Van Voorhis Architects/3dsMax for Architects (Special Offer)

3dsMax for Architects (40% Off)

$225 $135 or 2 payments of $70

Dive into the art of integrating 3dsMax's rendering capabilities into a real Revit workflow, empowering you to create engrossing renderings early in your design process. This course teaches a holistic approach, exposing you to every aspect of the process and encouraging you to directly test what you've learned on 3 provided projects. Join me today to take full control of your visualization workflow.

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Take Full Control of your Renderings

A workflow inspired by Professional Arch-Viz Artists to Maximize Quality & Efficiency during Schematic Design

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Course Handbook Preview

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A free companion guidebook for my "3dsMax for Architects" course. It serves as a high-level checklist pointing out the objectives and key concepts for each step of the process.

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Course Description

This course is designed for architects seeking full control over their design presentations and efficiency in their workflow. It caters to architects using Revit who want to integrate renderings into their iterative design processes. You will learn how to create your own rendering workflow by combining tools used by professional ArchViz Artists with a mindset that seeks to maximize efficiency and quality. By learning the right tools for each stage, participants can create high-quality imagery faster, leading to quicker client approvals, improved communication with contractors, effective marketing, and reduced outsourcing costs. If you're an architect who values both precision and efficiency in design visualization, this course is for you.

Course Structure

The workflow is broken down into 3 levels:

High-Level Concepts

I explain general concepts and thoughts to help you understand why I take certain approaches to using the tools.

Focused Tutorials

I provide straight-forward explanations of the specific tools and the most practical settings to be aware of for our design workflow.

A Full Project Walk Through

I narrate each step of the process as I develop a new elevation. Actively follow along and see how the concepts and tools are applied to a live project, from start to finish.

Watch the Whole Design Unfold

See the Course Modules section below for the full breakdown

From Rough Massing...

...To Testing Materials...

... To Presentation-Ready

BONUS ITEMS

Download 3 Complete Revit Models

The best way to learn is practice. Explore, explode, and test the tools with these three projects. See the level of detail that gets modeled in Revit enabling clean renderings directly out of 3dsMax.

Traditional

This is the project the course is based around. You will receive several iterations of this version that correspond with the relevant module.

Contemporary

This project features a variety a large flat topography with expansive interior/exterior spaces.

Mountain Cabin

This project is great for practicing how to use Max’s modeling tools to clean up sloped, mountainous terrain.

Direct Feedback

I'll provide constructive critique for 3 images you will develop. They can be images created from the Revit models I've shared or from your own designs. I'll give you tips on anything you send to me.

Lifetime Access

You'll have access to any new videos I provide. The course will be continually updated as new students enroll and share their questions and experiences.

Course Modules

Module 1: Intro to Revit & 3ds Max

A general overview of the workflow that links Revit models into 3ds Max.

Course Overview
3dsMax Plugin Installation
Revit Settings: Setup for Success
3dsMax User Interface
3dsMax Template Ideas
Q&A

Module 2: Exporting Revit files into 3ds Max

Concepts: My Approach to Linking Revit into Max
Linking a Revit File into 3dsMax
Relinking As We Design
Q&A

Module 3: Lighting Solutions & Cameras

Concepts: Lighting A Scene
Working with Cameras
Corona Sun & Sky Setups
HDRI Lighting Setups
Building Lighting Setups
Q&A

Module 4: Materials

Concepts: Material Best Practices
Working with Basic Materials
Importing Materials from Third-Party Librarires (Poliigon)
Creating Custom Material Libraries
Q&A

Module 5: Landscape & Scattering

Concepts: Landscaping Overview
Forestpack Basics & Presets
Forestpack Deep-dive
Placing Landscape Manually with Proxies
Using Forestpack in our Workflow
Q&A
Q&A: Corona Scatter

Module 6: Entourage

Concepts: Entourage for Virtual Staging
Using Connecter for 3d Library Organization
Using the Relink Bitmaps Plug-In
Moving Entourage Around
Adding Entourage in Our Workflow
Q&A
Q&A: Workspace Setup

Module 7: Modeling Principles in 3ds Max

Concepts: Modeling Strategies in 3dsMax
Working with 3dsMax Primitives & Useful Modifiers
Modeling Context Buildings in our Workflow
Q&A

Module 8: Rendering & Post-Processing

Concepts: Final Rendering Strategy
Corona Settings for Final Deliverables
Post-Processing in Photoshop
Q&A

Module 9: Putting it all together

Concepts: The Big Picture
Rendering as an Art
Practice: A Contemporary Residence
Practice File: A Mountain Cabin
Q&A

Module 10: Advanced & Misc. Topics

Concepts: Advanced & Misc. Topics
Advanced Scene Manager Suggestions
Adjusting Sub-Object UVWs (Angled Vs Perpendicular Materials)
Modeling Pool Water
Modeling Fireplace Flames
Working with the Floor-Generator Plug-In
Adding Background Images
Depth of Field (Bokeh)
Creating Fog
Setting up Corrugated Metal Siding

Conclusion & Next Steps

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Testimonials

From other educational content I've shared

Bill Cooper

So concise, such a natural educator, and that you blow past all the extraneous filler is what makes your lessons so valuable, regardless of level or license. (Anyone would benefit, as you are absolutely unique).

