3D viewing is everywhere: real estate, online shopping, games, movies, and more. Learn about the art and science of 3D visualizations from artists and experts in the field.

In this article you will find:

What does 3D rendering mean?

3D rendering is a computer graphics process that uses data and 3D models. The goal is to create a vibrant or unrealistic image. A 3D model is a digital file of an object created using software or through 3D scanning.

3D rendering is also a form of virtual photography. Organizing and lighting scenes is fundamental to generating and capturing images, whether intentionally realistic or unrealistic.

Ben Rubey, Lead 3D Art at Marxent, explains, “3D rendering is the process of creating a 2D image from a 3D scene. Compare it to taking a photo with the camera. In 3D rendering, you take all the 3D data and convert it into a snapshot of the scene.”

Two types of rendering: 3D Real-Time and 3D Post-Process Rendering

Real-time 3D rendering produces and analyzes images using graphics software, typically to create an illusion of motion from 20 to 120 frames per second. 3D post-processing is performed on a 3D rendering once it reaches a stage acceptable to the artist. Post-processing fixes minor bugs and adds details for more realism, usually with editing software.

3D rendering vs. 3D visualization

3D visualization is the system of multidisciplinary actions that create a compelling image that appears to exist in a real space, from concept to final representation. 3D rendering is one of the final steps in 3D visualization.

3D modeling vs. 3D rendering

3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of an object or surface as it will appear in terms of width, width, and depth. 3D rendering transforms 3D modeling into high quality, detailed and lifelike images.

3D modeling and 3D rendering are two separate steps in the creation of computer-generated images (CGI). 3D modeling precedes 3D rendering in the 3D visualization process, and modeling services are often purchased. Learn more about the process and how to outsource modeling services.

What is a 3D product display?

3D product rendering creates 2D images from models. 3D product renderings create realistic images that show how an object will look after manufacture. The product is usually rendered to show multiple angles.

Many industries take advantage of 3D rendering of products before products are manufactured. For example, 3D product renderings can help test the attractiveness of a product to customers before it is put on the market, detect design flaws, and save on development costs.

How does 3D rendering work?

3D rendering is a multi-step process of rendering an entire product or scene into a two-dimensional representation. Displays can take milliseconds or several days for a single image or frame using the method used for video or feature films.

3D rendering process steps

The 3D rendering process begins with a consultation and resultant vision. Next, there is analysis and design, which is the basis for modeling. 3D rendering comes next, followed by optimizations. Once the render is approved, it is delivered.

Application steps may vary depending on the project, type of program used, and desired outcomes.

Pre-show steps

Before starting the show, consider these three steps, separate and essential to the process:

• Vision: Before any work begins, conduct an initial consultation to understand the objectives of the project: the company, its market, its appearance, and the intended use of the image. Based on these inputs, it is easier to determine what the final output will be. Then the client or creative director agrees to the vision.
• Analysis and Design: With the adopted vision in mind, analysis of the project begins, and decisions regarding object rendering are made. Decide which features it should have in the final product, such as color, texture, camera angles, lighting, and environment.
• Modeling: 3D modeling produces a three-dimensional digital representation of a surface or object. Using the program, the artist manipulates the points at a virtual pace (called vertices) to form a grid: a group of vertices that make up an object or solid. The solids generated are geometric shapes, usually polygons (also known as primitives). Polygons are created manually or automatically by manipulating the vertices. If the desired result is special effects or character animation, the digital object can be animated.

Ruby notes that “3D modeling is about creating objects, like a chair.” “In 3D, a chair can exist as a geometric shape, the shape of an object, but it’s not visible until the camera captures it, renders it, and adds material, lighting, color, and texture.”

3D rendering steps

After modeling, the 3D artist begins his work to bring the scene to life. “The best way to understand 3D is to compare 3D objects to things in the real world,” explains Ruby. Let’s say I want to make a spoon in my kitchen. First, I need to draw or capture the shape or geometry of the spoon in 3D. Then I add the material I want: clear plastic, opaque plastic, wood, or stainless steel with a glossy or matte finish. Then bring in the lighting to add dimension. This last stage is what makes the object appear real.”

“Finally, you have to position the camera and take pictures. We can put a camera above, below, and facing up — just like in real life. Then you can take a single picture or an animation which is a series of pictures like in a cinema or movie. When you take a picture in a In fact, the lens opens to capture the light. In 3D, it’s the same thing, but the computer does the mathematical calculations of the quality and angle of the light. The more elements, the more lights, the longer it takes to create the image.”

