showcase exist in 2016?

[juliangalar]

will showcase in 2016 with something new?

please yes.

thanks

[Revit_LT]

Showcase makes architecture look like a piece of

candy that everybody wants. I don't think any other

rendering program can do that. 

[botman]

Thank you for sharing another example.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on this point of view.

The look and feel for architectural models generated by Showcase don't fit my needs. For me it feels more like a part suitable for a model-railway instead of a proper architectural model. All the materials feel to much poished and steely...

By the way: I don't use Photoshop afterwards, so a renderengine has to be 100% accurate to generate the render I'm looking for.

For engineering: Showcase is one of the best.

For Architecture: It doesn't fill my needs

It's just a difference of opinion, nothing more, nothing less though....

[cikho]

"all the materials feel too polished and steely"
well, you can mess with them as much as you want, tuning reflections and refractions at will..

if it looks like steel, it's just a setup 🙂

unfortunately i cannot share my main works, because of copyrights and sensible contents, maybe i can find around something personal to share..

[botman]

Hi Cikho,

I know, I tweaked and created lots of materials but still, Showcase can't give me the proper architectural look I need.

This is not a complaint in any case by the way, Showcase is perfect for other renderings and I enjoy working with it for my engineering needs. Therefore I hope AutoDesk is willing to maintain this nice piece of software.

The proper look and feel for architectural models can be obtained by using other software for as far as I'm concerned. No stress in that department... 

One thing I've learned over the past 25+ years working with CAD/render/engineering software is that a sole program which fills al your needs doesn't exist and (probably) never will.

Choose the proper kit for your needs, this might consist of several programs to reach your goal.

It's a bit like a car: Sometimes you can get to your destination by using a fancy two-seater, hairs waving in the wind, feeling on top of the world, the next thing you know you have to take your wife and kids (and a huge amount of luggage!) with you to go on a holiday and therefore choosing an estate or minivan.

Both ways of transportation and at the same time both ways completely different.... 

[Revit_LT]

"suitable for a model-railway"

Wow that's amazing. And I can't disagree you on that. 

Kind-of like fantasy rendering I guess. 

I haven't used Showcase yet with any architects I work

for, but I'm wondering if this cute, (and kind-of unusual),

way of rendering might not sell architecture better than

the horribly boring, (and beautiful), MentalRay.

Showcase is probably about as far as I would stray away

from Revit MentalRay that I know so well. 

Of course like someone just said, Showcase does have a

lot of controls for different appearances. But I think you

are right, fundamentally the program renders toy models.

Here's one I rendered that might go in a model-railway.

Revit MentalRay, no Photoshop or anything else.

[botman]

Don;t be offended by the model-railway expression, it was the first thing that came into my mind....

Maybe your idea of rendering for architects might work. It's another approach for sure and it not up to me to say what's right or wrong. Eventually the creator and it's client decide the wanted workflow and outcome.

It's allways good to seek new ways to present your material.

Most of the time less is more regarding to visualisations, don't you think? 

[cikho]

well actually this one looks like some isometric infographics icon 🙂

[Revit_LT]

It's definitely isometric, but whether it's an icon or a toy is

completely in someone's imagination.

[Revit_LT]

"less is more regarding visualisations"

I don't think anyone will ever know. The client just

looks at whatever style of rendering you have to

show them. They usually have more money then

we do and are smart enough to visualize what 

they need from any kind of rendering. As long as

it's not one of those old kind of renderings, like

watercoloring or colored CAD lines or something.

There's a very large number of modern rendering

programs on the market. Some good ones are even

free. But rendering is the fun part.

[Revit_LT]

SHOWCASE EXPOSED FOR WHAT IT IS!

It has nothing to do with color, it's the way it lays down shadows.

Every rendering program only has to do with the way it does shadows.

I've honestly never seen a rendering program do shadows better than 

Showcase. I think I'm going to go ahead and buy a Showcase license.

Then look at MentalRay. Full illumination precision. The same image

that takes two hours with textures and reflections.

