Customer Spotlight: Product Design Student, Peter Zheng, Uses FluidRay to Present Product Ideas

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Here’s something you probably haven’t seen before – a high-end, simple, ergonomic, and beautiful hair dryer. Sorry though, this product isn’t available just yet!

The FluidRay team first noticed Peter’s unique product ideas on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/peterzheng99/). Peter’s designs and his ability to realistically render the images caught our attention and we knew we needed to know more. As a student at Rhode Island School of Design, Peter spends a good portion of his days learning about product design and putting his skills to the test. Because of this, FluidRay is thrilled that Peter has incorporated our rendering tool into his education. 

“Rendering software is like the most critical step for product design to turn ideas into reality, quicker than making mock up models. The rendered items can give viewers (my professor) a visual impression.”

Peter Zheng

Product design depends heavily on visual models of how a product is intended to look. Peter specifically chose FluidRay for the following reasons:

  • FluidRay is affordable – even for a student!
  • It has an easy user interface
  • FluidRay is a fast, real-time renderer 
  • Materials needed for product designers are already in the FluidRay library

Affordable Rendering Tool

Our pricing plans make FluidRay accessible to anyone with no long term contracts or hidden fees making it the tool of choice for students, independent designers, and firms alike. Learn more about our pricing options and find a plan that works best for you. 

FluidRay Is Easy to Learn

FluidRay’s intuitive interface and straightforward training resources make learning 3D rendering effortless. Our engineers designed FluidRay with usability in mind and the workflow can be grasped in a matter of minutes. Check out our training tutorials for more details on learning how to render images in FluidRay. You’ll create designs quickly and easily, freeing yourself up to focus on imagining your next amazing project!

Real-time Renderer

FluidRay’s real-time capabilities allow you to immediately see edits and adjust designs on the fly. Decisions are made quickly and efficiently to shave time off your projects.

Extensive Materials Library

To make rendering even easier, FluidRay comes with a large library of environments, materials and backgrounds to suit most any design project. 

“FluidRay’s user interface is more straightforward compared to other rendering software, which means it requires less or no learning curve.”

Peter Zheng

For Peter’s design project, he needed to redesign an everyday product. He chose a hair dryer.

Peter wanted to step away from the traditional form of a hair dryer and create something beautiful and more ergonomic. He used Rhino to model the object and the scene, then imported the model into FluidRay to render it. 

In addition to modeling the ergonomic hair dryer, Peter developed a wooden prototype as an offer of another way to view the product.

The following rendered images show the hair dryer in its setting. You can appreciate the sleek design and imagine how it look on a bathroom counter. Beautiful!

To check out more of Peter’s designs, please visit his website where he showcases his design skills and the power of FluidRay! 

If you are interested in trying FluidRay for your product designs, please visit our website for a free-trial. You will see how fast and easy it is to turn your 3D models into realistic images that will inspire your audience! 

Why FluidRay Is the Best Rendering Software

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Until recently, architects, interior designers, jewelry designers, and other product designers relied on 2D and 3D drawings to share with their customers design ideas. These drawings provided details like dimensions, heights, sizing, material thicknesses, and surfaces; for the most part, these details sufficiently got design ideas across. 

Today, designers are able to greatly enhance their 3D models with photorealistic renderings. Renderings enable designers to showcase their work and effectively communicate ideas to customers. Just imagine, sharing a realistic image with customers instead of a simple model and really getting down to the finer details of a design. As a result, designs are finalized more quickly and customers are delighted.

What is Rendering

Rendering is the process that turns a 3D model into a highly realistic image. 

Rendered images are particularly useful to designers because they illustrate an idea rather than something that already exists. These images give the impression though that they are real which, in turn, gives customers a true idea of what the final product will look like. For instance, when applying materials such as hardwood flooring to a design, customers can make decisions early in the project saving time and money.

FluidRay Rendering Software

FluidRay boasts several characteristics that set it apart from other rendering applications and make it the best rendering software for designers. 