1. Rendering: Materials and Texture Accurate depiction of an object’s texture
is essential for realism. The artist changes material and appearance settings, such as glossy plastic or matte linen, for a realistic visual representation. Other parameters, such as the surface or even the hardware used to install it, have been changed.

2. Rendering: Lighting
light is everything, according to Robbie. “A person who lights up well in 3D understands the physics of light and reflection. Lighting creates shadows. Shadows make things look real. Without convincing lighting, products look fake and unnatural. People don’t necessarily understand why they think something looks fake, but it does come down to a point.” Big with the lack of realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows.”

3. Rendering: Details
After installation and lighting, the 3D artist will continue to sculpt and add details to complete the concept, whether the goal is to make the model as close to reality as possible.

4. Submission: Feedback and Improvement Customer or Technical Manager feedback
is collected to make any revisions or changes. The artist combines the input, makes any changes, and submits the image for final approval.

5. Delivery
The final image is provided to the customer or stored for use in a more comprehensive image sequence. The resolution and format of the images depends on the end use: print, web, video or film.

3D rendering artist

3D rendering artists are unique craftspeople because they are both creative and appreciative of technology. Many 3D artists have experience in arts or industrial design and transform their skills into digital form. In industrial design, 2D signs and highlights are created to create products such as cars, which is also called rendering.

Julian de Puma is a visual artist and 3D artist with over 25 years of experience in gaming and engineering visualization. De Boma says flexibility was an advantage in the past, but today’s employers often look for specialists. “For example, mechanical and industrial design clients use higher-quality, more expensive software tools because they require precision. These artists tend to have a more engineering mind. Organic rendering is like working in clay, creating dragons, monsters, people, and soft things, and is more akin to painting or Traditional drawing. I can do both but I prefer more organic subjects.”

No matter what type of work a 3D artist does, continuous learning of new software is part of today’s profession. While technologies are coming at a faster pace than ever, de Boma notes, “They tend to make things easier and faster, and that’s a good thing.”

Various 3D display technologies

Realism, or the illusion of reality in unrealistic images, is one of the main goals of 3D rendering. Most techniques focus on creating believable perspective, lighting, and detail.

