Art and design insights from finalRender's expert, Igor Ivanovic, a multi-talented Project Visualizer for hire!

Hi! Igor, cebas Visual Technology would like to thank you for accepting our testimonial interview. Please tell us something about yourself and your artwork.

Hello Cebas, it is my pleasure. My name is Igor Ivanovic, I am Project visualizer with an Engineering background from Belgrade, Serbia. I have been fascinated with graphics since my childhood (using Amstrad Schneider CPC464, later Amiga 500, 1200 and PC with Hercules card), but I really discovered the magical 3D World during my University studies, before passing the AutoCAD exam. Being totally spellbound with early 3DS Max and finalRender versions, I think I can say, from that moment on, I concurrently pursued studies in the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (officially) and 3D Visualization using finalRender - independently, on my own. When I graduated and gained a M.Sc. degree, I had to make a tough decision which way to go, Engineering or Visualization? I chose Project Visualization. Currently, I work with Opus Certum, Entero, Auditoire, Tania Architecture D’interieur, F-S- Braun&Associes, Studio Partnership and several other Agencies engaged in Architecture/Design field. I love to work on several Projects at a time.

Cebas: we hear that you are working on a magnificent Architectural Project at the heart of Paris - The Lido. It certainly piqued our interest as to the render that you will be doing with cebas tools on the Project - could you tell us a little about this?
Yes, I am currently working on Lido of Paris by Opus Certum, a cabaret and burlesque show establishment on the famous Champs-Élysées, a computationally intensive project consisting of super dense geometry and multi-layered transparencies, sophisticated lighting and heavy ray-tracing, but this is where creative combinations of numerous finalRender features will come into play. 

I have been using finalRender for 13 years now. I find that finalRender has a very user-friendly set of features that are pretty robust, and the material and RE support are just amazing so finalRender actually increases the ease of my design work as I approach highly complex, sumptuous and sophisticated Architectural Projects. Apart from architectural competitions and NPR renderings, clients often want to see real clones of their projects in 3d visualizations, without or with minimal approximation, and this requires serious control and reliability with a render engine I choose to use. As a 3d render artist, there’s a need for me to be discipline and dedicated in acquiring greater depth in my design skills with a set of design software that can support my work.

To me, as a Project Visualizer, I see finalRender as giving me a robust freedom to create for clients, knowing that fR will be there for me with its massive toolset, one way or another, gives me creative confidence. I also trust Cebas developers with future fR releases that will continue to build on, and create more features with creative freedom in mind, where stability and reliability are held in high regard.

Cebas: Igor, you have an attractive visualization portfolio. Could you tell us about the projects that you felt cebas finalRender has been instrumental in creative design?

I love to work on highly complex projects that are engaging enough for me to delve deeper into 3d technology and I strongly believe that these valuable moments create specific states of mind where mastering the technical aspects actually heightens my creativity. In this context, one of the projects that really made me apply finalRender and PSD Manager features was The Memorial Center in Belgrade, Serbia. (see rendered image above)

 The client wanted fine details, water fountain (with 17 streams), antenna tower, sculptures, monuments, devastated and polycarbonate facades, combined with a 18 day and night perspectives optimized for A3 print. These tasks were quite challenging to render. Due to the number of images involved, I knew that most project elements had to be solved before final rendering, so for instance, I had to simulate water and assigned a finalRender-elevation material to main water stream, keeping water clear and transparent on top of the stream, and opaque and foamy on the bottom. All perspectives were rendered with ImageGI + HarmonicsGI, with render elements.

 

 

Another recent and very exciting project was the “La Coupole” (The Dome) Company restaurant (see rendered image above). The client wanted five interior images, in addition to one 4K top perspective view, to show the entire project area. I rendered this with finalRender, ImageGI + HarmonicsGI combo, using Scanline feature which made significant speed improvement in this case. The project made it to the top 2 selected by the investor.
 

 

 

Yet another project that I thoroughly enjoyed rendering with cebas fR was the Louis Vuitton Project series at Baselworld (see rendered image above), the World leading jewellery and watch show in Switzerland, notably special in many ways. I did Visualizations for these beautiful events for 3 years in a row, in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Louis Vuitton Baselworld 2012 event with 8 images requested by Auditoire Agency were peculiarly inspiring to do because the event was held on a boat set up for a showroom, showing interior with classy/unique furniture, and exterior of the boat (deck). Rectlights in sky portal mode on window openings on the left side of the boat, and low Rectlight sun position created rich shadows and GI shading.The entire project was rendered with AQMC + HarmonicsGI combo. It was totally awesome!