Compatibility with SketchUp

FluidRay’s built-in compatibility with SketchUp enables designers to create 3D models in SketchUp and then easily import them into the FluidRay interface. 

Design in Real Time

Quickly share multiple design options and adjust designs on the fly. Decisions are made quickly and efficiently to shave time off your projects.

Save Money

Design changes and issues are discovered early, before construction begins or materials are purchased, to avoid costly delays. 

Create Detailed Designs

Clients can better visualize the entire project and sample different items like materials, fixtures, paint colors and lighting.

Communicate Ideas

Communicate design ideas and modifications to your clients quickly and effectively to keep projects moving forward.

Impress Clients

Create attention grabbing design presentations that highlight your vision and abilities winning over even the most demanding of clients.

Learn Quickly

FluidRay’s intuitive interface and straightforward menus make rendering fast and easy to learn.

Are you ready to learn rendering for your next design project? Our pricing is inexpensive and we offer a free trial so you can see for yourself how fast and easy it is to turn your 3D models into realistic images that will inspire your clients. To learn how to create beautiful renderings in FluidRay, we provide a library of training tutorials. Experience the good side of rendering today!

credit: Mahdi AR

Our 10 Favorite 2020 Software Renderings (so far)

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Make no mistake about it – rendering software will bring your 3d model to life. Architects, interior designers, jewelry designers and other product designers rely on beautiful renderings to communicate designs to their clients. Clients love viewing renderings because they get a reliable preview of the final product. 

2020 is proving to be a year with fewer events, fewer get-togethers, and fewer travels. But it is NOT a year with fewer renderings. FluidRay is proud to share our 10 favorite renderings of 2020 (so far). 

1. Small House

architectural rendering

Why we love this rendering: This realistic architectural rendering highlights the flexibility of FluidRay. While this house is located in a garden setting, the designer can quickly change the materials to meet the needs of a customer interested in a different environment. Credit: https://smallhousecatalog.com/

2. Candles Behind Glass

Candles rendering with FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: This image shows off the lighting powers of FluidRay. Notice the light from the candle through the glass while also the window reflection. This rendering showcases the power of FluidRay. 

3. Fast Car

Porsche rendering with FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: The metallic materials and curves of the car make this rendering look like a real image. Can’t you imagine yourself on a windy road right now? 

4. Villa with Pool

FluidRay exterior rendering

Why we love this rendering: Check out the shadows and caustics in this rendering. The pool looks so inviting. A+

5. Sunset

Rendered in FluidRay by Marco Piva

Why we love this rendering: The glimmer from the sunset lights up this hillside house just right. Photo credit: Marco Piva

6. Kitchen Interior Design

Living Room Render with FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: This beautiful space involves interior lighting (kitchen lights and lamps) as well as sunlight streaming in through the glass windows. Interior designers take notice! 

7. Textured Wall

Interior rendering with FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: This interior rendering does a nice job with the materials – particularly the textures on the wall. We also love the realistic view of the horizon.

8. Stone Walls

Exterior rendering with FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: The stone walls and tile roofing provide a level of detail that any designer can appreciate.

9. Engagement Ring

Engagement ring rendering width FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: The materials on this engagement ring perfectly reflect the light, giving it a very realistic look. 

10. Contemporary Shelf

Bottle holder rendering with FluidRay

Why we love this rendering: This shelf highlights how helpful a rendering is for a designer to depict the different materials available. Imagine this shelf available in wood, metal or plastic. 

As you can see, these 10 renderings really bring designs to life. Do you have a favorite rendering you’ve created with FluidRay? Our team would love to see it and share it with our followers. Please submit your renderings here. Are you interested in trying FluidRay for free? FluidRay is easy to learn and we offer a free trial to get you started. 

try for free

FluidRay’s extensive features, easy-to-use interface, quick rendering capabilities, affordability, stunning designs, and modeling software compatibility make it the perfect rendering software for designers. Our pricing is inexpensive so anyone can experience the good side of rendering!

