Going Real-Time with Twinmotion

[Belinda Ercan]

I think we can all agree: nothing is more important than visualizing architectural projects in photorealistic quality.

Easy job, isn’t it? You just have to tediously optimize your 3D model, export, import, numerically set a myriad of rendering parameters for camera, sky, lights, get in your HD textures, adjust them and then you get to enjoy the render time... What happens if you need to make edits to the 3D model? Go through that all over again? Let's better not go down this road.

Instead, how about a "Click & Play" approach when it comes to visualizing reality? With award-winning Twinmotion, a real-time 3D visualization tool, design ideas are expressed playfully to impress professionally. Twinmotion helps to communicate ideas faster than before and creates interactive experiences in the blink of an eye - all while making edits in real-time at final render quality.

Twinmotion was developed by architects for architects, construction, urban planning and landscaping professionals, to transform BIM or CAD models into compelling visual experiences faster and easier. It combines a simple icon-driven interface with the power of the Unreal Engine - that part which coined the term "real-time rendering" to begin with.

But let's pause the game here for a sec: What is the Unreal Engine anyway? Well, at the forefront of this refreshing arch-viz transformation from slow offline-rendering tools to real-time visualization is none other but Epic Games, creator of the Unreal Engine. A game engine that helps you create games - good looking games to be more precise - as the Unreal Engine is first and foremost known for its high-fidelity graphics.

Now, this very game engine is at the heart of Twinmotion, combining GPU-driven real-time visualization with an easy-to-use interface, drag-and-drop workflows, an extensive library of photo scanned, animated assets, and much more. Anything else needed besides this?

Well, maybe this! With Twinmotion's Direct Link plugin you can synch 3D geometry and BIM information directly from ARCHICAD, without having to manually export any model changes. This duo of ARCHICAD and Twinmotion makes the art of BIM and digital visualization more tangible than ever before. Displaying BIM data of your project while watching seasons take their turn is just a slider away.

Check out this page to learn more about the Direct Link and how to best get started with ARCHICAD and Twinmotion.

ARCHICAD 23 users can download this cutting-edge, real-time rendering software free of charge through April 30, 2020. ARCHICAD customers with active SSA (maintenance contract) can download Twinmotion 2020 free of charge through December 31, 2021. Already using Twinmotion 2019? You’re entitled to a free upgrade! Watch this video or read this article that guides you through the steps of license acquisition.

Useful links

Download Twinmotion: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/get-now/twinmotion

FAQ Twinmotion: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/faq?active=twinmotion

Twinmotion Support Site: https://twinmotionhelp.epicgames.com/s/?language=en_US