These formats can showcase different views of a design: exterior, interior, orthographic, and aerial view. These perspectives can give critical insights into how a design is composed and how it will manifest in the real world. 

A 3D rendering, in any of these points of view, is particularly helpful for clarifying how a design uses space, allowing architects to craft optimal layouts and spot potential problems. They are also useful for clients and stakeholders to help them comprehend the overall architectural design.

Example of an orthographic projection rendering

Architectural rendering styles

Different rendering styles can be produced with the help of architectural rendering software. 

• White mode: All materials, except transparent ones, are rendered white. Particularly useful in the conceptual stages of design when the viewer should focus on the main concepts rather than the details.
• Light view: Displays how much light will hit a surface through the representation of a heat map.
• Sketch style: When the weight of outlines is increased to give the effect of a sketched image.
• Photorealistic: The most realistic type of rendering. Typically when lighting, shadows, materials, and 3D models are added and refined to create a photorealistic image.
  
  

Light view mode rendering

White mode and sketch style combined

How are architectural renders created?

Architectural renderings are typically created from a project modeled in three-dimensional modeling software such as SketchUp, Revit, Rhino, Vectorworks, or Archicad.

3D architectural rendering software converts the model into an image that is more true-to-life and easier to understand. Sometimes the images are so realistic it’s hard to tell if they are a digital architectural illustration (a 3D visualization) or a photo of the finished building.

With real-time rendering software, a render can be created very easily, often by clicking a button that automatically converts a model into a 3D visualization. Various elements can then be adjusted, such as lighting, materials, sun settings, cloud coverage, and 3D assets, to achieve the desired visual effects.

Example of a rendering created with Revit and Enscape

What do architects and designers use to render? 

Different types of renderers are available to architects and designers, and it’s important to understand the difference before deciding which is best for you. 

Offline renderers

Offline rendering engines, such as V-Ray, can produce strikingly realistic renders. They are typically used toward the end of the design process when there is a need to create renders of the highest visual quality and accuracy. These renderings are often used for competitions and marketing purposes.

Sometimes a visualization specialist or studio is used to make use of the full artistic and photorealistic potential of this software.

Example of a rendering created with V-Ray

Real-time renderers

Real-time rendering engines provide the fastest way to create 3D architectural renderings. Not all work in real time as we at Chaos Enscape define it, though 😉. 

Most require additional steps in the visualization workflow. For example, if any changes are made within the rendering software itself, then these are not replicated in the source model. They have to be manually added, leading to a duplication of work that can slow down the design process.

Enscape, on the other hand, is a real-time rendering plugin that is 100% integrated into the design modeling application. As you model, you can see your project as a rendered 3D visualization that you can navigate and explore.

Any changes made in Enscape (such as adding materials or assets), are synced back to the CAD or BIM model in real time, saving you from having to manually make those changes to your original project. This is particularly useful as you can work with a single source of truth and don’t need to worry about version control. 

Check out this buyer’s guide for more information on what to look for when comparing real-time rendering software.

3D architectural rendering examples

Here are a few examples of renderings produced with the real-time rendering software.

Exterior rendering

Interior rendering