
Using 3D Studio's materials, lights, atmospheric effects, and camera controls, this purpose is well met. The primary purpose of VIZ is to produce photorealistic rendered images and animations. They can be extremely time-consuming when starting from scratch however, VIZ's built-in tools make creation and modification of these objects effortless. The real power of VIZ for architectural applications is evident when adding fully parametric features such as doors. Alternatively, all construction could be performed in VIZ, directly creating the 3D objects. A typical application might import a 2D AutoCAD floor plan, extrude this plan to create a 3D structure, then add 3D features using VIZ's construction tools. On-line documentation is presented through a browser interface, and is as good as any I've seen.įor architectural applications, VIZ offers alternatives such as importing drawings and shapes in a variety of file formats. The printed tutorial provides an easy-to-follow introduction, and the Getting Started video tape (a new Studio feature) provides an excellent place for newcomers to begin. VIZ's documentation is clear and well- written, following a task-oriented style that I find very effective.

It's clear that I could perform a significant fraction of this MAX work in VIZ. As a mechanical designer, I primarily import models created as solids in AutoCAD, and compose, render, and animate in MAX. To test this apparent commonality, I loaded a MAX model I'm currently developing, and simply continued work without missing a beat (I picked a MAX model using only features common with VIZ). The interfaces are identical, with only variations in command availability, so an environment using both VIZ and MAX would be very efficient from a training standpoint. With a significantly lower purchase price than MAX, VIZ also offers designers in other disciplines an economical 3D Studio entry point.Īs a MAX user, I was immediately at home in VIZ. While VIZ lacks some of MAX's advanced animation and post-processing tools necessary for media production, VIZ adds construction and CAD interface tools that greatly improve productivity in an architectural environment. VIZ and MAX share the same user interface, plug-in architecture, scripting language, and rendering engine.

3D Studio VIZ is an adaptation of 3D Studio MAX, tailored to enhance productivity in the AEC environment.
