Ten Benefits of V-Ray for Architectural Modelling

Integration into Other Software is Just the Start

Rendering is vital in the world of digital design. A great render will show everything that your model has to offer. Clients want to see the most accurate representation of your work, after all. This means a poor render can have the opposite effect. Bad rendering software will scupper all of your digital design work. This results in lost clients and income.

V-Ray has become the rendering software of choice for most architects in recent years. It’s used across many industries to create photorealistic models. Anybody who has played the Halo videogames or enjoyed an episode of Game of Thrones will have seen what V-Ray can do.

This has made V-Ray an industry standard in 3D modelling. You may be wondering why so here are ten reasons why V-Ray is ideal for architectural modelling.

 

Benefit #1 – Overall Speed

 

Speed is of the essence when you’re working towards a tight deadline. Your client wants to see your work as quickly as possible so the project can move forward. Any inefficiencies in your workflow can cause issues. This extends to the speed of your rendering software.

This is where V-Ray really shines. Compared to other digital design and rendering software, V-Ray can bring your models to life fast. You will need a machine capable of running the software effectively, of course. Even so, you get render times than any comparable software.

Better yet, you can adjust the settings to produce low quality renders. What’s the advantage of that? Well, a quick, low quality render can give you’re a barebones look at your model once rendered. These rough drafts can show you what you need to work on without causing you to waste time on forming a full render.

Efficiency in the workflow benefits anybody working in architectural modelling. Getting your models to presentation quality and in front of clients quicker will mark you out as somebody who can get the job done.

 

Benefit #2 – The Probabilistic Light Setting

The more light sources you have, the more difficult the render. This has been an issue in rendering and digital design software for years. Even older versions of V-Ray struggled in this area. The software had to figure out how each light source would affect the direct light for the render. These calculations add up and lead to slow rendering times.

This is not the case in the new version of V-Ray. The software offers a new probabilistic light setting. It’s found in the Global Switches menu and is set to “off” as a default. Turn it on and you will immediately see how it benefits architectural modelling.

The setting allows you to choose several random lights that V-Ray will use to evaluate each visible point on the model. Not only does this take a lot of work out of your hands, but it also makes rendering much quicker. After all, V-Ray has far smaller values to work with when using Probabilistic Lights. The setting allows for greater rendering speed. Thus, it creates a more efficient workflow.

 

Benefit #3 – Amazing Integration

 

Any good rendering software needs to integrate well with the digital design packages that architects use. V-Ray integrates with everything from Rhino 3D and 3DS Max to SketchUp. As a plug-in, V-Ray needs to work well with any software an architect may choose. It does so and it does it seamlessly.

How is this beneficial for architectural modelling? Well, it means that you won’t need to spend hours struggling with V-Ray to get it to work alongside your chosen software. Bugs and glitches are less of an issue than they are with other rendering packages.

We must offer special recognition to how well V-Ray meshes with SketchUp and the rest of the SketchUp suite. Many architects see SketchUp as a way to create quick models using a simple set of tools. These models may not always meet the professional standards the industry requires without quality rendering. V-Ray steps up to the plate and ensures models made using SketchUp deliver upon render. In essence, integrating V-Ray into your digital design software allows you to make good models look great.

 

Benefit #4 – Loads of Options

 

V-Ray is not the easiest digital design rendering software to learn. That’s a fact from which there is no escaping. However, the software does offer an amazing array of options. V-Ray gives you more options for rendering than any other plug-ins on the market. You can spend hours figuring out all of the different options and sliders. Each can affect your render in a variety of ways. Finding out how is part of the fun. It can also help you make even better models.

You can fine tune almost everything. V-Ray allows you to change camera settings and lighting as needed. You can even alter material textures and your bump maps. The key here is the flexibility to do what you want with your model. For a professional architect, being able to make such changes can make all the difference when trying to secure a contract. It puts you in complete control of your model. No restrictions means even greater detail.

The best part is that you don’t have to fiddle with these options if you don’t want to. V-Ray will still make amazing renders on the default setting. Still, it’s useful to have the choice there if you want it.

 

Benefit #5 – The Huge Library

 

A good resource library is a boon in architectural modelling. Without one, it becomes much more difficult to work with your digital design software. Picture the scene. You spend hours poring over a model. You add the final touches and get ready to render your masterpiece. Then, disaster strikes. You made a small mistake early in the process that you failed to catch. The render turns out poorly and you have to spend even more time working on it.

You can avoid this problem entirely with V-Ray. The digital design software comes with a huge library of pre-built models and materials. You may not want to use them in your final design. However, they serve perfectly well when creating proof of concepts. You can also study them to work out what you need to do to make sure V-Ray works at maximum capacity.

