Understand the Process Before Outsourcing Retail 3D Rendering
Visualising a retail space from a specification drawing is difficult, but with rendered 3D retail images it is possible to get a clear picture of what it will feel like. If you are planning to construct new stores or refurbish existing stores, retail 3D rendering is useful to provide contractors with photorealistic views to help them understand what the space will look like even before it is constructed. For sellers of retail space, retail 3d rendering also serves as a useful marketing tool.
Offshoring 3D Architectural Rendering Services has become a preferred option owing to the benefits of faster turnaround times, lower costs and access to a dedicated team of skilled renderers. However, it is important to understand the process to ensure you choose the right strategic partner before offshoring.
The retail 3D rendering process typically begins with creating a 3D model, adding textures, setting camera angles, adjusting lighting, adding landscape features, rendering the image and adding final touches in the post production stage, to create a final, photorealistic image.
To make outsourcing of 3D Architectural Rendering Services successful, you need to understand the process and have clarity about your expectations. This will help in reducing the time taken for revisions, lowering costs, accelerating construction design and making design reviews and approvals quicker. To gain substantial cost savings compared to what you may incur for maintaining an in-house team, using a dedicated offshore team and finding the right strategic partner to offshore retail 3D architectural rendering services is the most preferred solution.
Offshoring 3D Architectural Rendering Services has become a preferred option owing to the benefits of faster turnaround times, lower costs and access to a dedicated team of skilled renderers. However, it is important to understand the process to ensure you choose the right strategic partner before offshoring.
The retail 3D rendering process typically begins with creating a 3D model, adding textures, setting camera angles, adjusting lighting, adding landscape features, rendering the image and adding final touches in the post production stage, to create a final, photorealistic image.
- Modeling – To make the 3D rendering process simple and quick, it is important to begin with creating a virtual 3D model. Based on the plans, sketches or drawings you provide, a virtual 3D model needs to be designed using 3D modeling software such as Revit. This 3D model is then exported to 3Ds Max for texturing.
- Texturing – To the 3D model, 3D renderers or artists then add images and textures to make it look realistic. To add vibrancy to the retail experience, the perspective can be transformed by adding colour, surface texture such as concrete, bricks or wood, signage, awning and interior photographs of the retail space.
- Lighting – To highlight focal areas and set the tone of a retail space, the right type of lighting plays an important role. Lighting manipulation with tools such as Photoshop, adds depth by not only illuminating areas, but by creating reflections and shadows as well, giving the image a photo-realistic touch.
- Landscaping – To allow users to experience and appreciate the surroundings of the retail space, it is important to view a retail space as it will be in its actual environment. By adding elements such as plants, trees, people, clouds, neighbouring buildings and other features, it brings an image to life.
- Camera Angles – An interior space can be viewed in the right dimension based on the setting of camera angles. Adjusting camera angles is one way of making rendered 3D retail images more engaging. A wide-angle shot is not necessarily an appropriate choice for all images, as it can distort the view and distract the focus of the image. Normally you need to decide on the camera angles in the beginning of the project, to ensure that standard views of the retail space are set for renders across the entire project.
- Rendering- The final stage of rendering involves the pixel wise creation of textural, spatial and lighting specifications that are represented mathematically. The output you will get at this stage is a photo-realistic rendered image. Once you get a pilot render, a thorough review is required and clear feedback must be provided.
- Post Production – Once the raw render is approved, the final touches will be added. Adjustments such as colour grading, vignetting, contrast, chromatic aberration and film grain effects can be added using Photoshop to make the final image as photo-realistic as possible.
To make outsourcing of 3D Architectural Rendering Services successful, you need to understand the process and have clarity about your expectations. This will help in reducing the time taken for revisions, lowering costs, accelerating construction design and making design reviews and approvals quicker. To gain substantial cost savings compared to what you may incur for maintaining an in-house team, using a dedicated offshore team and finding the right strategic partner to offshore retail 3D architectural rendering services is the most preferred solution.