Types of 3D rendering

• Real-time display or interactive display: Real-time rendering is mainly used in interactive graphics and games, where images from 3D information are processed at a high speed. Dedicated graphics hardware has improved real-time rendering performance, ensuring fast image processing. “The best example of real-time rendering is a video game,” explains Ruby. “It’s now happening with rendering that moves at 60 frames per second. Marxent has a product that renders real-time rendering: a 3D room layout. When you want to render in high quality, the computer calculates what the natural shadow will look like. It takes a few minutes to discover a more realistic scene.”
• Non-instant or offline pre-rendering: Usually used in situations where the need for processing speed is lower, this method is used when the photorealistic needs the highest possible level of visual effects. Unlike real-time viewing, there is no unpredictability in the process. “Pixar’s animation takes one hour to render one frame,” Robbie notes.
• Multi-Pass View: The post-production process splits this image into separate layers. Each layer is modified to improve the overall image. This technology adjusts color and light intensity to preserve detail. Video games, computer-generated movies, and special effects use this technology to create more realistic scenes.
• Multiple passes usually occur in films to improve the final image . At Markcent, we provide a single frame. In 3D, we separate the view into passes: one pass for shadows, one for reflections, and another for colors only. We take these passes and put them in a compositing program, layer them, and alter each side independently of the other, making the shadows lighter or darker. Several different passes provide better results with more control – like in Photoshop, but for animation. “
• Perspective projection: This technique makes distant objects appear smaller compared to objects close to the viewer’s eye; The program will create perspective projections by multiplying “constant dilation” to appropriately map objects in scenes. A single dilation constant means no perspective, while a high dilation constant can cause image distortion or a “fish-eye” effect. Orthographic projection, which displays objects along parallel lines perpendicular to the drawing, is used for scientific modeling that requires accurate measurement and preservation of the third dimension.
• Radiation: This technology simulates how surfaces act as indirect light sources to other surfaces when illuminated. Radiosity produces realistic shading that simulates the way light propagates in real-world scenes. Light scattered from a point on a particular surface is reflected in a wide spectrum and actually illuminates the displayed space.
• Rasterizing: Using this “classic” technique of 3D rendering, objects are created from a network of polygons, virtual triangles, or polygons to create 3D models. In this virtual grid, the angles (vertices) of each triangle intersect with the vertices of triangles of different shapes and sizes. Data is associated with each vertex, including spatial location, texture, and color.
• De Boma explains of game pointing : “Low polygon modeling keeps old or weak processors from tripping. This way, you can do real-time animations on older systems. Or you can play a lot of characters in a scene. Use low polygon modeling in games. Portable, where high-resolution characters and objects are not necessary. In modern games, which run on modern systems, high-resolution characters are made with different levels of detail (LOD); as the characters move away from the camera, their detail decreases. They have cast polygons. Their texture resolution also decreases “.
• Ray Casting: This is a fast technique that detects visible surfaces. The 3D artist customizes the location and defines the viewpoint, which usually includes a 60-degree field of view. Within the virtual space, the artist places light sources. Light rays are traced individually, and the intersections of the rays are determined. Based on these intersections, what is visible is determined based on the POV.
• Ray tracing: By tracing light paths as pixels in the image plane, this technology simulates how they meet with virtual objects. Ray tracing is slower than ray casting.
• Resolution enhancement: The display resolution of a 3D image depends on the number of pixels used to create the image. The higher the number and density of pixels in an image, or the number of pixels per inch, the sharper and clearer the final image will be. Accuracy depends on how realistic the image needs to be.
• Scanline/Wireframe Width: This is an algorithm for determining the visible surface. Instead of scanning on a pixel by pixel or polygon by polygon basis, it scans an object row by row.
• Shading: Shading is a rendering process that calculates the color of objects in a scene from a particular point of view. An example of shading is texture mapping.
• Texture Mapping: Texture mapping determines surface texture, color, or high-frequency detail. It significantly reduces the number of polygons and lighting calculations when creating a realistic scene in real time.
• Transmission: This technique shows how light in a scene travels from one area to another. Visibility is the key factor in light transportation.
• Z-buffering: Also known as depth-caching, z-buffering helps determine if an entire object or part of an object is visible in a scene. It is used in software or hardware to improve display efficiency.

How to install a 3D display

Composite is a 3D rendering step. The process combines rendering of paths and layers. Besides adding realism, it’s a move that saves time and money because it edits photos faster than rendering.

Composition Examples

This sequence shows how the different layers are formed from the initial embodiment to the final compound.

 

Here is a sequence from the video game Grand Theft Auto that shows how data sets can be manipulated to improve photo realism:

Courtesy of Enhanced Image Reality Enhancement, Stefan R. Richter, Hassan Abu Al-Hija, and Vladlin Colton

Where and how 3D rendering is used

Architects and interior designers were the first to popularize the use of 3D viewing in the 1980s. Today, every industry, from advertising to scientific research, uses 3D viewing to impress, entertain, and educate audiences.

Grégoire Olivero de Rubiana is Managing Partner and Co-Founder of The Full Room, a France-based agency that creates 3D visualizations and CGI for home and living retailers. “Our customers use 3D renderings instead of images,” he explains, “3D images provide more images of ready-to-use products in the future, faster and more economically. The process creates intimacy with customers, thus accelerating sales conversion.”

de Rubiana also points out that the ability to use and enhance 2D images allows for greater realism and a desire to make the object or environment their own. de Rubiana offers “The goal of using 100 percent 3D or a combination of 2D and 3D re-engineered is to invite the client to travel to a stunning beautiful interior or exterior for inspiration.” “Outdoor creations are often very successful, clients ask, where is this place? And in fact, there is no place and nowhere!”

Examples of 3D rendering

Many industries such as architecture, retail, and medicine use 3D rendering to visualize realistic objects, sell products, entertain, teach, or engage. 3D rendering also creates believable people, places, actions, and things that can only exist in fantasy worlds created in movies and video games.

See a variety of ways organizations use this technology in our 3D rendering examples article.

3D and Level of Detail (LOD) best practices

Best practices for scene optimization focus on how to speed up rendering while still making objects look realistic to get high-quality images at maximum speed.

“The dead giveaway for beginners in the 3D world are those who can’t create a completely realistic scene is how they work with lighting and detail.” Benoît Ferrier, CG artist and sofa director at The Full Room Studio explains.