It all comes down to speed again. V-Ray lets you create great renders quickly using its library materials. This means you can show clients how a model will look straight away, rather than trying to explain it to them verbally.

 

Benefit #6 – Great Animations

You will have noticed that speed is a major plus point for V-Ray. Both in a general and specific nature. That extends to the quality of its animations. Architects use animations to show their models in motion. They may also populate their static models with animated people to show them as they would appear in a real-life setting. Even so, many architects shy away from animations. They generally require a third party to do the work, which adds cost and time to a project.

V-Ray takes away both of these issues. The speed at which the digital design software renders makes including animation a more viable option. Using SketchUp and other softwares, you can create quick and easy animations. Using the power of V-Ray, you can bring these animations to life. You will need no other help and you won’t need to invest in new equipment.

The direct benefit of this is being able to impress your clients. People love to see how your models will look in action. Animation can help a client visualize the entire package and this is another area where V-Ray shines.

 

Benefit #7 – Photorealistic Rendering

 

There is a reason why V-Ray has become the industry standard across all sectors that use 3D modelling. No other rendering software or plug-in can achieve the realistic look quite like it. V-Ray creates stunningly clean textures and has a colour palette that shows exactly how a model would look in the real world.

This means you can help your clients visualize designs. They won’t need to work their heads around chunky models and clunky textures. What you create in V-Ray can look exactly the same as what you will actually build for the client. Simply put, V-Ray makes your work look even better. It adds an air of quality to your end product that no other rendering software can match.

Having realistic renders can serve you in other ways. Imagine you have a presentation to deliver. The pressure is on. Success will mean a brand new contract to work on. You can enter that presentation with much more confidence when you have rendered your models using V-Ray. You will know the quality is there, meaning you can focus solely on presenting what you have created.

 

Benefit #8 – Perfect Lighting

 

Light affects absolutely everything that you build in the real world. As day progresses, the sun’s rays will change how your building looks. Showing how light and shadow will affect the building is key to creating a strong 3D model. In fact, many architects consider light and shadow to being among the most important skills to master. If your digital design software doesn’t offer the tools needed to use them correctly, you will create bad renders.

It comes down to realism and that is an area where V-Ray shines. The software can handle light and shadow more effectively than most other rendering packages available today. This means architects can help their clients visualize how their design will look away from the screen. It’s one thing to see a 3D model in an office. It’s another to be able to visualize how that model will look like when brought to life.

You have plenty of options available to you when using V-Ray’s lighting settings. Smart use of all of them leads to the creation of even better renders.

 

Benefit #9 – There Are Loads of Resources

As V-Ray is among the world’s most popular renderers, it should come as no surprise that it has a big community around it. People from all over the world use V-Ray in their work. This create an enormous set of resources for people who have just gotten started with the software. You can tap directly into the knowledge of others using forums. Further, plenty of websites offer tutorials and you can learn more about the software in a professional setting to.

Granted, V-Ray has a bit of a learning curve. You will have to spend some time getting to know what it can do. You can focus this training thanks to the many resources available to you. Figure out what you want to do using V-Ray and you can find all of the information you need from tutorials and professionals.

Few other digital design packages boast this level of support. With dedication, you will be able to create realistic renders. These will often prove instrumental in securing important contracts.

 

Benefit #10 – The Price

With all of these benefits, you would assume that V-Ray costs a lot of money. While it will set you back a little, the price is not as unmanageable as you may think. In fact, you can get the software for less than $300 for certain digital design packages. Even when buying a more complicated version, you will find the cost is very manageable.

It all comes down to how much you want to invest in great design. At its top-end, V-Ray may set you back about $4,000. That may seem like a lot of money. But, consider what that will bring you. The leading professionals in film, videogames and architecture all use V-Ray due to its quality.

That quality could make a huge difference when you submit proposals for new work. For a relatively small investment, an architect can take his or her work to another level.

 

The Final Word

So, there you have it. Ten reasons why V-Ray is ideal for architectural modelling. One of the most advanced rendering softwares around, V-Ray opens the door for realistic 3D models. It can help you secure better contracts and visualize your models.

You need to tackle V-Ray’s learning curve to get the most out of it. Contact ArchiStar Academy today to find out about courses that will help you do just that.

Archistar Academy offers several courses across the spectrum of digital design software. You’ll develop your skills, allowing you to create more accurate and functional models.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Archistar Academy today if you have any questions.

https://academy.archistar.ai

 

Posted on 20 Jan 2020