Render (7:57 min)

Exercise 1–Create a Cloud Rendering

Graphical Display Options offer many compelling ways to visualize your designs, but often you will want to create a final rendered image at some point. Revit offers both in-product and cloud-based rendering options. Let’s make a cloud rendering to see our progress.

Catch-up file completed to this point: 23_Medical Center_Render.rvt

Camera

We can render from any 3D view, but it can be very nice to create a camera view for this purpose. This is easiest from a plan view.

  1. Open the Site plan view.
  2. Zoom in near the front of the building.
  3. On the View tab, on the Create panel, click the drop-down on the 3D View button and choose: Camera (see Figure 23–1).

Figure 23–1 The Camera tool

  1. Click the first point below and to the left of the building.
  2. Drag up and toward the front entry and click the second point past the atrium (see Figure 23–2).

Figure 23–2 Create a camera with two clicks

  1. The camera view will open immediately.
  2. Hold down the ctrl key and drag the wheel to adjust t zoom in the view and the shift key and the wheel to adjust the orbit of the view as desired (see Figure 23–3).

You can also adjust the 3D view using the ViewCube and the Steering Wheel. These are both visible near the edge of the 3D view.

Figure 23–3 Set up a camera view

Model adjustments

From this vantage view, we can see a few items that need attention before continuing with the rendering. There is a gap in the curtain wall near the roof at the atrium. Also, the corners where the curtain walls meet each other could be adjusted and the it might be nice to have more windows in the brick wall. Let’s tackle these in reverse order.

  1. Select the ribbon window (actually a curtain wall) in the brick wall. (Make sure to get the curtain wall and not a mullion or panel, tab if necessary).
  2. On the Modify tab, on the Clipboard panel, click the Copy to Clipboard tool (or press ctrl + c).
  3. On the Modify tab, on the Clipboard panel, click the Paste drop-down and choose: Aligned to Selected Levels (see Figure 23–4).

Figure 23–4 Copy the ribbon window and paste it to Level 2

Notice that when the curtain wall pastes, it does not embed within the brick wall automatically.

  1. On the Modify tab, on the Geometry panel, click the Cut tool.
  2. First click the brick wall, then click the pasted curtain wall (see Figure 23–5). Click the Modify tool or esc twice to cancel.

Figure 23–5 Embed the curtain wall into the brick wall with the Cut geometry tool

  1. Using a window selection, drag from left to right around the corner mullion at the atrium.
  2. Unpin them with the tool on the Modify panel (or press up).
  3. On the Properties palette, from the Type Selector, choose: Quad Corner Mullion: 5" x 5" Quad Corner (see Figure 23–6).

     

Figure 23–6 Swap out the corner mullions with a corner mullion type

  1. In the error that appears, click the Delete Element(s) button.

This error is reacting to the change in mullion and some of the mullions having become invalid. When the offending mullions are deleted, then are automatically replaced with valid ones.

This approach has overridden the mullions at the corner with a more appropriate corner mullion type. We can apply this same mullion at the type level instead.

  1. Select one of the curtain walls at the small vestibule.
  2. On the Properties palette, click the Edit Type button.
  3. Beneath Vertical Mullions, for both Border 1 Type and Border 2 Type, choose: Quad Corner Mullion: 5" x 5" Quad Corner (see Figure 23–7).

 

Figure 23–7 Change the type settings to use a corner mullion type

  1. In the error that appears, click the Delete Element(s) button.
  2. On the Project Browser, open the Roof plan view.
  3. Zoom in on the right to see the wall along Grid 9 at the left side of the atrium.

If you select this wall and look at its properties, you will see that it goes up to the Roof level with a top offset of 3′-0″. We need to draw a curtain wall on top of this wall.

  1. On the Architecture tab, on the Build panel, click the Wall tool (or press wa).
  2. Set the Type to: Curtain Wall:Storefront.
  3. Set the Base Offset to: 3′-0″. Set the Top Offset to: 0 (see Figure 23–8).

Figure 23–8 Draw a new curtain wall and configure its settings to place it on top of the existing parapet

  1. Draw tow segments of curtain wall directly on the outside edge of the existing parapet brick wall (see Figure 23–9).

Figure 23–9 Draw new curtain walls on top of the parapet wall

  1. Select both new curtain walls.
  2. On the Modify | Walls ribbon, click the Attach Top/Base button.
  3. On the right side of the plan (along Grid 10) click the atrium roof.
  4. In the error that appears, click the Delete Element(s) button.
  5. Close the Roof plan view and return to the camera view.
  6. Set the view to Realistic shading (see Figure 23–10).

Figure 23–10 Return to the camera view and turn on realistic shading

Customize a Material

Let’s modify the material on the visible underside of the atrium roof.

  1. On the Manage tab, on the Settings panel, click the Materials button.
  2. In the “Material Browser” dialog, search for: wood.
  3. In the library pane (bottom-left) locate the Wood Planks material and load it into the current document (just like we did for the grass above).
  4. Check the “Use Render Appearance” check box and then click OK.
  5. On the Modify tab, on the Geometry panel, click the Paint tool (or press pt) (see Figure 23–11).

Figure 23–11 The Paint tool

  1. Make sure that Wood Planks is selected in the “Material Browser” palette that appears and then click on each of the two interior surfaces of the atrium roof to paint them (see Figure 23–12).

Figure 23–12 Paint the wood planks material to the inside faces of the atrium roof

  1. Click Done in the “Material Browser” palette.
  2. From the View Control Bar, click the Visual Style pop-up and choose: Graphic Display Options (or press gd).
  3. Expand Background and then from the Background pop-up, choose: Sky and then click OK (see Figure 23–13).

Figure 23–13 Turn on the sky background

Cloud Render

We are ready to generate a cloud rendering. You will need an Autodesk account to do so.

  1. On the View tab, on the Presentation panel, click the Render in Cloud button (see Figure 23–14).

Figure 23–14 The Render in Cloud tool

If you are not already logged in to your Autodesk account, you will be prompted for your user name and password. If you need to create an account, there is a link there to do that as well. The “Render in Cloud” welcome dialog will appear next (see Figure 23–15).

Figure 23–15 The Render in Cloud Welcome dialog

In the next screen, you make your choices for the view you want to render, the type of rendering and the quality. The choices you make impact the time and potential cost of the rendering. A standard quality rendering at medium or smaller size if free. Larger renderings and higher quality costs cloud credits. Check with your Autodesk account administrator for more details on cloud credits.

You can create still images, panoramic renders, illuminance renders and stereo panoramas.

  1. Make your selections and then click the Render button. There is an option to be emailed when complete (see Figure 23–16).

Figure 23–16 Make your render selections, optionally opt for an email notification when complete and then click render

The render will process in the background. If you opted for an email, you will receive a message when complete. Otherwise, you will see a progress indicator at the top of the Revit window near your Autodesk login. On the Presentation panel of the View tab, there is a Render Gallery button. Use this to view completed renderings in the cloud.

  1. On the View tab, on the Presentation panel, click the Render Gallery button.
  2. Login to your Autodesk account and view and/or download your rendering (see Figure 23–17).

Figure 23–17 Open the Render Gallery to view and download renderings