Today with all the advancements in the field of virtual reality and animation, very few industries have been left untouched by these technologies, least of all the architectural industry. Manually drawn perspective views and hand rendering is passé as clients are increasing making demands for 3D interior and 3D exterior views that looks as real as photographs taken of the finished product.

There are many benefits of 3D modeling and rendering to an architectural project:

• Identification of Design flaws: A building is a sophisticated piece of workmanship and so it is often difficult to visualize completely through just 2D drawings. When one generates a 3D model of the design, one gains the opportunity of viewing it from every angle. Hence many design flaws that could otherwise have been overlooked can easily be identified and rectified well before construction begins. This will help to reduce unnecessary costs and also save on the time required for construction.
• Effective communication to client: It is very important for an architect to deliver to their clients exactly what they wish for from their building. Often a gap is noticed between the client’s needs and an architects understanding of it which leads to the proposal being in some ways different from what the client was actually looking for. This is eliminated when 3D rendering tools are adopted. When a 3D interior or 3D exterior view is presented to the client, he gets a better understanding of the materials and architectural features used in the building and is able to judge the overall effect they have on the aesthetics of design. Incase of any discrepancies with his requirements, changes can be easily made at that stage rather than after it has been constructed.
• Improves salability of the design: 3D interior and 3D exterior views are doubly advantageous when it comes to the salability aspect. For one it helps the architect to be able to convince the client of his abilities in delivering good work to him. On the other hand real estate developers depend on them to secure the interest of prospective stake holders and get them to invest in the project. Besides that it is indispensable while marketing the projects (apartments, condos and villas) to customers.

It is not just snap shots of the building or interiors that can be developed through rendering, but to get a better understanding of the final product a whole new concept is in vogue nowadays- that of walkthroughs. A walk through is a type of movie made from a series of rendered images that allows one to move through a building and study it as if he was actually present within it. This technology has more or less revolutionized the industry since nothing except experiencing the building in reality could give one a better sense of the scale and feel of a design than a walkthrough.

With such advantages as these one can understand how 3D rendering has become an indispensable tool for architects everywhere and as architectural design becomes more and more dependent on computers with every passing day, it is likely that the future will see it becoming even more so.

Article originally published at Source by Nabeela Shaikh