Sock away the savings!

The holidays are always full of surprises. Sometimes, it's a sparkling gemstone or shiny new gadget. Other times, it's another darned pair of neutral-colored socks from Aunt Millie. We can't control what other people give us during the holidays, but this year, we can control what we get from our rendering software.

If you're tired of getting the same old stuff from your rendering software every year, why not get more with Artlantis 4? Now through December 31, 2012, we're giving you the opportunity to sock away the savings with 20% off Artlantis Render & Studio first-seat licenses and 10% off selected Artlantis Media volumes.

Whether you like Artlantis for its world-famous speed and ease of use, or you delight in the world-class quality of the optional Maxwell Render engine, there's no question that with Artlantis, your workflow and renderings will benefit year after year. Download the free Artlantis demo today and see what a difference 30-days can make.

We hope you have an enjoyable and safe holiday season this year!

 "Sock away the Savings" Promo Pricing

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

iRender Billboards 'Third Edition'

iRender's "Third Edition" Billboards Media Collection, currently comprising 90 Southern African indigenous trees, is now available for purchase.
 

The Media content is available in the following file formats:

• Artlantis Render and Artlantis Studio Billboard format
• Photoshop PSD format
• .PNG format (Alpha Channel included for use in AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit, and SketchUp)

Also included are 10 images of Natural Rock Formations to make your rendered scene more realistic.
 

Now you can dress up your rendered scenes with indigenous vegetation that is appropriate to your projects' geographic location.
 

Click here to view detailed contents of this Media Collection in the iRender Billboard Gallery.  (Please note that these Gallery images are "low resolution" and for the sole purpose of enabling you to view the content of the product offering. The product you purchase will contain the "high resolution" imagery in its various useable File Formats).
 

Delivery of the Media is by way of a physical overnight shipment of the contents on an 8Gb memory stick to any location in South Africa. Users requiring delivery outside of South Africa should discuss this requirement with iRender when placing their order.
 

PRICE:  R 1,295.00 Excl VAT - (Includes overnight delivery on an 8Gb Memory Stick to users in South Africa only.)
 

Enjoy!

Good news about QuickTime 7.7.3

Apple has released QuickTime 7.7.3, patching 'critical security vulnerabilities.'  And there's good news for Artlantis users, too.  This latest version fixes the previous problems associated with reading textures.

Download QuickTime 7.7.3 here.

Download the Artlantis 4.1.7 thirty-day demo here.

Physical Camera and Automatic Light Adjustment in Artlantis 4

Introduction to the physical camera rendering option and automatic light adjustment option in Artlantis 4.

Thanks to its new automatic light adjustment feature, Artlantis dynamically balances the lighting levels in your scenes from dawn till sunset, and from outside to inside a building, and thus allows you to perform photo-realistic images and animations.

Automatic lighting adjustment has been available since the launch of Artlantis 3. With Artlantis 4.1, users can now choose to keep this setting or use a new feature called ISO/Shutter. ISO refers to the sensitivity of camera film, while the Shutter Speed refers to the length of time the camera’s aperture stays open when taking a picture.

Understanding the principles enables you to choose the one that suits you best.

Visit the Artlantis Movie Channel on YouTube here for more helpful tutorials.

How to think like an architect...

Barry Berkus, AIA, is the founder and President of B3 Architects and Berkus Design Studio.  He has remained on the forefront of design in the US and abroad for over forty-five years. His firms are involved in a broad range of projects, including resort and master planned communities, urban infill, commercial and institutional projects and residential design. His firms have received more than 450 design and planning awards from regional and national competitions. Berkus has been featured in USA Today, Money, Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture, Art News, and Architectural Digest, which named him one of the world’s ‘top 100 architects’.

Barry has put together a series of YouTube videos entitled 'How to think like an architect'.

We hope you find his approach as interesting as we did!

How to think like an architect: Exercising the imagination

How to think like an architect: Designing from nature

How to think like an architect: Improving design

How to think like an architect: Designing from organic form

Enjoy!

Abvent launches iVisit 3D version 1.3

Developed especially for architects and designers, iVisit 3D allows users to view panorama renderings on an iPad or iPhone. Download iVisit 3D today from the App Store and try it with the sample files. Learn how to view and share panoramas with this innovative, easy-to-use, 3D presentation tool! 

What's new in version 1.3:

• iVisit 3D is now optimized for iPhone 5 and iOS 6.

Check out this video to see how easy-to-use iVisit 3D really is!

Learn how to create an iVisit 3D Panorama here!

Learn how to download your iVisit 3D panorama to your iPhone/iPad here!

Artlantis export plug-in news

Vectorworks 2013 export plug-ins to Artlantis 3 and 4.1 are now ready for downloading.

ArchiCAD 14, 15, 16 export plug-ins to Artlantis 3 and 4.1 were updated and enhanced.

