Rendering Software Recomendations

[IFRs]

Hello. If this is the wrong place for this question, please accept my apologies now.

I need to make quite a few images suitable for print advertising and web site publishing of our products and product details. I have drawn then in AutoCAD 3-D but need better software for creating and manipulating realistic looking images with materials, surface finishes, lighting and shadows. AutoCAD just does not seem to have the capablilty and flexibility.

I would appreciate any recomendations for such software, or Tips type forums online that cover Rendering AutoCAD models.

Thanks.

 

[borgunit]

You are correct. AutoCAD on its own will not be able to create photorealistic images. You need something like Autodesk VIZ to create those images.

 

[rKeyTek]

Actually,we have a guy here who's made photo realistic images straight out of AutoCAD with no ADD-ONS!
He's played with materials in Photoshop and mapped them in AutoCAD. He's also tweaked the lighting, in terms of positioning and intensity. But he's taken like forever to accomplish his results.

After 2 weeks of hard work ... he's produced 12 INCREDIBLE shots!

We then did a test with another individual who raves about ADD-ONS.

We gave him VIZ and AccuRender.
He's having trouble with VIZ because it's a powerful software WITH many options.
But AccuRender seemed to be his better friend.
He struggled less with AccuRender and produced the same quality of images as the other guy.

Moral of the story is AccuRender has the ability to produce quality work with less of effort.

AccuRender is a "Robert McNeel" product.
VIZ is an "AutoDesk" product.

We're a corporate company so we have policies which govern which products we can buy.

Although the results were acomplished quickly w/ Accurender (Demo) we had to decline it and go with VIZ.

Hope that sheds some light.

 

[antero]

Check out

http://www.presenter3d.com

. This company used to sell the Merlin3D stuff for Autocad, and now has a new product out called Presenter3D that just kicks butt. True, you can spend a couple of weeks bouncing back n forth between photoshopa and acad, but this stuff will generate great renderings in just a couple of minutes. I haven't found anything that compares. It works with any CAD file format too.

Let me know what you think.
Antero

 

[pvwizzard]

dear IFrs,

our draffies had similar problems and after playing with autocad and various add-ons they settled on Navisworks 3. It gives us superb photo-realistic rendered output and near-real walkthroughs but it works with dxf,dgn,dwg, step and iges.

Call them on 0161 366 1188 and they will give you a free evaluation if you are in the UK or go to

http://www.navisworks.com/

for your local supplier.
I would be interested in your opinion

Good luck
PVWizzard

 

[ACADyes]

See autocad viz product or the building systems design product

 

[ACADyes]

Condiser Viz also an autodesk product.