Ferrier offers lighting guidance and detailing for those new to the field, including:

• Light Moderation: For 3D interiors, lighting is a key factor in creating realism. Overloading a scene with inappropriate light sources can ruin the composition. We often make the most of natural daylight outdoors when photographing products. For night scenes and studio package shots (still or moving product shots), we rely on the standard three-point lighting setting (main light, fill light, and backlight) just as in photography. For a more natural look, moderation is key.
• Keep Smooth : Consistency, hard angles, and straight lines are a key feature of “fake” images. Unevenness, rough angles or any kind of patina is a way to simulate the real world.
• Know your tools and be observant: just because there are effects available doesn’t mean you have to use them all. Abusing effects or filters like grain, depth of field, and chromatic aberration to mimic photography is a novelty for beginners. Look at the spaces and objects in the world around you and, depending on the distance, be careful with the depth of detail in the modeling and texture.

Rubey offers more tips to save your computer time and get it done faster:

• Fewer Polygons : Make the model geometry less expensive in terms of the total number of polygons in the scene. For example, if there are parts of the model that you won’t see in view because of the camera angle or if there are parts or products that are far from the camera, you can hide them or use a lower level of clarity. LOD occurs when you build the same product in multiple formats: Low Detail or High Detail to view from a close-up.
• Use LOD for texture: Another option is to use LOD for texture. Just like in computer games, a microproducer can show a high-quality texture map if rendered from a close-up, or low/small texture maps if rendered from afar.
• Reduce everything: the more objects you have, the more special effects and lights you have and the more computing time it takes to create a single frame. One square has one thing that counts quickly unlike a forest with many trees or characters. It will take much longer to display the exact size of the image. You can improve the models themselves.
• Stick to a mid-level polygon: When you make a 3D model, it’s made of little triangles. Suppose you are making a ball. With a 40,000 multi-count, it’ll look like a disco ball – so many sides. With so many in a million, you don’t see any faces. Therefore, you influence the level of softness and realism by a large number of students. However, rendering a million polygon object can take a long time. A mid-level multilevel number of things is used for efficiency. It is a best practice not to have an object with more than 60,000 polygons. The key is to find a balance between speed and realism.

Ferrier and his group of artists use the latest systems that are constantly evolving, just like the industry. The Ferrier team generates in-house innovations to make the entire process faster and results more realistic. “The toolkit may change, but not the artisanal approach and cutting-edge creativity we apply to every project,” Verrier stresses.

3D display date

Before computers existed, hand-drawn 3D displays were the standard in the arts, engineering, and sciences for communicating dimensional reality. Thanks to the pioneers in 3D visualization, we’ve made major advances in every period since the 19th century.

 

• 19th Century: The Industrial Revolution: All the machines that changed the world through 3D manufacturing were introduced before they were even produced – for example, the dimensional engineering drawings of James Watt. Inventions created from dimensional drawings include the electric loom, the steam engine, the electric generator, and the incandescent lamp.
• 19th Century: Matrix Mathematics: Arthur Cayley developed the algebraic aspect of matrices in two papers in the 1850s. In computer graphics, matrices are fundamental to processing 3D models and projecting them onto a 2D screen.
• 1920s: Bauhaus: The art school founded by Walter Gropius changed the representation of three-dimensional spaces. Even ordinary people can understand how to use space in proposed buildings and public spaces, although they still make those images by hand.
• 1950s: The First Digital Image: Russell Kirsch and his team developed the first programmable computer, the Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC). SEAC consists of a drum scanner and data software for entering images into a computer. A photograph of Kirsch Walden’s three-month-old son was the first image scanned in 1957.
• The 1960s: Computer Aided Design (CAD) Systems: Patrick Hanratty is known as the father of CAD, which he developed while working with General Electric. CAD uses computer systems to create, modify, and analyze designs. Several other graphic systems have been followed, including Ivan Sutherlands Sketchpad for designing 3D objects.
• 1970s: 3D Solid Modeling Software: Show took off when Martin Newell used 3D visualization and rendering to create “Utah Teapot,” the symbol for 3D rendering.
• Eighties: Bilateral space division : bilateral space division and trees bilateral space division is the brainchild of Henry Fox and Bruce Zvi Kidam F. Naylor ideas in the eighties at the University of Texas. The BSP tree structure efficiently provides information about space and objects in a scene. Other BSP applications include ray tracing, collision detection in 3D video games and other complex spatial scene applications.
• The 1990s: Modern Modeling / 3D Printing. The 1990s saw rendering technology take off with better software and increased computing power and speed. Presented entirely in 3D graphics, Toy Story has revolutionized Hollywood. Video games have evolved rapidly, too, from pixel art to full 3D displays.
• The 2000s: Augmented and Virtual Reality: In the new millennium, 3D graphics are ubiquitous in advertising, entertainment, science, and online shopping. The giant leap forward was in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality visualizations, allowing the viewer to enter a fully visual experience.
  As for the future, says Robbie, “If you think the first Pixar movie came out in 1995, we’re already making real-time games that look better in many ways. As technology and real-time rendering improve, Pixar and post-production studios are working as well. I don’t know how quickly that’s going to happen, but the gap is getting closer, and it’s becoming difficult to see the differences in so many areas in real-time versus offline viewing.”

