Before you start, consider what type of rendering you want to achieve – photorealistic or artistic? There’s no right or wrong way to do a rendering, and it all depends on your intentions and what you want to convey when presenting the rendering of the space to your prospective customer. The answer to this initial question will affect how you should go about renders.

Image source: The images in this article are from REDsdk’s documentation.

1. Ensure high quality models are used

Make sure models have enough polygons and to avoid jagged edges. Symbols in CET are already optimized for high quality renderings. Pay attention when you bring in external symbols, i.e. from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, to make sure you are using a symbol that will render well.

2. Use high quality textures and materials

Ensure that the resolution is high enough, that correct material properties are defined (e.g. glass materials should have accurate transparency and refraction), and use bump maps if needed (e.g. wood grain materials).

3. Use photography composition techniques to frame your shot

Rendering is just like the art of photography; hence, the composition of your shots is very important. Use common photography composition techniques, such as the rule of thirds, symmetry, framing, etc.

4. Add clutter and imperfection to the scene

In real life, it is not often that a desk is empty or totally clean; there are probably lots of small objects such as keyboards, mugs, pens and so on. Use accessories in CET (e.g. from Kitchen Accessories, Office accessories, Plants & Flowers, or SketchUp) to add realism. How often do you come across a meeting room with all the chairs perfectly placed in a 90 degree angle to the table? Probably not very often. They would more likely be slightly turned to the side and not perfectly aligned. These imperfections add realism to the rendering.