Revit + Rendering Software

[lando0529]

Hello all,

I know that this is a revit based forum but I am curious to know which rendering software you or your firm uses based off of the revit model. I've played around with Enscape a little bit but I'm interested in creating more realistic renders/walk through videos.

Thanks

[cellophane]

For the amount of effort required Enscape is the best deal around. The hardest part of any rendering other than lighting is getting your materials to look correct. As the saying goes- garbage in, garbage out. Even with the best software around it will look like crap if your materials and/or lighting suck. /tangent

I know willsud & TheRevitKid like to use Lumion, and I know a number of people that use Enscape. At our office we use either Enscape or outsource it to a render house.

[pivoarch]

We just picked up a copy of Twinmotion because it was a really good deal price wise and it looks really promising. We had used Lumion previously but Twinmotion has come a long way from where it used to be. Not that we have extensive experience with it yet but it would be worth checking it out.

[willsud]

Enscape I use for client presentations in real-time - i.e. sitting next to me. Great with a 3D Connexions spacemouse. Easy to simultaneously make alterations to the Revit model if necessary.
The tight integration with Revit means lighting, time and place etc. should all be correct.
Great value for money too.

Lumion I use where there is (slightly) more time for presentation renderings and videos. Quirky interface (unless you grew up playing Doom ) but great results with little effort and outstanding results with a bit more time and experience. Good for plants, trees, animation. Very expensive but still feel it is good value. Worst thing, for me, is that it does not work with the 3D Connexions Spacemouse (so annoying).

The rendered output from these packages I find not great for masking/cutting out s in Photoshop. I used to use 3dsMax and C4D and they had much better masks - but it was slow.

[Modderhoop]

Personally i use Lumion all the time. Its very easy to learn and you can get some good renders out of it. I still use Lumion 8.0 pro but with every update it gets a lot better (currently Lumion 10 is already released).

I like lumion because you dont need to use the Revit materials. you just slap the textures on in Lumion and dont have to bother getting textures inside your revit models. Personally i never use textures in Revit anyway since i never use realistic views ect..

[robp]

We use Lumion. You can get some amazing videos and stills out of it with very little work.

[Geert]

I use Revit and enscape and I am both happy and frustrated.
Not so much to do with enscape as with Revit.
It all depends on the quality of model textures lighting and camera paths.
To go short it is work.
Enscape is great checking with you are doing as you are modelling. Live presentations and with some effort.l archviz immages.
Modelling in Revit usually lacks detail for really good renders.
I know you can model to detail but given the effort it is to put a simple chamfer or fillet on an edge it usually is not worth it for the primary purpose of a family.
Once you get to fabrics or double curved surfaces good luck.
As for textures. A quixel or substance plug in would be a good start.
Then there is badly needed displacement maps. Try roof tiles the easy way otherwise.
Map modifiers for curved lintels or windy roads.
Drag and drop both in material creation and material assignment would speed up your work.
Same goes for HUD controlls in 3d. Click rotate. Click place. Click point click enter angle. Cluncky is a nice qualification.
For some examples of what you can do with some effort see my rendering portfolio on this forum.
I'm still learning though.

[akulenkt]

I think for architects, who need to visualize their projects by themselves superfast, Enscape or Lumion are the best. But almost all studios of architectural visualization use 3DSMax. Renders look more professional, but of course it takes time to produce. We also use 3DSMax, if you want, check the results here https://iddqd-studio.com/. Also, 3DSMax has nice linking mechanics with Revit. They connects a lot of info, such as textures, lights, cameras e.t.c.

[Karalon10]

You should not discount packages such as Twinmotion 2021, and Blender, and Unreal 5 - they are all also good workable render packages.
As others have mentioned though Enscape is a great (pretty much) 2 click solution that will produce you quality and very fast results.
If its just for quick images and walkthroughs, including VR walkthroughs then Enscape is an excellent solution and is not a particularly expensive package either.
Things like Lumion, and 3DS Max will require you to rework materials and lighting and those are time consuming but will produce very good results if you have the time to work on that output longer.

[LeChumpOfStultz]

I used to be a big advocate for Lumion, but now find it sits kind of uncomfortably in a bit of a grey area between Enscape and 3Ds Max/Blender/etc. It still requires a lot of work in the Revit model, but is also a completely new interface/program to learn. Once you start running into limitations in the Lumion library and need to modify downloaded 3D models/create your own you're into the other software anyways.

Not saying it's not impressive software, just that (imo) in terms of bang for buck and transferable skills/knowledge Enscape is an easy default, and then Blender for anything more (it's free!).