Rendering Preferences?

First topic message reminder :

Normally ang preference ng clients (especially developers and property owners) are close to realistic, photographic renders. This is true because unlike designers (architects / interior designers) mas gusto ng layperson ang what you see is what you get approach.

However certain architects seem to have different preferences. There are some who demand an airbrush effect much like the ones produced in China (predominantly photoshop) and there are some who bother more on the entourage, RPCs, rather than the rendering of the space itself. I tend to lean towards the GI approach because WYSIWYG siya, but the scanline / extensive photoshop effect is full of loopholes - it's very subjective (for example - gusto ng client ng glass, pero not so reflective and not so transparent.. finding the balance is quite a challenge in this manner, etc etc)

Ang direction ng group namin is really geared towards the future visualization and that is extensive use of GI.

The question though is - as a CG artist / architect would you be leaning more towards the "traditional" look or the "realistic" effect?

Thanks guys, need the opinion of the community on this.

well iba-iba talaga gusto ng clients, pero for me as a cg artist i prefer photorealistic..it is always my dream

I would just like to add something

i always love doing traditional renderings even way before but now im loving the realistic approach since it is what most marketing people demand and a lot of the artist in the society is already geared on it. Here in the office is quite different, more different than my previous office in dubai that we get to choose the styles before hand and present it to the client before we release the stages of the renderings. It adds up to the pressure sometimes having different projects means different approach or style. But im trying to adjust a lot. Somehow beneficial coz you will be surprise how different style can look good on certain projects. And sometimes the client is bored on the usual trend. They tend to find something new always. even in animation.So concept and storyboard is really crucial .

Just sharing my experiences so far,.

My preferences are as varied as my clients.

So the look will always be dependant upon a lot of factors. Time, budget and the purposes for which the images will be used.

Knowing the unstable nature of LOOK DEVEOPMENT, it helps to have multiple skills in terms of choosing the rendering style. Be it photograpically close renders or what have you.

If would be working on a personal project - I find more challenges in doing the somewhat unknown or difficult. Non-photorealistic renders has always impressed upon me that rendering styles or renderers are just mere tools and would never be a close match to the aesthetic beauty of the analog look. That's why I love them.

My only consolation for Photorealism is when the images will be a substitute for something that cannot be taken with a camera or video. I do not find happiness in working my butt out doing something than can be easily photographed. As we always say in compositing - use real video materials if you have it rather than mimic something real with CG and gamble with losing believability. The same is true for CG, vertex says.

As usual - different strokes for different folks.