 

 

The Ethno Village St. Simeon, Kopaonik mountain, Serbia (see rendered image above), was another challenging project I had the privilege to design a few years ago. What you see on this visual image, every building block and blade of grass was modelled by me from scratch. The project needed eight detailed photoreal exterior images + 12 NPR top perspective interior images for the catalog book on this fairytalish complex. To do this, I used mostly cebas’ tools: finalRender, finalToon and PSD Manager features. I also used AQMC GI engine for primary and QMC for secondary bounces, for each one of 20 images of this Project.

Cebas: could you recall some unique images that you felt a gush of ‘wow’ render effects that finalRender/ moskitoRender were able to help you achieve?

In addition to Project Visualization, another field I am most at home with is 3D Illustration, both photorealistic and non-photorealistic (using finalToon). One of the image series I recently did for Shutterstock service, using finalRender, is Road to future. I had an idea of a crowded, futuristic, yet photo real composition of buildings, road and lightning fast traffic flow, toward open sky. Animated cars, public transport, bicyclers and pedestrians along turbulent progressive road, were rendered with full 3D motion blur, emphasizing the space, depth and the dynamic of the image. Original image was rendered in 6500x5915 pixels.

 

 

HarmonicsGI+ImageGI combo was used, enforced by finalRender-Dome light and finalRender-Rectlight as Sun. To emphasize facade constructions of building blocks, I used a combination of fR-Wire, Composite and fR-Advanced material, and for vehicle paints fR-Carpaint2 materials. Cars and public transport are animated fR-Proxies and the trails made by vehicles are fR-Particle lights.

fR-Architectural field camera was used, and although the scene had really large number of polygons, thanks to finalRender optimization capabilities, even with this resolution it took around 3.5 hours and 17GBs of RAM in stable Distributed rendering (5 machines). You could say the speed and stability was a true wow factor.

Cebas: could you give us some insight on how you created these visually-captivating visualizations?  

The Research phase...
Before the modeling process itself, I investigated every Project by observing the custom image references (furniture/sculptures/decorations...custom objects in general). I believe this observation phase is very important and I subsume it under modeling time. After making sure I have understood custom references in the context of the entire Project, I proceed with modeling phase, keeping texturing in mind throughout the entire process.
 

 

Delicate design ...
I use 3DS Max Graphite tools and finalRender’s fR-MTD modifier whenever geometry control through texture map is the right choice. One of the better features of fR-MTD modifier is having instant viewport feedback for different parameter values, which gives us the ability to tweak each detail as needed - this has been an amazing help in delicate designs. After this, if the geometry created with fR-MTD modifier is heavy, I convert it to fR-Proxy for fast viewport manipulation and preparation time, taking all advantages of the beautifully implemented fR-Proxy features.

 

 

Post-modelling processes...
What I would find most beneficial, that is not yet a part of finalRender, would be the ability to convert instances to fR-Proxy objects. Placing objects on exact position by instancing is very fast and handy, and converting editable poly instances to fR-Proxy instances would be the perfect next step. After the modeling process is done, I proceed by lighting the Project. I use fR-Rectlight every time, either in Sky Portal or standard light mode, depending on the Project, with attenuation and realistic decay turned on. For specific lighting situations and shapes, I use fR-Light material, fR-Cylinder light and fR-Object light.

 

 

Material & texture….PSD-manager interface
Having completed the lighting process, I advance to materialization and texturing phase, with respect to linear workflow. I use fR-Architectural whenever I don’t need total control and/or additional tweaking, but when I do - this is where I really enjoy using fR-Advanced and its uncompromising control of shading types, especially for transparent materials. In addition, I use fR-Light, fR-2Sided, fR-Layer, fR-Velvet, fR-Elevation...etc, depending on the Project.
  

 

While working with materials and textures, simultaneously I prepare the scene for exporting using PSD Manager, assigning material IDs, object IDs, and single objects, having post production phase in mind. The connection between finalRender and PSD Manager plugin is perfect, anywhere from 3DS Max to Photoshop.

