Many users of ADT, Revit and AutoCAD simply don’t have the time to learn how to model in VIZ or 3ds Max, but want to use the significant and unsurpassed rendering/animation tools that are incorporated into VIZ and 3ds Max. They will find there are more controls for greater precision and realism in their advanced renderings. It’s worth noting that because users of ADT, AutoCAD and Revit have been exposed to greater rendering capabilities within their own applications, the transition into 3ds Max and VIZ is now made much smoother.

If you are an AutoCAD, ADT, or Revit user, what are the benefits in using a dedicated design visualization solution like VIZ or 3ds Max, with particular reference to functionality, workflow and render quality?ĬR: The quick answer is advanced photorealism via greater control and added functionality, and as an added benefit we get the interoperability we spoke about earlier. The latest versions – 3ds Max 8 and VIZ 2007 – are substantial releases for the AEC community. For example we can seamlessly take ADT models, textures, and cameras into 3ds Max for advanced functionality and control. We have also seen a greater push on interoperability between all Autodesk products, and in particular working within a 3D environment. Producing convincing visualisations and animations used to be only limited to the technical design houses. As designers, we want to spend more time being creative, and the latest family of Autodesk products allow us to do this. We no longer have to recreate geometry to be used in Autodesk 3ds Max or VIZ, and as a result spend more time on the creative side. This is not just good news for 2D CAD users, but also for existing 3D users. The latest 2007 releases have seen significant advancements in their 3D content creation tools.

Visualisation has always been an important area within Autodesk products however, only recently have we seen a greater emphasis being put on user friendliness. What tools do you get in AutoCAD, Revit, ADT, and Civil 3D for rendering and animation?Ĭhris Ruffo: The toolset varies dependant on the package, but the main tools which have migrated into Autodesk’s AutoCAD 2007 package is the powerful mental ray render engine, the accurate Daylight system, and the walkthrough functionality. Image courtesy of Preconstruct ( Design visualisation has been gaining momentum within all of Autodesk’s AEC products.

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