Posted in 3D Rendering
Megan Adams

Techniques For Achieving Photo-Realism In 3d Design

Ask a computer graphics artist and they are bound to say they want their drawings to be as realistic as photographs. They don’t want their final drawing to look unfinished or designed but realistic and complete a photo. Photo-realism is hence the ultimate goal for most of these artists.

How To

So how can you achieve this photo-realism in your 3D images? If you are a graphics designer and have decided this is the Australian architectural animation I would use for my project, here is what you should do, to make it more realistic:

Bevel – This is a technique used to soften the edges and allow them to catch more light from the lighting solutions. If you observe other photos of real buildings or structures, you will notice there are no sharp edges like in designed images. This is because when two corners meet, it forms a slight roundness on the surface for it to merge properly. If there are sharp edges like in drawings, you can be assured that the joint will not look precise or last long.

Hence bevel or chamfer the edges of your drawing to give it a smoother edge and more realistic appearance. This is one of the most common errors committed in graphic designing and it can be easily avoided if you just check the edges before you finalize.

Linear Workflow – A concept that is complicated not just the beginners or amateurs. Just remember the image that you have created on your screen is in a totally different color space when compared to the output produced by your render machine. Hence it is important to keep this in mind and make necessary color corrections.

Make some basic gamma corrections to the image, using age-old techniques that have been around and ensure your image is closer to physical lighting.