Benefits of 3D rendering

3D viewing has many benefits: quality visual communication, the ability to show multiple viewpoints, accurate lighting and specifications, and the opportunity to explore and design at low cost.

• Quick Concept: 3D renderings provide a level of detail and scale accuracy on a physical or 2D model. 3D rendering provides a sense of the realistic perspective and scale of spaces, products or experiences.
• Visual Communication Quality: Clear visual presentations to buyers or customers help sell your concept and reduce returns if you sell a product.
• Show Multiple Views: The ability to see an object in multiple positions and perspectives allows the viewer to experience the view as it would appear in real life from every angle.
• Precise Lighting: You can control the outdoor and indoor lighting on your product in real life.
• Accurate Measurements and Specifications: When customers know the dimensions of an object, they are better equipped to purchase products, create or plan in virtual spaces—one of the best uses of 3D rendering.
• Exploration and Design at Low Cost: Clients can generate ideas and explore the outer limits of imagination through the power and flexibility of 3D rendering.

3D rendering challenges

The challenge of 3D rendering is to create a compelling realism in a reasonable amount of time. The main issues to overcome: the form itself, the texture and materials, the lighting.

Challenges include:

• Model: The model should look realistic in terms of proportions, size, and details.
• Textures and materials: If the textures and materials are not high-quality and realistic, it will not matter how accurate the model is; You will lose realism.
• Light: This is usually the most neglected factor, as many do not realize its importance. Since we can usually tell when the pattern is incorrect or when the texture is unrealistic, most of us notice that something is malfunctioning, but it is not easy to understand that it is because of the light. People think that in 3D all you have to do is add light, and once you see the product, it’s a common mistake.
  Achieving good lighting requires an experienced lighting artist who knows how to bring out the right details for the show. The artist must know how to create an environment and how to add feeling and story to a scene using and adjusting the right lights.

How long does 3D rendering take?

Simple images can be quickly rendered in 3D, while the motion sequences of an animated film can take weeks to be produced. Factors that can affect rendering time include hardware, technology, scene complexity, artist skill, and final output requirements.

How much does 3D rendering cost?

3D rendering depends on project size and level of detail. Prices can start in the low hundreds for one simple concept and even several thousand for large projects for large corporations.

How to simplify 3D rendering

The most important factors for achieving good visualizations are pre-production planning and robust modelling. If you are skilled enough and have proper hardware and software, the process will go smoothly. You can also use professional services to speed up the process.

Effective 3D rendering is all about taking vision into account, conducting a straightforward process, and understanding the end goal. But there are limits to what good planning can do.

Depending on the size of your project, do you have enough staff, computing capacity, and the right software? Does it make sense to make additional investments in people and technology? If you have one or even several workstations, it may not be enough for your presentation if time is of the essence.

Cloud-based services can provide more computing power, so you don’t have to worry about file size or the use of external drives, and design expertise can save you hassle and time.

Quick Reusable 3D Displays for E-Commerce

Marxent can help you quickly deliver your products using the 3D cloud platform. Design with high quality 3D poly-poly models. Marxent product visualizations and 3D asset management for e-commerce deliver fast and efficient results. Our 3D room planner spaces are displayed without human intervention. We don’t just offer speed; We also provide quality. We invite you to view our 3D project gallery. Ready to learn more? request for proposal