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ArchiCAD delivers state-of-the-art visualization and presentation tools:
no expert knowledge is required to produce stunning renderings or fly-through movies.
You can create 3D model views by navigating in the 3D window or by placing cameras in the model.
In both cases, you can return to the saved view any time, and modify it if needed.
Open the 3D window from the Navigator Project Map
and use the already known navigation techniques (zoom, orbit, walk)
to set an exterior view of the entrance, as it is visible on the screen.
Open the View map in the Navigator,
and select the 3D Renderings folder.
Click the Save Current View button at the bottom of the Navigator.
Change Name to "Custom" using the roll-down list
and enter "Entrance, OpenGL" in the text field, because this view uses the Open GL engine.
Leave everything as is and click Create.
Let’s add some sun shadows.
Open the 3D Windows Settings from View,
3D View Options
3D Window Settings
Turn Sun Shadows On
and click OK.
To save this to the view, right-click the view in the View Map
and click Modify settings with current window settings.
You can return to this view any time from now on.
Please note: Open the View
3D View Options
3D Window Settings dialog box
to switch between the OpenGL and Internal 3D Engines.
If you choose the Internal Engine,
you can select Wireframe,
Hidden line, or Shaded modes,
and switch on Vectorial 3D Hatches
Transparency in Shading
and Sun Shadows.
If your computer supports OpenGL, you can use the OpenGL engine for faster 3D navigation and representation.
There are three different, easy-to-use rendering engines shipped with ArchiCAD,
giving you the opportunity to create state-of-the-art renderings in different styles at any stage of the design development.
This rendering method gives you quick hand sketch-like images.
Activate the Document
Creative Imaging
Photo Rendering Settings command
to set all the parameters and characteristics of the selected rendering engine.
Select the Sketch rendering engine.
Click the "Size to 3D Window" button to resize the rendering area to the current 3D window.
Choose the preset "Koh I Noor" sketch style
and custom black line color on the Basic Settings panel.
Make sure that Show 3D Vectorial Hatching and Show Vectorial Sun Shadows are checked.
You can also play with the line overstretch values for the sketch, hatch and shadow lines to get a more realistic image.
For example, set 18% thickness
and 5% overstretch for the Sketch lines.
Feel free to explore the various options in Enhancements, Line and Hatch Settings
as well as the Shadow Line and Background Settings tabs in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box.
You can use the Partial Rendering tab to reduce the rendering range to only a part of the image, to try the current settings.
This can be very helpful in reducing rendering time for complex building models, or just to test the current settings.
Click OK.
To check the result without saving the view, select Document
Creative Imaging
Photo Render Projection
The result appears in seconds.
Now, you can save it as still image directly from the 3D window to several image formats
(PNG, TIFF, JPG, and so on)
or you can save it as a view to be integrated into the documentation.
Click the Save Current View button in the Navigator, with the 3D Renderings folder selected
and save the current 3D window.
Set "Entrance, Sketch" as name
and the "Generate in Photorendering Window "option on the 3D Only panel.
Click Create.
The image will be rendered.
This view will be automatically updated, if the model changes.
This rendering method gives a more realistic appearance using material and texture settings.
Create a real view of the building similar to this using the already known navigation techniques (such as orbit, walk, zoom)
Adjust the sun by selecting View
3D Projection Settings
Drag the sun to the same side as the camera
and set 45 degrees as Sun Altitude.
Click OK.
Open the Photo Rendering Settings dialog
and select the settings as it is displayed on the screen.
Click OK.
Save this view under "Back, Internal",
using Photorendering Window option.
Now let’s try the high-quality, industry standard LightWorks rendering engine which can dramatically boost your presentation capabilities
The LightWorks rendering engine is available right out of the box with ArchiCAD.
Create an interior view of the building similar to this using the already known navigation techniques (such as orbit, walk, zoom)
Let’s create a unique interior by changing some materials, and adding lights.
To make the interior more unique, first we create a new surface for the walls.
Go to Options
Element Attributes
Surfaces.
Select "Paint 1" from the surfaces
and click Duplicate
Set name as "Interior Covering"
and click OK.
First, we will set the Internal engine settings.
Set the Surface color to a dark gray in the Exposure to Light panel.
Set "Block, Stack Bond" vectorial hatching.
Click the Search button on the Texture panel
and locate and select the "metal 8 inverse" jpg texture file in the recently uploaded training textures folder.
Click OK.
Set texture size to 1.5 by 1.03
and Alpha Channel Effects to Surface and Bump Mapping.
Now, select the LightWorks Rendering Engine on the top of the Material Settings dialog.
The settings for the newly created material appear.
pen the LightWorks Shader Settings panel
and click the Match with Internal Engine button.
ArchiCAD automatically retrieves all necessary information.
Click OK to close the dialog.
This might be easier on a floor plan view as you don’t have to modify the view to be able to select all walls
With "Suspend Groups OFF"
select the load bearing walls and open the settings.
Override the inside surface with the newly created one.
Now going back to 3D, the walls will change.
To make our interior more realistic, we add some lights
ArchiCAD’s default library contains many different parametric light sources.
Activate the Lamp tool in the More tab of the Toolbox,
and open its settings.
You can see interior lamps, general light sources, street lamps and special LightWorks light sources in the folder structure.
First, we add some ceiling lamps above the stair.
Select the "Ceiling Lamp"
and in the Lamp Setting panel,
Style section select the fixture you prefer.
We use "Style 10" in the example.
In the Light section
set Intensity to 60.
Click OK.
Place some lamps on the gallery slab.
A dialog box appears informing you that the lamps layer is not visible, so click Show Layer.
The gray rectangle helps you to position the lamps on the bottom surface of it.
Arrange the lamps precisely on the floor plan view.
Now, let’s add a pendant lamp over the piano.
Open the Lamp settings again,
and select "Pendant lamp".
In the Lamp Settings
Style, Dimensions section,
select your favored Shade and mounting style.
On the Parameters panel set intensity to 90
and set red color by double- clicking on the color preview.
It will give a more dramatic feeling to the piano area.
Set "Show on Stories" to "All Relevant Stories"
Click OK.
Place the lamp anywhere hanging from the roof over the piano.
ArchiCAD will connect the lamp to the roof if you move it after placing it.
Select it and click the center-bottom hotspot to drag the lamp lower hanging on a longer pendant.
Go to the gallery floor plan
and arrange it somewhere above the piano
but avoid the gallery slab and the skylight glass.
After this you can set the floor plan representation to "Home Story Only".
Now we change the materials of some elements to fit better to the interior.
Select the Piano
uncheck "Use Object's Surfaces"
and set surface to "Paint 5", black.
Select the chairs
and set the surface to "Metal, Stainless Steel" the same way.
Open the PhotoRendering Settings dialog,
and select LightWorks Rendering Engine.
Set the settings as below
and click OK.
Save the view to the 3D Renderings folder with "Interior, LightWorks" as the name using Photorendering Window option.
In This Chapter you learned how to set up the appearance of individual elements in views using the cover fills.
You updated layer combinations to meet the requirements of the views.
You created and set saved views for the final documentation.
You explored the rendering capabilities, and created different views of the building with different styles, including lights.