Once the maps are exported from Substance, it is necessary to import everything into Unity for the creation of the shader, which will be applied to the 3D model.Īs anticipated in the previous paragraph, the workflow changes depending on whether you are working on a single asset or a part of the environment, like the floor. Substance Designer and Painter is a fundamental part of this process and allows us to create PBR shaders, a composition of different maps like the diffuse map, normal map, metallic, AO and more.
Your workflow needs to be adapted to this necessity. That means that almost everything must be done in 3D.
A real-time PC build for AEC, Unity image effects is the only type of post-production available to you. Each layer of 3ds Max will become a single FBX file to be imported into Unity.įirst of all, it is necessary to keep in mind that in a project like this one. Starting from the first draft of 3D modeling of the environment it is essential to work simultaneously on the UV map of the geometries and proceed to the realization of the materials in Substance Designer (unlike single assets where we usually use Substance Painter).Ī good practice is to create the 3ds Max layers structure thinking about how you’ll do the export to Unity. fbx in Unity, we began our first lighting setup, looking for potential lightmap problems.Īfter verifying that everything worked correctly, it was possible to go back and forth between 3ds Max and Unity, adding geometry details and checking possible lightmap problems. We started our first pass at modeling and optimizing the 3D environment in 3ds Max, including the main elements like walls and floors. The environment modeling and optimization, on the other hand, is highly connected with the Unity scene. Once the low-poly version was created, the second step required us to import both 3D models (high and low poly) into Substance, where we could work on the textures and create the PBR materials shown in the next paragraph. Starting from the high-poly 3D models supplied by the architects, it was necessary to evaluate each one’s topology, and after that, build the low-poly assets. The creation of a single asset is generally a standard process. We did this because the two parts require different workflows. The second, called “environment,” included the office building itself. The first one called “single assets” included all the furniture and props. One of the first things we did was divide the process into two different parts. The architectural studio sent the entire 3D file of the office and furniture and also some 360 image renderings that helped us to reproduce the lighting required. In this case, the architectural design provided for us was already defined.
Moreover, of course, static rendering images and the interactive PC build (usable with keyboard and mouse) that you can download at the end of the article! References One of the advantages of using Unity in Architectural Visualization is that you can get different types of output from the same scene.įor example, it is possible to make a video in cinematic mode. In the next paragraphs, I’ll share some of the workflows and techniques that brought us from a “standard” 3D model created for rendering engines like V-Ray or Corona Renderer to a scene made to run in real-time engines like Unity. The walkthrough allows users to interact with various aspects of the space, including the ability to switch between a day/night scene, change floor materials, turn on / off TVs and lamps and access BIM information related to the project! One of our latest projects was made in collaboration with Unity to showcase their HDRP (High Definition Render Pipeline) through a virtual walkthrough of the newly opened London office, designed and built by M Moser Associates. Oneiros was founded in 2016 with the goal of offering enterprise virtual reality solutions, using Unity, for the architectural industry as well as others.
I’m the CEO of Oneiros, a startup company based in Milan, co-founded with Ruggero Corridori, Lead Artist and head of ArchVizPro series and Antonella Contin, Academy Director. The project covered in this article actually features a collaboration with Unity to showcase their HDRP (High Definition Render Pipeline) through a virtual walkthrough of their newly opened London office, designed and built by M Moser Associates. I kindly asked him if he can dive a bit deeper into the process, and that he did. Always curious about implementing VR in ArchViz, I found a great article on Allegorithmic’s blog by Mirko Vescio from Oneiroes featuring the use of Unity.