Why Outsourcing Architectural Design Development Can Work For You
How common is outsourcing design development in architecture practices? We think it happens all the time, for big brand-names and small studios alike. It may not always be formal outsourcing, but it carries the same core principles. One way of basic outsourcing is using interns and graduates that work in temporary roles but handling much of the design development work and less of the more demanding creative and conceptual design work. One more sophisticated and organized form of outsourcing is hiring an outside firm, either local or international. Such a firm effectively becomes a design partner, seamlessly integrating in the company’s architectural design team.
An company abroad, for instance, would handle all the drawing/modeling tasks but is not usually in direct contact with the client, nor is it present in meetings and basically works hard to deliver on the lead architect’s requirements. That’s why using “outsourcing” as a term to describe working with interns and graduates is warranted, but as we’ll see, it may often not be the best approach.
Almost all companies fit in one of the two categories above as a natural market adaptation to reduce costs with tasks that, by their nature, are fairly easy to delegate. This is a common practice nowadays and it is a perfectly fine approach, especially when there are proper communication channels in place between the low level and high level staff. Managing an office and/or a suite of projects is a task in and of itself, leaving little room for the drafting or modeling work.
So the question now becomes which one of these work forms is the most optimal? The short answer would be that each company has specific needs and a specific culture, but if we look closely we can easily determine a general trend. Whilst the use of interns and graduates may solve a problem in the short term, the need to constantly re-hire and retain them can be a major distraction. Instead, using outsourcing firms for the architectural design development phase means that you are partnering up with highly skilled professionals, with zero overhead costs. Such firms are often specialized in specific domains where they’ve honed in-house systems that allow them to work extremely fast, relying heavily on advanced BIM solutions. Outsourcing firms can also guarantee on schedule delivery since they typically have buffer resources and larger numbers of employees.
When looking at outsourcing firms, there is little to no distinction between the interaction workflow you will have with local versus international companies. The problem can arise when you limit yourself to a small market, the local one, and you end up constantly swapping providers of outsourcing services and thus rely on new firms to pick up where the previous ones left. The solution is to tap into the international market and chose a quality, reliable partner for long term collaboration. Looking broader as opposed to narrower has the added advantage that you will likely find providers with lower production/management costs that will translate in a much better pricing and therefore a more competive offering.
In today’s hyper-connected global economy, communication is a non-issue and offshore collaborations become opportunities instead of challenges, allowing design leads to focus on the core aspects of their businesses.
An company abroad, for instance, would handle all the drawing/modeling tasks but is not usually in direct contact with the client, nor is it present in meetings and basically works hard to deliver on the lead architect’s requirements. That’s why using “outsourcing” as a term to describe working with interns and graduates is warranted, but as we’ll see, it may often not be the best approach.
Almost all companies fit in one of the two categories above as a natural market adaptation to reduce costs with tasks that, by their nature, are fairly easy to delegate. This is a common practice nowadays and it is a perfectly fine approach, especially when there are proper communication channels in place between the low level and high level staff. Managing an office and/or a suite of projects is a task in and of itself, leaving little room for the drafting or modeling work.
So the question now becomes which one of these work forms is the most optimal? The short answer would be that each company has specific needs and a specific culture, but if we look closely we can easily determine a general trend. Whilst the use of interns and graduates may solve a problem in the short term, the need to constantly re-hire and retain them can be a major distraction. Instead, using outsourcing firms for the architectural design development phase means that you are partnering up with highly skilled professionals, with zero overhead costs. Such firms are often specialized in specific domains where they’ve honed in-house systems that allow them to work extremely fast, relying heavily on advanced BIM solutions. Outsourcing firms can also guarantee on schedule delivery since they typically have buffer resources and larger numbers of employees.
When looking at outsourcing firms, there is little to no distinction between the interaction workflow you will have with local versus international companies. The problem can arise when you limit yourself to a small market, the local one, and you end up constantly swapping providers of outsourcing services and thus rely on new firms to pick up where the previous ones left. The solution is to tap into the international market and chose a quality, reliable partner for long term collaboration. Looking broader as opposed to narrower has the added advantage that you will likely find providers with lower production/management costs that will translate in a much better pricing and therefore a more competive offering.
In today’s hyper-connected global economy, communication is a non-issue and offshore collaborations become opportunities instead of challenges, allowing design leads to focus on the core aspects of their businesses.