The reason why so many different 3D rendering programs exist is that they are needed by such a diverse range of people. The things that architects need from a rendering program will differ from what game designers require. This is also why there is no “Best” or ranked rendering program in this article because what works well for one may not be suitable for another. If you need rendering services, then check this. You can have your rendered generated very swiftly without having to tie up your computers for an evening.
Table of Contents
1. Unity
Probably best known for popping up during the opening credits of modern-generation games, the unity program is very flexible and very powerful. It is one of the world’s leading platforms for game developers but is popular with architects, artists, and automotive designers. It has a comprehensive set of tools that helps to make your plans and designs a reality. You can operate in 3D or 2D and create content for multiple platforms.
2. Blender
The king of open-source 3D modeling software. It has a very strong set of tools and features that allow for an extreme amount of creativity and freedom. This is sometimes a little too much for some people, which is why it is preferred by animators and people creating assets for computer games. Nevertheless, it is a very powerful piece of software that has an eye-watering number of functions, from video editing to motion tracking videos, 3D animation, and so forth. It was first designed and released by Pixar after they created Toy Story 1 using it.
3. DS Max Design
Probably better known throughout the architect, designer and civil engineering community. It is an ideal solution for visualization specialists and is very useful for architecture planning and design. It has the sort of functions that may suit a beginner or student. The problem is that the price is pretty high, so a student will have to commit to using it. Nevertheless, there are plenty of design and planning companies that use 3DS Max Design as a staple of their work-a-day process.
4. Maya
This is pretty well known in the computer game development community. Its features are often discussed by animators and game creators because of how convenient they are. They offer shortcuts that can eliminate a lot of work and effort on the part of the designer. It doesn’t have the power of Blender or the popularity of Unity, but it has an easier entry point for new beginners and still boasts a powerful set of tools. A 3D artist may prefer this type of program because it smooths over some of the harder and more difficult labor-intensive processes.
5. SketchUp
It is worth a look if you are a designer or architect. It makes it easier to add a design and then render it out without losing control over the process. You can turn pretty simple ideas into renders with this 3D modeling software. You can sketch, share your vision, refine your concepts and bring them all into the real world. The company behind the software is really trying to push the collaborative and sharing elements of the software, and one hopes that they stay true to this path and keep updating the software so that it becomes a staple of collaborative team operation.
6. Revit
This is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) program that allows users to create plans and then turn them into 3D models. It keeps the models to scale, and you can use the models to draw out information rather than having to look at the written plans all the time. The way it is layered and structured means that people from different backgrounds and expertise can see, experience, and understand the plans without needing to look at the detailed designs. They can draw information from the renders, which often helps to aid understanding of the project and that design.
