Fundamentals for Visualization
This month I’ll be discussing a few fundamental (but random) topics related to architectural and engineering visualization using 3ds Max®. These concepts are shared across multiple applications and adopted by studios to ensure consistent and high-quality visualization.
Figure 1: Occlusion pass of interior scene
To produce visualization content that is as realistic as possible, we need to clone the conditions in the real world as closely as possible. There is no “fake it until you make it.” The difference in work between someone who understands this versus someone who hasn’t learned it is worlds apart. Professionals will be able to identify the flaws immediately. For non-professionals, the brain will trigger the notion that something is wrong, even if they can’t identify exactly what that is. So let’s cover a few of the features utilized to mimic real-world conditions in 3ds Max.
Lighting and Cameras
Lighting and cameras are heavy topics to cover in a single article (there are entire books written for both), so I’ll touch on why they are important to understand. To record and share a particular scene in the real world, we use cameras. For visualization, 3ds Max was developed to give us the power to share content that is as realistic as possible. New users often mistake their screen space as the viewing device, attempting to render directly from it. This is incorrect. To produce the most realistic scene possible, designers utilize the camera and light tools in 3ds Max to match realistic conditions. To match these conditions, we need to understand lighting and photography. For example, in 3ds Max, we’d position a camera as if we were holding it in a specific location. We’d set the settings of that camera to match what we would use in the real world. We’d input the proper millimeter, iso, shutter speeds, and more.
Reflections
Bad geometry will result in improper pinching and warping in reflections. Refer to Figure 2, where the topology of the object on the right was altered to demonstrate the problem. As you can see, the cleaner topology on the left object results in a realistic reflection while with the object on the right, while still appearing in the shape of a sphere, the reflection is completely blown out.
Figure 2: Reflections and distortion
Indirect Lighting
Every object in the world has a level of reflection, even something like stone. As a result, every object in the world bounces light off it, impacting surrounding objects. Being aware of this allows us to manage our scenes appropriately. Refer to Figure 3, where the blue flooring is affecting the shade and colors of the objects it is impacting.
Figure 3: Indirect lighting
Depth of Field
Depth of field is a mechanism based on how we focus on objects and our peripheral vision. In a fashion, as we focus on particular objects in the real world, objects around us become less dominant. We can identify details of the objects we are focused on, but for an object to our right or left, those in our peripheral vision, we are less able to identify specific details outside of the general colors and geometry. Depth of field is intended to simulate this behavior in a way that is pleasing to viewers, rather than not simulate it at all; in most cases, we want this effect present, but unnoticed, but it is often exaggerated for effect and appeal. See Figure 4 for example of the depth of field applied to an image and Figure 5 for the depth of field channel.
Figure 4: Depth of field
Figure 5: Depth of field channel
Atmosphere
The last important item is the impact of the atmosphere. Particles in the air contribute to the way we see the world. When we take a photograph with a camera, dust on the camera impacts the final photo. It’s important to consider all of these when producing visual content as they generally lead to better realism.
Figure 6: Atmospheric effects
Brian Chapman is an Autodesk Authorized Developer and a Senior Designer for an engineering firm located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brian shares tips and tricks at procad.blog with a portfolio of digital artwork and renderings at emptypawn.com. He can be reached at procadman@pro-cad.net.