[Revit_LT]

Botman- why don't you post a model rendered with Artlantis

where it's only the shadows on white. I would like to see

what that rendering is about. 

I fully see what you mean about the animated look of

Showcase lighting, compared to the real look of MentalRay.

I'm primarily concerned about what style of lighting effect

will more likely cause the client to "reach out and grab it."

No doubt MentalRay looks like the real thing, and Showcase

makes the model look like a toy, but which one will excite 

the client to sign the contract?

Getting down to serious business right here with Autodesk.

Thank you Autodesk.

[Revit_LT]

How much does anyone want to bet that Autodesk wants to take this

killer app into the cloud for Revit users and put its greasy fingers on

everyone's computers and charge by the minute through that subscription

crap? I'll bet you anything.

All the controls in Showcase work just like Revit. And it's fast. They

tried putting MentalRay in the cloud but that way of rendering is too

slow.

Here's Showcase again but with the exposure settings modified to get

rid of that toy look. And the ray tracing was done on the basic mode.

[Revit_LT]

Autodesk,

Please continue offering for sale this stand-alone version of Showcase

on its normal release dates, even if that means only a general-purpose

update each year.

Thank you.

[botman]

Sure, no problem.

Maybe you can share a simple, copyright-free, model which I can use so you can see the difference between Showcase and Artlantis of comparable?

[Revit_LT]

Any geometry that's not too complicated, but with enough

angles and openings to show what the light and shadows

do using Artlantis. You can put a couple of color shades

with it but that doesn't change anything about the light and

shadows. It's all about how the light and shadows present

the 3D geometry. No textures or anything like that is needed

for this. Shadows on white only is the best test.

There has to be one rendering program that presents 3D 

geometry better than any other program. I guess the ray-

trace approach is the most modern way, especially since it's

so fast. The way MentalRay does it is to calculate light bounces

along with soft shadows. This new way is about eminence and

soft shadows. The light-bouncing approach is great for interiors.

I bet you and I could end up being unable to disagree on

what rendering approach presents 3D geometry for exterior

buildings the best.

I posted the light and shadows of Showcase and MentalRay.

MentalRay is the heavy-hitter, and I've been surprised that

Showcase appears to do a better job than MentalRay.

Also don't forget that we are talking about architecture

here, and that means the program needs to have soft

shadows as would be created by the sun. KeyShot renders

good for studio-like indoor elements, but I didn't see where

it has the sun-shadows needed for architecture.

But I have a feeling Showcase will be the winner. Let's get

to the bottom of this. Go for it.

[botman]

Don't have the time to create a model myself...and to make a proper comparison it's best to use the same model otherwise youl'd be comparing apples with pears.

On the other hand: If you think Showcase is the winner on forehand, why not buy a licence to make sure you can keep using it for a couple of years?

[juliangalar]

Render in Showcase

https://plus.google.com/photos/+JulianGalar/albums/6121653155414823489?sort=1

[admaiora]

Nice Julian!

[Revit_LT]

"why not buy a license to make sure you can keep using it"

This was the purpose of my original post here. I would

like to start using Showcase commercially, but I don't

have a license for it yet.

I don't want to buy a license today for the 2015 version

if 2016 will be here next month, I'll wait for 2016. But

typically with Autodesk, if you don't buy a license for a

CURRENT version of a software program, you CANNOT 

"buy backward." And I've never heard of buying a license

for an Autodesk program that has been discontinued.

Am I or the OP here, or anyone else, being unreasonable

for questioning whether or not there will be a 2016

release for Showcase? Does Autodesk think no updates

all year for a program is so common that no one should 

be concerned about a forthcoming new release? Does

Autodesk ever announce in advance that a program will

be discontinued? (Forget about all the rumors).

As far as I know, this is an Autodesk Showcase forum, 

with Autodesk participation. All I've seen here from any 

Autodesk post in response to the creation of this thread

is something more agitating than helpful, something like

"gee I haven't heard anything." 

Is Showcase on track for a 2016 release or not?

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

[Revit_LT]

juliangalar- did you do this using the "Basic" Lighting Mode?