Maxwell Render - The Light Simulator

[Anonymous]

If you are interested in a new rendering engine for ArchiCAD, check out Maxwell Render.

Gallery at:
http://www.maxwellrender.com/

If you want THAT TYPE OF REALISM in your images, you need to take the jump into the Maxwell universe.

You might be thinking it is difficult. I used to think that way. Guess what? It isn't all that difficult. Within just a few hours I have been able to come to grips with the interface, navigation and material editor.

"But isn't it Slooooooooow?", you quip... No. In many ways it is actually fast. The reason it is so fast is because it is predictable. You don't need to think about Global Strength, Occlusion, Shadow Sampling settings, etc, etc.

It is extremely architectural, place your crosshairs on the hires Earth globe, think google earth, now position your project with north arrow - specify the year, month and time of day. Check Physical Sky and you have just successfully finished the lighting of an exterior.

It has a function that takes just 1 or 2 minutes to generate a fuzzy preview. Very fast and useful.

Here is the clincher, you can also do much of it from within ArchiCAD 10. Yup, NextLimit is working hard to create the connections (plug-ins) between ArchiCAD 10 and Maxwell. PC will come first (as usual Mac comes next) What's exciting about the Mac development is Universal App - Mactel support. Have you heard about the Quad Core Intel chips coming out soon? Imagine a MacPro with dual Quads. All of them working on your images at once. The future is looking kinda bright.

I will post within this thread more info as it become available to me, and I will give you a peek at some of the programs more useful features.

[Dwight]

You might consider this product for trees:

http://www.marlinstudios.com/products/treefarm/treefarm.html

No experience with it so far but am pitching them today.

[Anonymous]

Here is my latest test on maxwell.

[Anonymous]

Entourage, so important to a render. Everyone agrees that ArchiCAD cannot import and properly handle polygons necessary for a parking lot full of cars, or a Oregon forested background. So what to do?

Well you can try to use Maxwells Studio environment to combine items, but I still find the application kludgy. Next up to bat would be Cinema4D.

XFrog trees, bushes, grass work perfectly within Cinema. So do Dosch cars. ArchiCAD of course works perfectly. Combine all that with the new Plug-In for Maxwell and you have the best of three worlds.

Conclusion, ArchiCAD + Cinema4D and Maxwell = Photorealistic quality.

[Anonymous]

Two hours later.

[Anonymous]

This render was stopped at 30% complete - 36minutes. Polygons munched? answer: 4 million.

[Anonymous]

Burginger wrote:
... Where I have trouble setting the stage in ArchiCAD is with the trees.

Did you try Graphisoft Green Line by any chance?
You can download a demo object : pretty nice effects within ArchiCAD

http://www.graphisoft-muenchen.de/graphisoft-green-line-b%E4ume-und-pflanzen-f%FCr-archicad_tipp_265...

[Anonymous]

Burginger wrote:
This render was stopped at 30% complete - 36minutes. Polygons munched? answer: 4 million.

may i ask how did you model the roof with the details ? ( roof tiles )

[Anonymous]

whatever wrote:
may i ask how did you model the roof with the details ? ( roof tiles )

It look like ArchiCad goodie Accessories (Roof part)

[Anonymous]

It would have to be the VF_Tile_Kit - Objects Online. I'll download the demo GreenLine object and give it a look.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what the Bildplatten they are talking about on the web site, but yes Green Line is a very nice looking product. Works like a charm. With enough of these 3-D objects and some good cars which are already out there. A person could leave Cinema4D out of the mix and stick with just ArchiCAD and Maxwell for that realistic render. Bravo Joeri!

Who can tell us english speaking/reading folk more about Green Line?
Who, what, where, how much, etc.