Cebas: what was the most difficult render to date and how did you solve it?

The Penthouse by Entero ....
In my experience, each Project has its own rendering riddles that needed to be resolved, and the number and complexity of those riddles does not have anything to do with Project area or Project type - I have worked on large exterior Projects complexes, rendered in a single breath. On the other hand, tight interior corridors that require absolute dedication and pretty specific, layered approach to be solved successfully and on time.

If I had to choose one Project that proved especially difficult, it would be Penthouse by Entero, which was completed several months ago. Seven perspectives of lovely interior Project comprising of exceptionally dense geometry, massive blurries everywhere washed by hundreds of area lights, and unique layered textures, inspired me to outdo myself. As always in similar situations, I have used the strongest sides of finalRender, such as fR-Advanced, fR-Rectlights/Cylinder lights/Object lights, fR Physical cameras, Detail Detection combined with HarmonicsGI, and of course the everlasting render elements: fR-AA Sampling, fR-Complete, fR-Reflection, fR-Specular, fR-Ambient Occlusion(in GI detail mode).

I used balanced AA sampling and rendered the scene with slightly toned down reflections and speculars, with interpolated glossies in fR-Architectural materials turned on. Then in post production, I used fR-Reflection, fR-Specular and fR-AO RE to enhance these effects, and also, took advantage of all beautiful selections made by PSD Manager. Unfortunately, I still do not have the permission to show this Project.

Integrating business, art and technology...
In general, since I started using finalRender in visualization, I have given my best to create a rich level of vividity and accuracy, creating and rendering simultaneously as my imagination integrates with technology and the render tools. I am often practicing to think like my client’s client (investor), so I am asking myself: ”what would I like to see and feel here”, “what type of Visualization would make me say - yes, this is it, I agree”? I believe this is recognised by my clients and it has something to do with final successes - in most cases, the clients send me photographs of successfully launched Projects.

Cebas: how did cebas software integrate with your other design software? How straightforward was it?


Conversion database ….
With PSD Manager and finalToon, all cebas products, everything was a perfect match from the start. On the other hand, finalRender on its own, especially in its early days, was not easy in many aspects. In the first place, premade finalRender materials were nowhere to be found, so although material presets were useful, I had to create a material database for my work literally from scratch. At first, I created basic materials like wall, glass, marble, wood,... etc, but then I started to realize that the number of possible custom materials/textures combos on different Projects tends to be practically infinite. I knew that without some sort of automation it would not be possible, time-wise. I have searched for known material converters and there was no support for finalRender in any of them.

Then I noticed Multiconverter script, an amazing tool created by Vladislav Gavrilov. Although finalRender was not supported by this tool either, Multiconverter at the time was like the best comprehensive engine (fantastic converting possibilities) without any fuel (empty property database). Thanks to Vladislav’s work, I decided to create a property database for finalRender materials, lights, textures, modifiers and cameras..., in order to make accurate conversion of other render engines properties possible.
 

 

 

It took me more than one year to create all matching equations and connections between other render engines and finalRender, but I knew it may help other finalRender users as well, so I shared conversion database on Cebas forums and with Vladislav. I am doing my best to update it regularly, when needed. 

Cebas: what is your wishlist for cebas software that it's not currently doing for you in terms of rendering and visual effects ?

In finalRender R3.5, apart from ‘instances’ to fR-Proxy feature that I’ve mentioned before, I would also like to see “ignore Camera correction modifier” checkbox in fR-Architectural field camera, Distributed maps feature supported when GI solution is locked, rejoin slave in DR feature without interrupting DR, automatic GI solution saved in a file just after GI prepass is done, and fR-IES with spherical shape by default and with soft area shadows fully functional. Regarding R4, I would appreciate seeing all of the above combined with: better and faster Antialiasing and AQMC, faster raytracing, blurries, DOF and motion blur, better displacement.

Cebas: what new Projects can we expect from you in the future (if you're able to tell us).

For the time being, those Projects would be Lido by Opus Certum, Penthouse by Entero and Avrainville - exterior Project in the suburbs of Paris. In the meantime, those who are interested can visit http://tiny.cc/animavision


Cebas: Wow! Thank you so much Igor for this very insightful interview on your experience as an Architectural Project Visualizer and the many technologies involved !