6 Reasons to Use a Rendering Tool in Your Next Architecture Project

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What are 3D renderings and can they benefit your architectural projects? Architectural renderings are realistic computer generated images that are often created for presenting design ideas.  Starting with a 3D model created in a design tool like SketchUp or Rhino 3D, designers then transform this model into beautiful rendered images and videos that bring their design ideas to life. Renderings realistically incorporate textures, lighting, materials, backgrounds and colors to 3D models that enable clients to accurately imagine the final project. 

By eliminating issues and iterating on designs early in the design process, renderings ultimately save designers time and money. Clients can “tour” a building and explore its details even before the construction crew breaks ground.

Here are 6 reasons to use a rendering tool in your next architecture design. 

1. Create more detailed designs

Architectural clients appreciate and will focus on details. While a 3D model is a great starting point, it lacks details. A rendered model contains the details a client requires. These realistic renderings let clients see what the finished project will look like in the exact environment in which it will be built. Clients are able to visualize the entire project, sampling different items such as materials, fixtures, paint colors, and lighting quickly and easily. Seeing the final project makes it easy for a client to visualize their future building and ultimately select you as their architect for the project.  

 

Exterior render with pool

2. Save money by discovering issues early in the process

Renderings bring a design to life. Designers and clients can see what the final building will look like before construction begins. By examining the details of a building before construction begins, issues become apparent early. Eliminating issues early in the design process keeps the project moving forward and avoids costly delays. 

3. Impress clients with a leading-edge appearance

Give yourself an edge by using 3D renderings to demonstrate to your clients you are up to speed on the latest technologies. Your design presentations will highlight your architectural abilities in an easy to view format. Including renderings in your design presentations will enable clients to better appreciate your architectural abilities. Architecture is highly competitive and design presentations must be attention grabbing. Renderings do exactly that. Because of the real-time nature of FluidRay, you can adjust designs on the fly; creating more excitement and winning over even the most demanding of clients. 

4. Change options in real time & offer multiple options 

Clients are notorious for not knowing exactly what they want or they change their minds several times during the design process. This is natural and should be expected and incorporated into timelines. Using a rendering tool, like FluidRay, allows for multiple design options to be shared and details to be modified in real-time to better facilitate the process. When clients can see multiple options, decisions are made quickly and efficiently shaving time off a project.

5. Improve marketing of your firm 

Have you visited a website and known immediately that it represents an excellent firm? Potential clients visit architectural websites to view previous projects and to understand capabilities and specialties. Using renderings in your case studies, on your website, in your proposals, and in your marketing materials gives a professional, high-quality presentation to the clients considering you. These images can and should be shared across all marketing channels to showcase your capabilities to a large number of clients. A strong online presence is a low cost way to attract new clients and rendering will help get you there. 

6. Communicate ideas easily

Effective communication of design ideas and iterations is certainly one of the most important aspects of the relationship between architect and client. FluidRay plays an important role in this communication. FluidRay renderings are fast and easy to create. Simply import a 3d model into FluidRay, begin applying materials and environments, and adjust the settings until your rendering is complete. This process takes just a few minutes and the results can be shared easily either in person, over a screen share or electronically shared images. Because of FluidRay’s real-time nature, modifications are made in seconds enabling communication between you and client to move forward efficiently.

 


Are you ready to try rendering for your architectural designs? Our pricing is inexpensive and we offer a free trial so you can see how fast and easy it is to turn your 3D models into realistic images that will inspire your clients. To learn how to create beautiful renderings in FluidRay, we provide a library of training tutorials.  Experience the good side of rendering today!

Where to Find .SKP Files

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Regular SketchUp users probably already have a big archive of .skp files to draw on for projects, but sometimes you need something new and it helps if you can grab one rather than building from scratch. I did some wandering around the web and found some sources for .skp files. Some are free and some cost a bit, but the nice thing is that these sites are reliable — you can bookmark them and come back whenever you’re searching.

