being an architect. If I wasnt doing that I wouldnt be able to live. I see archvis as more of a hobby that may take off at some point and may not. That probably the best way to look at it unless you are extremely dedicated and very creative (or rich).

 

Thanks for your advise, always good to know from the more experienced Professional Artists