Jat8090

I've been watching so many of these tutorials lately, and seeing someone who's acting like a human-being is a welcome change.

King Made Official

You don't know this, but you made these videos for me, I work in Revit and render with Enscape, I've been trying to move to 3ds max and use vray or corona, but I just cant find a way, bless you kind sir for sharing such knowledge

Frequently asked questions

What paid software do I need to take the course?

What hardware do I need for the course?

I first was using this workflow on an i7-7700k machine with 32 GB of Ram and an Nvidia 980GTX. That is a fairly modest machine these days. Beyond that, I can't comment on other builds since my experience is limited to my own hardware.

Like anything, the better the hardware, the better the experience will be. The strength of your GPU and the amount of RAM you have will determine how smooth your experience will be while building your scenes. CPU power will mostly control how quickly renderings will process when you're doing test and final renderings.

Here is a link to the system requirements for 3dsMax 2024.

And here is a link to the system requirement for Corona Renderer.

How long does the course take?

As an online course, I expect (and encourage) you to pause and re-watch segments as you follow along and test out the tools as I show them to you.

At launch, the course includes over 7 hours of videos but I do not think you should binge through it in a day. I would suggest taking ~2 weeks to watch the videos while simultaneously testing out the workflow on the example Revit projects I provide you.

Developing the artistic skills to craft a strong image takes a lot of time. You have life-time access to the course so take your time and enjoy the process!

How does this workflow compare to real-time render engines like Enscape, Lumion, or Twinmotion?

They all have their use-cases. I've seen great renderings from all of these programs but, in short, they all simplify their tools and interfaces to be as user friendly as possible. As such, while you can quickly get a passable image, they become more cumbersome to work with once you want to dig into the nuances of how your design looks.

My opinion: In anything you do, I believe you should use the best tool for that specific job. 3dsMax is still the primary, workhorse program for dedicated, professional ArchViz artists for a reason. There are hundreds of plug-ins, scripts, and specialized tools to quickly fine tune materials, lighting, and entourage models. I'd rather just learn to use those tools than spending, in some cases, a lot of money for rendering programs just because they are "designed" for architects.

If you are primarily interested in animations, I do think real-time engines should be something you consider. You can do animations with 3dsMax+Corona but they aren't as intuitive to set up and take longer to render.

If you don't rely on animations to get your client approvals, I would consider my 3dsMax workflow.

Does the course include any HDRI maps, Materials, or 3d Plant and Furniture models?

Unfortunately, I can't include any of the materials, plants, furniture models or any other asset since I purchased them from various commercial sources. I provide links to the various stores that I typically go to purchase models if you are interested.

The Corona Cosmos library (included with Corona) comes with a handful of assets (materials, HDRIs, 3d models, etc.). You will eventually want to grow your own library by purchasing other models but the Cosmos library is a great start if you aren't ready to make a financial commitment yet.

I am able to provide the Revit models to you because they are 100% comprised of Revit families I built myself.

What if I still need direction after taking the course?

If you've purchased the version of the course that includes my Redline Critiques, make sure to take advantage of that so I can provide direct feedback on your imagery.

If you want additional input about integrating the workflow into your specific office workflow, reach out and we can discuss next steps. I'm flexible and happy to help serve you on a consulting basis.

If there is anything else you need, just shoot me an email and ask. We'll go from there!

What If I have any questions while taking the course?

If you have any questions, you should assume someone else has the same question. And I want to hear it.

Reach out to me directly and I'll do my best to follow up shortly. Each module has a Q&A which will be filled with responses to common questions that arise.

Furthermore, my goal is that this will be the premier resource for Architects interested in rendering with 3ds Max. I will be adding videos, particularly in Module 10, as different topics or techniques come to my attention.

You have lifetime access to the course so you'll have access to anything new I add in subsequent versions of the course.

Your Instructor

Jeff Van Voorhis, AIA

Jeff is a licensed architect practicing in California with over a decade of experience in the industry. His expertise lies in high-end residential design, 3D visualization, and BIM Management. He leverages 3ds Max early in his Schematic Design process to produce near-photorealistic renderings which simultaneously act as both a design tool as well a knock-out deliverable for his clients. His additional experience as an accredited BIM manager for a firm of 20+ people affords him a unique command over Revit.

His focus revolves around optimizing quality and efficiency, helping others develop exceptional deliverables within tight timeframes. 

Take a look at my other Resources:

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SD Toolkit | The Full Collection

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The SD Toolkit is a set of custom Revit families that allow for more efficient and fluid design than the default families. They use "instance" parameters, making it easy to adjust properties like Width and Height without navigating through dialogues. The Toolkit makes Revit feel more like SketchUp while still utilizing all of Revit's BIM capabilities.

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Revit for Custom Residential

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  • 49 Lessons

A comprehensive overview of Revit for Architects focusing on Residential Design

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