3d studio or ADT

[minhtct]

Hi

My question is what should I use for presentation of residential projects that I am working on? 3D Studio or Architectural Desktop?

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Please note I've *moved* this thread from the AutoCAD General (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=120) Forum to this one as I believe it would be better served here.

Thanks, Mike

Forum Moderator

[tstephens]

It depends what you want to do:

Viz Render (which is part of Architectural Desktop 2004/2005) allows you to easily link your 3D model created in ADT and add photometric lights (with radiosity calculations), daylight systems, materials, textures, and cameras. You cannot create or edit the 3D geometry built in ADT – you can only apply materials and lighting and render the result. You can also create walkthrough animations. Viz Render is a good place to start working with rendering and animation. When you are ready for more advanced 3D modeling and animation control, you will want to purchase Autodesk Viz 2005 or 3D Studio Max.

Autodesk Viz 2005 (which needs to be purchased separate from ADT) allows you to do everything that you can do in ADT Viz Render, PLUS create 3D models from scratch using several dozen modeling tools built into Viz. Just like Viz Render, you can easily link your ADT model into Viz, but now you can modify the geometry of the model. Viz also has metal ray, another rendering engine built into the software. Mental ray allows you render lighting in a different way, and is particularly good for caustic lighting effects (such as light passing through a glass surface and creating crystalline patterns, or a pool of shimmering water). Viz also has more advanced animation controls, and allows network rendering.

3D Studio Max allows you to do everything that Autodesk Viz 2005 does, PLUS has particle systems built in that allow special effects such as snow or rain, and has tools built in that allow modeling and animation of characters (such as those you see in video games), and can create effects such as cloth and fur.

As far as file formats go, Viz Render creates a .drf file, and Autodesk Viz 2005 and 3D Studio Max create a .max file. The .drf files can be opened and worked with in Viz and 3D Studio Max.

Hope this information helps!

Tod Stephens
Avatech Solutions

[jbernhardt.76397]

I am not sure I am doing this correctly as this is my first time using the forum. I need assistance with ADT. I am a teacher in Idaho and just got a 2005 ATD and can not figure out hoe to get the viz render to workj on my drawings. when I go to file I don't get the viz render choise in my drop down menu. any help

[tstephens]

In the lower left corner of ADT 2005, just above the command prompt area, is a small arrow (it is the "open drawing menu"). Left click over the arrow and choose Link to Viz Render. The ADT model will automatically link into Viz Render (make sure you save the ADT drawing first).

Tod Stephens
Avatech Solutions