3DWarehouse – https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/
No surprise you’re going to find SKP files at 3DWarehouse, but it’s worth mentioning that they have a fun mix of models including architecture, people and products.

SketchUp Texture – http://www.sketchuptexture.com/p/3d-sketchup-model.html
SketchUp Texture has several collections of room and furniture models in the SKP format. I liked a lot of the stuff in the Houses and Villas collection. It also never hurts to have furniture models when you’re figuring out interiors.

TF3DM –
These guys have a little bit of everything. The quality can vary, but it’s worth checking out. I’d definitely check here for military vehicles.

SKPWizard – http://skpwizard.com/freeblocks.php
SKPWizard carries a good selection of office furniture models. They also have some vehicles, construction supplies, and electronics. I’ve visit here before starting on an office interior project.

TurboSquid – http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/3D-Models/free/skp
I’d say their free .skp offerings are mostly related to furniture or home decor, but TurboSquid also has some human and animal models, as well as, some building models. Check them out for starter models to practice on.

GrabCad – https://grabcad.com/library/software/sketchup
I’ve found some gorgeous building models here along with a variety of furniture, mechanical, and other objects. If you’re doing product or industrial design, then make sure you check here for things like gears and motors too.

David Hier – http://www.davidhier.co.uk/freemodels.html
Let’s take a moment to thank David for sharing some of his models for high-end designer furniture. He shares a lot of his stuff on TurboSquid, but make sure to check his site for goodies. His models might be good for a hotel room or lobby project where if you’re going for a contemporary look and feel.

Creative Crash – http://www.creativecrash.com/sketchup/
Creative Crash’s marketplace has a lot of goodies. The quality and prices will vary a lot and some models are a bit pricey, but you’ll find plenty of well done vehicle, electronics, exterior and environmental models to work with.

Nomeradona SketchUp, VRay Resources – http://sketchupvrayresources.blogspot.com/p/free-sketchup-scenes-and-models.html
There is not a lot here, but the few models are well done. I especially like the sofa and padded material models. Hopefully, they’ll keep adding to the site, but I’d pick up the sofa models now to have handy.

SketchUp4Architects – http://www.sketchup4architect.com/sketchup-components.htm
There is a good selection of models here with an emphasis on architectural components (rooms, doors, windows, floors, stairways, etc.). You’ll also find some people, furniture, and vehicles mixed in. This is a good resource for assets to construct rooms or other basic architectural modeling tasks.

SweetHome3D – http://www.sweethome3d.com/importModels.jsp
SweetHome3D offers several collections of models, some with hundreds of files included. In some cases, you’ll be directed away from the site, but I didn’t find anything shady — just more models. Pay attention to the licensing rules.

Modlar – http://www.modlar.com/information/3d-models/
Modlar is the place to get manufacture approved models of appliances, tools, industrial equipment and more. It’s heavy into sinks, faucets and other kitchen and bathroom models, but you also have industrial, furniture and flooring. A good site for anyone doing kitchens and bathrooms, or looking for some well done pieces to refine home models.

TruStile – http://www.trustile.com/design-planning/3d-cad-symbols/sketchup
This is vendor site so you won’t find a variety. That said, TruStile gives you models for about 40 different styles of residential doors. I suggest picking them all up and keeping them as resource for any residential housing project.

Popular Woodworking – http://www.popularwoodworking.com/sketchup-for-woodworking-models
Every model here is for something wooden. Fortunately, you can use wood almost anywhere. A decent selection of models though you’ll see a lot of tables and cabinets. Worth browsing for touches to add to a rustic cabin or home. You might also use the benches for parks or other outdoor settings.

Kolbe – http://www.kolbe-kolbe.com/architectLibrary/index.cfm?pcID=7&pID=169
Another vendor site. This one is focused on Kolbe windows. The models are well made and done to work well with any architectural models. Like with TruStile, I’d grab as many as you can now so you have the for later.