Fixes:

• Use Reference File, lights and cameras offset
• Use Reference File, the already created panoramas keep their nodes
• In spite of being unchecked, the textures were exported
• The ArchiCAD lamps were switched off when transported to Artlantis

Enhancements:

• More accuracy when merging geometry
• The exported materials are smoothed by 20% by default. As a result, all curved surfaces arrive smoothed into Artlantis
• The version number of the export is now displayed in the "Extension Manager" window.

The latest ArchiCAD 16 Hotfix includes and installs the updated Artlantis 4.1 export plug-in by default. This Hotfix can be accessed only from inside of ArchiCAD either by following the instructions of the automatic message, or by opening the Help menu and choosing the "Check for Updates" command.

 Download the Export Plug-ins

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

iRender Billboards 'Second Edition'

The "Second Edition" iRender Billboards Media Collection, comprised of 156 Ethnic African Images, is now available in the following file formats:

• Artlantis Render and Artlantis Studio Billboard File Format
• Photoshop PSD File Format
• .PNG File Format (Alpha Channel included for use in AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit, and SketchUp)

This second volume includes imagery of African female models dressed in traditional clothing,  including Swati, Zulu, and Venda for those projects specifically located on the African continent.

Click here to view detailed contents of this Media Collection in our iRender Billboard Gallery. (Please note that these Gallery images are "low resolution" and for the sole purpose of enabling you to view the content of the product offering. The product you purchase will contain the "high resolution" imagery in its various useable File Formats).

Delivery of the Media is by way of an Internet download, but an overnight shipment of the contents on an 8Gb memory stick can be arranged at an additional charge of R 250.00 Incl VAT to any location in South Africa.  Please advise accordingly.

The price of this outstanding collection is R 1,195.00 Incl VAT.

Click here to order today!

iRender Billboards 'First Edition'

The "First Edition" iRender Billboards Media Collection, comprised of 125 Ethnic African images, is now available in the following file formats:

• Artlantis Render and Artlantis Studio Billboard File Format
• Photoshop PSD File Format
• .PNG File Format (Alpha Channel included for use in AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit, and SketchUp)

This first volume includes imagery ideally suited to dress up those shopping mall scenes, the corporate office environment, and incorporates predominantly African models for those projects specifically located on the African continent.

Click here to view detailed contents of this Media Collection in the iRender Billboard Gallery.  (Please note that these Gallery images are "low resolution" and for the sole purpose of enabling you to view the content of the product offering. The product you purchase will contain the "high resolution" imagery in its various useable File Formats).

Delivery of the Media is by way of an Internet download, but an overnight shipment of the content on an 8Gb memory stick can be arranged at an additional charge of R 250.00 Incl VAT to any location in South Africa.  Please advise accordingly.

This colorful collection is priced at R 1,195.00 Incl VAT.

Click here to order today!

Tips to Create Great 3D Architectural Renderings

By Shawn Khoo

3D architectural renderings have become an increasingly popular tool for architects to show clients what a completed project would look like, in a way that is more realistic than using scale models or artist's drawings. But in order for an architectural rendering to be successful, it has to be as photo-realistic as possible. Here are some tips on how to achieve an increased level of realism in your renderings.

1. Chamfer your edges. Even in man-made objects there is no such thing as perfectly sharp edges. By beveling your edges using a chamfer tool in the rendering software, you not only make your rendering look more realistic, you also bring out more detail by letting the edges capture highlights from your lighting source.

2. Don't use colors that are 100% black or white. In order to show that an object has volume, you need to have areas that are highlighted and shaded using mid-tones for contrast. If you have a virtual material that is totally black, your model will look flat because the differences between the shaded areas and the mid-tones will not be visible. Same with a totally white model, except that in this case, it is the differences between the mid-tones and light areas that are not visible.

3. Use blurred background or depth of field effects in your 3D architectural renderings since a certain amount of blurring is something that is associated with photographs from real life to indicate movement. You can apply depth effects during the actual rendering or they can be added in post-production using the lens blur and z-depth pass features.

4. Use specular maps. These maps add more realism to your renderings by telling the render engine which parts of it should have high glossiness (specularity) and which are more diffuse. But you can also use specular maps in rendering objects that are supposed to have a uniform finish, such as ceramics, by highlighting naturally-occurring irregularities such as dings and scratches.

5. Use area shadows. When you are doing exterior renderings, you should be aware of the time of day it is supposed to be so that you can reflect it in the shadows that are being cast. For example, if it is supposed to be morning, the shadows should be soft and not sharply defined. On the other hand, at mid-day, shadows are crisp. The type of lighting that you are using in the rendering is something you should also take into consideration; for example, sunlight creates softer shadows compared with artificial lighting, which can cast a shadow that is sharper.

6. Add some dirt and disorder to the image. In real life, even things that are supposed to be brand new are not pristine and will have some imperfections. So add these details to your renderings, such as tiny cracks. Or when you do a room, avoid making it look too neat by adding some disordered details, such as a few scattered objects.

7. Include asymmetry. In nature, things are never completely symmetric. So once you're finishing off your 3D architectural renderings, add some asymmetric variance in order to make them look more realistic.

Are you looking for information on 3D architectural renderings? Visit http://www.8yolkstudio.com/ today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Khoo