5 Reasons Why 3ds Max Is Perfect For Architecture

Have you just finished an architecture degree? Now you’re ready to learn the next part, using 3d software to bring your renders to life.

At Viz Academy, we’re firm believers that all budding architects need to use 3ds Max to give them the best chance of securing employment and achieving their architectural dreams. 3ds max is an industry recognised piece of software that will truly display your skills as an architect.

3Ds Max is the genesis of the rendering of 3D images, and allows you to create visuals and animations to promote your work. With powerful plugins, 3D modelling and animation and AutoCAD file support, its really will provide you with everything you need. One word of warning though. It is a complex system with a steep learning curve. It may be wise to invest in some training so that you get the maximum benefit from 3DS max.

So why else should you use 3ds Max? In this guide, we’ll take a look at the reasons you should use 3ds Max for your renderings.

Rendering

3Ds has a Mental Ray rendering engine built-in. The software presents a number of rendering options, allowing those who master it to develop photorealistic images. It allows the user to mimic nature, including water, smoke and other aspects. Different shadings allow your work to truly stand out. The rendering is so powerful that it can be used to generate materials and textures, to give it that photorealistic feel, all adding to the high quality.

Modelling

This is where 3Ds max comes into its own. With an expansive library of modifiers, modelling is extremely intuitive. 3Ds max allows you to create 3D models that are very complex. It’s user interface works well, containing all poly modelling tools within one easy to access area. Its speed and simplicity in this area is truly unrivalled. The modelling engine allows you to have great control and detail over individual elements.

Import Your AutoCAD and Revit Files

Chances are you’ll have completed architectural courses before you move on to 3Ds max. Hopefully you’ll be an expert using software such as AutoCAD and Revit, with some awesome visualisations. However, the next step is to take your designs and give them the wow factor. As we’ve mentioned, this is what 3Ds max can do with its powerful modelling and rendering tools. To give your already created designs that extra realism, 3Ds Max offers the capability to import files from AutoCAD and Revit, making it even easier to turn your designs into photorealistic renders!

Simply import, then open your files and sit back as your designs are interpreted into corresponding 3DS max designs.

Create Complex Scenes

In order for you to work for an architectural firm, pitching ideas and plans to clients, you’ll need to have the ability to create extremely complex and detailed scenes, so the end client can get a proper visualisation of what the project will look like when complete. 3Ds Max allows you to work on fine details in isolation with its camera settings, meaning you can astonish with the highest level of detail in your visualisations.

Get support with tight deadlines

Being an architect means working with extremely tight deadlines. So its great to know that 3Ds Max can help with that! Using the automated processes built in, you can scale your workflow and accelerate manual steps to allow you to spend more time being creative. Utilising the template system, you can save common scenes so that you can simply add them in to additional visualisations. The templates will save important settings such as lighting, scale and rendering. This is a huge time saver and helps to add a level of high-quality consistency that will be appreciated by employers and clients alike.

Final Thoughts

3Ds Max has everything you need to become a fine architect. We love its ability to create stunning visualisations that are so photorealistic you can’t tell they’re not real. Though some instances are difficult to understand, with guidance and training, you can really get the most out of this software to take you onto the next level of architectural design.