Realtime Rendering for Revit - Kinda - Autodesk Stingray
Charles Berteaux IV
Engineering Design Technology (BIM/VDC) Department Manager at SSOE Group
There has been lots of buzz over the last month about Autodesk's new Realtime rendering engine Stingray that is built upon the Bitsquid gaming engine they purchased last year. The basic workflow is that you would use the Workflow tools built into Revit to 3DS Max then to Stingray. The graphics in my opinion are just as amazing as its Hardcore competitors Unreal and Unity. Autodesk is wanting to attract small- to mid-sized studios (architectural and gaming) that don't have a huge programming staff, so it has heavily equipped the engine with node-based scripting tools to make coding a drag-and-drop affair. If you wand to dive deeper into the coding and scripting, they have also released its C++ code for free.
Not being a developer of Games and a BIM Manager for an Architectural firm it would have been nice to have seen this platform more interactive with just Revit like so many other ones do. There are tons of "Small- to Mid-Sized Firms" that do not utilize 3DS Max. I personally don't see the need, for extra software if and when you can get pretty darn realistic renderings straight out of Revit and rendering on your desktop or in the A360 Rendering cloud. Autodesk showcases very fine examples every day!
But the product is still new, and who knows what the future holds
From Autodesk:
"Direct link to 3ds Max.
A live link between 3ds Max 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software and Stingray lets you import, view, modify, and interact with 3D scenes in real time. Once you load a data set into the Stingray engine, any edits you make in 3ds Max update in Stingray and are visible in side-by-side windows. Add 3D content into 3ds Max, such as cars, people, and furniture, and it will appear in Stingray quickly and accurately."
"Easy workflow from BIM to interactive
Import BIM-based design data from Revit building design software into 3ds Max to create a photometrically accurate visualization. Then, open that 3D visualization in Stingray to program an interactive experience inside your design for all stakeholders to see and explore in real time. This workflow requires the latest versions of Revit and 3ds Max."
"3D rendering in real time
Stingray offers a powerful real-time rendering system that can deliver great-looking environments on a massive scale. In addition to the core rendering technology, Stingray includes physically based materials, post-processed visual effects, advanced particle effects, and lightmap baking features, all which can help you achieve the perfect look and feel for your design data sets."
Short Youtube Videos:
Autodesk Links: