3D Max and Photoshop - Oh My!

Following a discussion on Revit, KSS continued its design-savvy discussion at KSS University with two sessions – one on 3D Studio Max and another on Photoshop.

Intern architect Jerrome Elder led the discussion on 3D Studio Max, giving a brief introduction on how to transition from Revit modeling to 3DS Max rendering. Photorealistic renderings have been a big trend in our profession for many years. But producing this “money shot” is not an easy process. Generating a rendering alone could take up to hours, sometimes even days; let alone the time we spent adjusting the light settings, camera angles, and Photoshopping afterwards. The lunchtime conversation aimed to ease our rendering process while achieving the same high quality result we all strive for.

This week, Marketing Coorindator Alexis Baran and Interior Designer Doug Woodworth guided attendees through a presentation on Photoshop. Split into two sections, it started from a broad perspective. We first looked at understanding best practices in file setup and clean workflow management; addressing ways to approach a program that is not always used with a given set of standards. From there the conversation shifted to a more detailed look at specifics – pointing out new features in the latest version, highlighting differences between like tools and walking through a process of consideration when composing renderings.

Like the Revit roundtable, the discussion clarified Photoshop’s relationship to other programs and noted where its strengths lie. The leaders of the group not only showcased Photoshop’s immediate relevance but also related the program’s language to that of other media used in the office; utilizing already developed concepts to help further explain the tool at hand.