3D rendered images form a pivotal part of everyday processes of late. Whether it is an animated television show, visuals in magazines, the towering billboards across the roadsides or even social media visuals, 3D rendered images are an integral part of most visual content.

3D rendered images are usually photorealistic and involve a series of processes that begin with 3D modeling and conclude with a 2D image simulating a photograph. Since 3D rendering is a complex and considerably technical process, these types of images have historically been limited to large corporations with adequate resources, both in terms of software and skilled workforce.

Recent years, however, have observed a significant change in the 3D rendering market outlook. Owing to ongoing technological evolution, the tools and software required for 3D rendering have become easier to operate and relatively cost-effective. Consequently, businesses are now able to create attractive and photorealistic 3D rendered content without overshooting their content marketing budget. (source: Global Market Insights, Inc.)

3D rendering refers to the creation of a photorealistic image from a model, through the use of software. 3D rendering is used extensively across industries like gaming, architecture, media, visual effects, simulations, etc. due to their burgeoning requirements for thorough product development.

3D rendering uses visual effects such as texture mapping, shading, motion blurs, shadows, reflections, and more to provide an authentic appearance to the final images.

As technology progresses, rendering algorithms and hardware accelerations are transforming at a rapid pace, making the technology stronger than ever. This, combined with the availability of high-end engineering workstations at economical price points, is spreading the popularity of 3d rendering far and wide.

FluidRay, SolidWorks, V-Ray, 3Delight and Autodesk are some of the most prominent 3D rendering software solutions at present.

Real-time rendering and its impact on animation and gaming

3D rendering demonstrates significant potential for application in the media, entertainment and gaming industries, which witness strong demand for high-definition 3D graphics and animations rendered into visual or 2D models. 3D modeling technologies are adopted widely for the development of applications such as movies, illustrations and video games, among others.

3D rendering can be categorized into two broad segments; real-time or online rendering and pre-rendering or offline rendering. Of these, real-time rendering has gained tremendous acceptance from the gaming industry, where the creation of realistic scenarios and eye-catching graphics reigns supreme.

Real-time rendering involves animation of images at such a speed that they appear to be occurring in absolute real time. The rendering process, also known as the “pipeline” has three main conceptual steps – application stage, geometry stage and rasterizing stage. At the end of the rendering process, an animation is created, occurring seemingly in real time, measured by frames produced per second.

For instance, Unity Technologies’ interactive story game, Book of the Dead demonstrates the immense proficiency of their new Unity 2018 Scriptable Render Pipeline, augmenting the customizability of the rendering architecture in addition to granting developers more control. The secret behind the strikingly lifelike graphics is the Unity Demo Team’s usage of real-time environmental assets, by scanning real-world objects and textures. (Source: Unity Technologies)

Architectural visualization is a boon to the construction industry

The construction industry is likely to gain considerable traction in the overall 3D rendering industry. This growth is largely attributable to the proliferating demand for real-time and virtualized design and planning experience.

3D rendering, also known as architectural visualization, gives designers, architects and 3D artists the tools they need to develop 3D designs in real time and glean an in-depth view of the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the project being designed.

The technology also serves as a lucrative modeling tool for planning consultants and designers, giving them the chance to gain quick feedback and make the desired changes instantly.

Recently, graphic card producer AMD has introduced the AMD Radeon™ Pro W5700, the first 7nm professional PC workstation graphic card in the world. The card is designed specifically for architects, engineers and 3D designers, to enable them to visualize, appraise and interact with their creations in real time, thereby speeding up product development and decision-making processes to a great extent.

3D rendering eases product prototyping process

3D rendering software services are quickly becoming an integral part of product design and modeling services. Used broadly in the consumer electronics market, for promotional activities, they give organizations the ability to develop 3D models of their product, in turn allowing consumers to interact with the product in the virtual space.

3D rendering also gives product manufacturers the freedom to unleash their creativity in the form of striking visuals for advertisements that showcase all the features and capabilities of their product.

Product engineers and designers generally use 3D rendering during several stages of the product development cycle; typically during the concept development phase to facilitate buy-in and at a later stage following the completion of 3D CAD models to add visual assets that will help promote and sell the final product.

Prototype creation can be sped up significantly by using 3D rendering technology. The initial prototype development stage usually involves the use of a 3D rendered image, which is immensely advantageous for marketing, allowing enterprises to develop prototypes quickly and utilize them for early pre-release promotional campaigns.

An example of this would be renowned apparel brand Tommy Hilfiger, which has recently announced the integration of 3D technology into its apparel design teams across the globe, with their Spring 2022 collection slated to be the first to be designed entirely through Tommy Hilfiger’s exclusive 3D design platform. According to company sources, the incorporation of 3D into their design process will soon replace conventional product photography completely and enable the company to cater to consumer demands at an accelerated rate and in a more sustainable fashion. (Source: Yahoo Finance)