That’s it for now. I’ll keep looking and adding as I discover new sites. Leave a comment if you want to share some of your own models or let us know about some good sites.

Feature image: Asus P6T6 3d model by 3DRegenerator

Where to Find .3dm files

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You can build your own .3dm files but it takes time and you may not get the best results. If you’re like us, then you’ve probably got a few spots you check for models, and you’ve also probably bought some sets over the years. But you always end up needing something you don’t have, and having to look around.

I did some snooping through my lists of sites to find ones that offered a good mix of .3dm models. Not all the sites are free or have large selections, but they are all dependable. Take the time to browse through a few of them when working on a project and you should be able to find what you need.

TF3DM – http://tf3dm.com/3d-models/all/1/3dm
This site has a good selection of models, but they range in quality from high-end to beginner. You can find anything from full buildings to Black Hawk helicopters to a T-Rex. Prices vary a lot, and you need to be careful to check which license is available for each model.

CGTrader – http://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models
A library of free 3dm models, heavy on automotive but you can find some animal, environment and product models if you look around for a bit.

GrabCad – https://grabcad.com/library/software/rhino?per_page=20&query=3dm
Not a very large selection, but there are some nice ones here & the site has good search functionality.

AD-3D http://ad-3d.com/free-rhino-3d-nurbs-models/
This is a free collection — available for both personal and commercial use (but not reselling) — from Aleksandar Dimitrov. Mostly furniture models, but some exteriors like fields thrown in.

FlexiCad – https://www.flexicad.com/download.php?lang=de&misc=1300
Honestly, it’s only 4 models here but its worth going to pick up the Audi TT model.

Aversis – http://www.aversis.be/3dmodels/
Not many here, but they are all decent quality. Click the links labeled “Rhino” to get the .3dm files.

Turbosquid – http://www.turbosquid.com/
You’ve probably come across this site before. Big selection of models. You can search subject and then filter to get models compatible with Rhino. Pretty much everything here is high-quality, but you’re going to pay for it: prices range from US $5 – $500. Fortunately, you can filter by price. If you need a model for work, then this is a good place to look, but not sure its the right place for a student.

Craftsmansspace – http://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-3d-models
If you’re looking for free geometries and pattern 3dm files, then I’d check here. Nothing to fancy is available, but you can use these models for things like fencing, icons, wall art without too many problems.

Yobi3D – https://www.yobi3d.com/
It finds 3D models on the Internet with simple keyword search. The models can be previewed in 3D right on your browser.

This list is a work in progress. If you’d like to have your model site, set or file added, then leave a comment.

Weekly Rendering Roundup 08162015

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As always, there was a lot of cool stuff on the web this week. Here are our favorites.

APPLE FLIPPHONE – by Martin Hajek

An interesting project by one of the designers we love to follow. Hajek’s renderings of an Apple Flipphone may seem retro, but the design is very much in-line with Apple design sensibilities.

I like this because it seems to simultaneously look both forward and backward for inspiration. As always, Martin provides some great renderings to help us really understand the concept. Pay special attention to the use of materials and lighting. His work always offers lessons for product design rendering.

FluidRay 1.1.6 is Released by FluidRay RT

I don’t usually include our content in this roundup, but v1.1.6 is a big deal. It includes our first ever integration for Mac. Sketchup for Mac users now have a built-in FluidRay integration allowing them to easily import, edit and render. Checkout out the blog post to learn more, then give the demo a try.

3D Topographical Renderings by Lee Griggs

I came across this on Friday and had to share it. We have to give credit where credit is due, even if they aren’t made using FluidRay. Griggs uses Maya and Arnold to get these amazing multicolored, extremely complex renderings. On his site, Griggs points to several tutorials and offers a few points about his process.

Many of the images look like something from a sci-fi novel. You’re not sure if you’re looking at nature or someones interpretation of a Heinlein novel setting.

That’s it for this week. Check back next Sunday for another roundup. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, then share in the comments or on social.