The Architectural Design field needs a different Visualization/Collaboration design tool

[Travis Smith]

I'm curious if others are thinking the same thing as myself. This is difficult to articulate, but I'll give it a try.

I've watched the visualization trends and tools change over the last 23 years making it easier to create real-time renders that look great without the need to be an expert in any particular piece of software. I feel as though we're at a turning point now, but nobody is really providing the tools I believe a lot of us are looking for. I used to be 100% focused on creating 3D visuals for design teams using 3DS Max and VRay. Now I am managing the process more than creating the actual visuals. The technology is there already to create quick easy visuals yes, but designers (and clients) need to be taking advantage of not only real-time render technology but also "virtual" and "collaboration" technology. With tools like Revit and Fuzor working in conjunction with each other or being bi-directional a designer can essentially walk out of their physical design space and into their virtual design space to make sure they are understanding every aspect of their design. Their spaces look great right out of the box and they can interact with it. With the way Revit works, a "virtual space" being viewed outside of Revit can be completely interactive right out of the box without the need for an expert that can manipulate a complicated piece of software like Unreal or Unity in order to give the client or the designer an interactive experience with their designed space. For instance, if a door family that will be used over and over again is setup properly in Revit when it's created, that door can be opened and closed inside Fuzor without the need for special programing etc. like would be required in Unreal or Unity. No special knowledge or experience is needed to make this happen. This can be done from the desktop or in VR. This makes the idea of designing and collaborating in both the real and virtual world seamless and easy without having years of experience in creating virtual interactive experiences. This can now be done by a novice in real-time without years of experience. 

I guess my question is why are there not more tools providing this type of truly real-time and collaborative/interactive process? A designer or Architect does not have the time to learn Unity or Unreal. Therefore an expert needs to be hired. This doesn't make sense to me. We all know how easy it is to create a beautiful visual in Lumion, Twinmotion and even a handful of other products without having years of experience. Now imagine your Revit model functioned inside Lumion or Twinmotion just like it does inside Revit. Imagine moving your furniture around in your easy to use viz software with accurate lighting and materials then pushing those changes back to Revit. Essentially one design/visualization eco system.....kind of like real life!

I'm not pushing or advocating for the use of Fuzor. I'm asking why there are not other options available. The old school viz process of, you do your thing and give it to me. Then I'll do my thing and give it to the next guy, etc. etc. Then the design changes and we start the entire process over again is antiquated and not necessary in today's world. The industry seems to want to keep us doing things the same way we've always done it......just a little easier now. If I had a million bucks I'd make it happen. And don't get me started on AI!

Curious on your thoughts.

[Maxim Naval]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:25 PM, Travis Smith said:

I'm curious if others are thinking the same thing as myself. This is difficult to articulate, but I'll give it a try.

I've watched the visualization trends and tools change over the last 23 years making it easier to create real-time renders that look great without the need to be an expert in any particular piece of software. I feel as though we're at a turning point now, but nobody is really providing the tools I believe a lot of us are looking for. I used to be 100% focused on creating 3D visuals for design teams using 3DS Max and VRay. Now I am managing the process more than creating the actual visuals. The technology is there already to create quick easy visuals yes, but designers (and clients) need to be taking advantage of not only real-time render technology but also "virtual" and "collaboration" technology. With tools like Revit and Fuzor working in conjunction with each other or being bi-directional a designer can essentially walk out of their physical design space and into their virtual design space to make sure they are understanding every aspect of their design. Their spaces look great right out of the box and they can interact with it. With the way Revit works, a "virtual space" being viewed outside of Revit can be completely interactive right out of the box without the need for an expert that can manipulate a complicated piece of software like Unreal or Unity in order to give the client or the designer an interactive experience with their designed space. For instance, if a door family that will be used over and over again is setup properly in Revit when it's created, that door can be opened and closed inside Fuzor without the need for special programing etc. like would be required in Unreal or Unity. No special knowledge or experience is needed to make this happen. This can be done from the desktop or in VR. This makes the idea of designing and collaborating in both the real and virtual world seamless and easy without having years of experience in creating virtual interactive experiences. This can now be done by a novice in real-time without years of experience. 

I guess my question is why are there not more tools providing this type of truly real-time and collaborative/interactive process? A designer or Architect does not have the time to learn Unity or Unreal. Therefore an expert needs to be hired. This doesn't make sense to me. We all know how easy it is to create a beautiful visual in Lumion, Twinmotion and even a handful of other products without having years of experience. Now imagine your Revit model functioned inside Lumion or Twinmotion just like it does inside Revit. Imagine moving your furniture around in your easy to use viz software with accurate lighting and materials then pushing those changes back to Revit. Essentially one design/visualization eco system.....kind of like real life!

I'm not pushing or advocating for the use of Fuzor. I'm asking why there are not other options available. The old school viz process of, you do your thing and give it to me. Then I'll do my thing and give it to the next guy, etc. etc. Then the design changes and we start the entire process over again is antiquated and not necessary in today's world. The industry seems to want to keep us doing things the same way we've always done it......just a little easier now. If I had a million bucks I'd make it happen. And don't get me started on AI!

Curious on your thoughts.

The question is interesting.
But in my opinion maybe in the future. When a group of architects or designers Intuit will plunge deeper into the given problem.
But let's not forget when the 3D sphere appeared another new profession, you alone know how much time you waste to execute qualitative interior or exterior visualizations.
And with the more and more advanced development of visualization programs with the stronger increase and the wishes of customers "please make my renders to be like profisonal photos, as close to realistic", a profisonal in the 3D sphere offers the possibility of the designer or architect not to waste time in the elaboration of renders but to deal with a client, new project.
And do not forget that Revit and Fuzor genre of such programs are directed more in design and not in the visual part, only to imagine that in the design programs add all the possibilities of 3ds max, Unity or Unreal how big will be applications and what resources we will need to run them. Only in Unreal Engine what pc or server you have to have in a few moments to execute render of a large project.
Yeah, it's great to have that. But will not disappear customers who can not appreciate the proposals of the designers or architects, for the reason given and many operate with that 3 modifications are free and the rest paid. Many customers have the motto" I pay - it means you do what I want and as many times as I want " and because of them all damage. But there are applications linking the designer, architect and the rest of the team that give you the information on time when and what modification was executed and is to be modified in the project.