Which 3D Rendering Application with ArchiCad?

[Anonymous]

I used to use Autocad/Microstation and model and render in FormZ. Everybody here talks non stop about cinema4D. I am a new Archicad user and would like to know which render app i should use to achieve best results.
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Hi, when i see your mesage i took my archicad, model this garage, export it in the lightscape and this is what i get in 30 minutes.

I have tested artlantis 4.5 it is fast but dont have radiosity and new artlantis 5 will have it and i think that artlantis 5 + piranesi is something best for archictect becouse u will get fine results in no time. It is not good solution when arcjhitect must spent days for one fine image.

Archilumos 1.51 for ac is something that i never use cos it depends on archicad material browser and finish it in archicad is the biggest pain of all.

CD4 is very fine program, and this program cooperate with archicad but u will have to spent some time to get familiar with this program, but results are the best.

So if u are architect who wants fine images there are two solutions for u. First is to get on program from above, spent some time to learn then and then produce images for u.
Second is to find somebody who allready knows this, pay him to do it for u.

This second is ok if u have good running buisnis and u want to get best results, no lose of time, etc.

I will stick with lightscape, and only program that i will use. I think that in the future artlantis will be best solution for us, architects.
Fast - good - results.

[Anonymous]

one more from me.

archicad - lightscape - photoshop

I just love these white people

[Anonymous]

LIGHTSCAPE one of the true original radiosity programs. Here is a link to more Lightscape examples.

http://www.3dlinks.com/GalleryDisplay.cfm?softwareID=45


Where is the product page for Lightscape, price, demo, etc?

Mark Burginger

[Anonymous]

Hi Burginger,

Intresting thing about lightscape is that LS is dead for many years and my lightscape is from 1999 year. Autodesk buy that program then kill it becouse Ls was competition for 3ds, and all autodesk programs. LS is good becouse u have adaptive mash and it simply do the lighning. This program dont have special efects like new programs (volumetric lightning, etc) I love it becouse it is fast, easy, cheap, u can get it for i think 100 $ if u look at ebay. This program has IES suport and u can export lightscape solutions to 3dstudio and then render it there. Autodesk make a promise that new ver od their ver will have adaptive mesh but Lightscape is only program that have real adaptive mash.

If someone could buy this from autodesk and just imrove a little bit this program i m sure that this program would be one of the best.


So i m driving old retro car and i just love it

[Anonymous]

Yes, no doubt about it - Lightscape was king, however today there are other solutions that work just as well. It is hard to find copies of the program, they probably are not legal copies, support is not available. It is not available to Macintosh users, etc.

I feel it is more productive for new rendering artists to use a current program. Then hopefully sub groups can form under ArchiCAD-TALK for support among peers.

Use what ever you feel comfortable with then link up with other users on this discussion board and really advance your talents.

[Anonymous]

lightscape was good.
I didnt think the learning curve was bad either., great results too.

Just dont try and use it with Win XP Pro.

[Anonymous]

why doesnt it work with xp pro??

[stefan]

Integrated
Use ArchiCAD + the new LightWorks rendering engine
Alternative (will there be a new version for AC9?): AV_Works, which is the rendering of Art*lantis integrated into ArchiCAD.
+ you allready have it in ArchiCAD, no conversion
- you can only render the things you can model in ArchiCAD

Easy & fast
Art*lantis. Wait for version 5 if you want radiosity.
+ price, speed, ease-of-use
- rendering quality is limited

More involved
Cinema4D using the connection plugin, so the model is transferred automatically. This is a full new program, so you need to learn about it to get good results. That said, once you can work with it, the sky is the limit.
+ reasonable price
- a full new program to learn

If you do this fulltime
Any of the full 3D-animation software programs: Cinema4D (from $500), 3ds max (from $3500), VIZ (from $2000), Lightwave (from $1500) , Maya (from $2000), Softimage|XSI (from $495), ... and then you still have options on the rendering engine: integrated, plugins (VRay, Brazil, Mental Ray), external (Renderman)
+ power & quality, animation, modelling... everything is possible with much control
- price, learning curve, you need to convert your scenes

Freeware & you like programming
Radiance or POV-Ray or BMRT or Lightflow or Jafray or many, many other standalone rendering engines.
+ free & sometimes very good
- complexity, you need to convert your scenes

[Anonymous]

I don't understand Lightworks Render. I use FormZ as well as Archicad and they are both meant to use the Lightworks rendering engine. But the quality in FormZ is much better! Why is that?
Also, just out of curiosity - adding up the apps you are using you must have spent $10.000 plus on software.... how the hell can you afford that?
The 3D software market is very strange. I wish the integrated Archicad 9 rendering would be better. I think it is well below par, it compares to applications that were out 7 years ago. Why would a company do that???