topic Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture? in AutoCAD Architecture Forum

Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

caddesigner — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:31:21 GMT

I have been using AutoCAD Architectural for quite awhile. I am fairly proficient at building my 3d model and it looks great in Conceptual view etc. but I am just struggling with materials and lighting shadows etc. I wanted to have somebody from my local AutoCAD reseller and training center come to my office for a little one on one tutoring as I feel I am close but would just need some help. They say they can not find anyone that does Rendering in Architectural anymore, they want me to switch to Revit then do my rendering from there. I have looked at Revit but it just seems like I really like Architectural all I want to do is a little bit of rendering. Anybody have any suggestions or able to help me. I have attached a file of what I have and what I would like to end up with.

Thanks in advance.

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Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

pendean — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:14:22 GMT

There is quite a bit of free content on the web, like this quick-start (lighting is critical, slapping materials on surfaces is never enough):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQnNMQ_sCCI
http://www.augi.com/library/autocad-architecture-rendering-basics
http://www.archidigm.com/lounge/architectural_desktop/rendering/AutoCAD_Architecture_Render_Materials_Xrefs.htm
http://www.cad-notes.com/setting-up-autocad-sun-light-is-easy/
http://www.dscohn.com/AU/handouts/GD111-3%20Rendering%20Part%201-PPT.pdf

Remember, most professionals touch up AutoCAD renderings in Photoshop to make it look it's best (or buy additional software add-ons) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0wIq4PZiQ
http://www.renderplus.com/manuals/Rendering%20with%20AutoCAD%20using%20nXtRender%20-%20Albert%20Hart.pdf

Similar questions from other users:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-architecture-general/help-with-autocad-architecture-rendering/td-p/3497832

And from Autodesk:
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-architecture/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/AutoCAD-Architecture/files/GUID-42015EE8-9684-4C0A-8DF2-2FC513AA82E1-htm.html

Online classes (there are so many, these are a few):
https://www.udemy.com/learning-autocad-3d-modeling-and-rendering/
http://www.lynda.com/Architecture-training-tutorials/2-0.html
http://coursehorse.com/autocad-classes-nyc/certificate-in-autocad-iii-3-d-modeling-and-rendering

Adn yes, REVIT is the future, ACA is the past: if you have only a few years left to work stick with ACA, but if you plan to work "forever" REVIT is where you need to be IMHO.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

caddesigner — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:32:28 GMT

Thank You very much for this great reply, lots of great information that I will be checking out. You have a Happy New Year

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:42:25 GMT

Sorry for a late response, but i just found this post,

I am actually trying to take ACA2015 to the point of rendering that revit or the cloud cannot go to. I am meeting with autodesk to go over what i have discovered while rendering in revit vs. ACA. I have seen al of the rendering tutorials online that were suggested to you, but there are some better ones,

and i will post a few below. I thinks its sad that when a new fad comes in -"revit" and youve been using ACA for so long, and everyone starts telling you that ACA is a thing of the past. We have been labled a "dinosaur". I can def. speak for ACA it blows revit out of the water, its just more complicated. the advanced render settings, exposure, and sun settings are a major key and are to be used all at once when rendering. But he was right in one respect, they are adding some more goodies to revit than they are ACA, -"ambient occlusion" has been separated out to modify, but thats about it. ACA's new materials are what will really bring out the perfection in the render now too, plus the render engine "mental ray" acts differently in ACA than in Revit, its faster.

you will def. need a lot of cores and max out the computer essentially. if your boss will let you get a new machine. Revit has gone the way of producing "soft-images" vs. perfection close to hdri renderings and the renders have become speckled with light. This really means they are trying to make it easier for everyone to render even the novice, but thats not really how its done. Light and how it acts on materials is extremely important in the drawing and these things can be perfected in ACA vs. Revit. Not only that but there isnt one thing really that Revit can do that ACA cant. But for some reason the resellers are pushing ACA out as if its old and outdated. No clue why, but I will get to the bottom of this and we will def. be keeping ACA around for years to come. No sense in learning something new if the old one works just fine.

dont give up on ACA just yet, there's still fight in this dog!

below i gave you example renders: one in aliminum is in ACA2015,

and skyscraper is in ACA2008. kitchen is also 2008, i geting ready to produce some new ones with 2015's full potential when im done ill try to get some

settings to you. by the way what version are you using?

search in google: v1_AC4606_Bartels, great lesson, also AB310-3_James_Smell, plus, 60525_1622_CH18, these are basic but will help you start to understand how to make the lighting come out good in a render, and what all the settings actually mean.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

caddesigner — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 17:43:11 GMT

Thank You very much, this is the type of dog we need. One with some fight in it. Those are some amazing renderings. I have been extremely busy in the office lately but I will find time to experiment more with rendering in ACA by the way I am using 2013 right now but I have 2015 but have not installed it yet. Thanks again

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 19:11:42 GMT

2013 was great and simper to use i think, 2015 has some new interface mods that really just need to be clicked off, its also graphics intensive and the hardware acceleration buttons have changed and allow more use of rendering mods. but the format is still a 2013 file so you should have no problem using

older files. But if i were you, when you finally install i would def. perform all update with install, and not migrate the cui, the math in the program def. feels different, and they even kept the old acad cui interface (which i use), so def. update the driver on the graphics card, osnap are extremely intelligent, and offers a 3d snap now, plus all of teh 3d object work together so it doesnt matter whether you use 3dsolid or mesh it all subtracts/converts, again the materials are just about perfect now, and you will get a request to download the material library def. do it. to add it all. its crazy actually, now i can select the finish of paint, sprayed/brushed/rolled, and then flat/glossy/semigloss/eggshell etc. so as i am busy finishing the const. drawings on the next project i will model it will still be a while before i get to render. built-in's stink and take soooo long to detail :(. i will be on the forum from time to time so if you ever need any help let me know, just post a reply.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

ntellery — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 16:35:56 GMT

Dang my long reply got munched from a mistype.

Blog articles on some aspects of rendering.

My renders inside ACA.

I aim for decent not high end renders. Enough to do the job!

I'm off the bed but I will try to get back another longer reply and try to be more helpful.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 19:03:55 GMT

Man that building you did with curved walls is amazing, looks real. nice shadowing.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

ntellery — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:27:17 GMT

I can't think of any building I've done with curved walls !? Except the castle for a bit of fun.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

Base12 — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 23:35:35 GMT

I know this is an old thread, but where did you find that granite countertop material!? I could really use that in a current project. Also do you know if Revit will read ACA, or 3DS material files? I've been using Vray as my after market ray trace. It's not free, but it does a dynamite job.

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

Hollywood22668 — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:39:01 GMT

Have there been any new developments in the 10 years since this was posted? I'm also partial to the ACAD Arch format and need simple renderings to communicate the general idea of retail lobbies, NOTHING to the extent of what's posted above. (which is SUPER-impressive, btw. 🙂

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

pendean — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:24:21 GMT

@Hollywood22668 wrote:
Have there been any new developments in the 10 years since this was posted?

For what exactly?

Re: Does anybody do Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture?

Base12 — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:44:18 GMT

It's my opinion that Autodesk is a software acquisition company, not a development company. They buy mediocre software from other vendors, slap their logo on it and trick every one in the world to use it. They update the button icons every couple years but otherwise fully ignore all of the real problems, then move on to the next thing and abandon the previous "flag ship" product that everyone is now stuck with.