3D Models…..

Ever since I was thinking about becoming a landscape architect I was interested in 3D models and 3D renderings. This was back in 2004 and Maya, 3DS and a couple other pioneers in the 3D industry were putting out programs.

The one thing I learned was that 3D models had constraints, they were very linear and couldn’t really produce an organic shape to save its life. Until this day all the well rendered spaces are modeled interior spaces. They are exchangeable for the real thing and can be mistaken as such. Some outdoor structures, and modern landscape designs can be rendered but the majority of customers aren’t into the modern style.

The reason why Exterior 3D models don’t work is that they are made up of inorganic materials. Contrived unnatural spaces with artificial lighting. Lighting is the key…

But here is the real catch.

If you create a stunning 3D model for a client and they buy it, every detail of that model must be recreated in reality. Otherwise you have failed to deliver.

In the landscape world, we make drawings; conceptual, section cuts, perspectives and other renderings that leave some interpretation up to the visualizer.

This ambiguous style is real, it is one that from a top down and maybe a perspective rendering that one can see what they are hiring that designer to do what it is they want.

I am not hating on the 3D guys, heck I am one, but it isn’t real and there is no way there will ever be a direct representation of the carefully rendered pants with millions of polygons that took me hours to render and then be disappointed by the unrealistic results!

My retired Professor would say I have seen the light if he read this post. Only because I fought the sterile renderings as something that had a chance back in 2009. Yes I know times hav changed but they have taken the designer out of designs and put it in the hands of AI and unrealistic expectations.

Unfortunately we cannot mimic life, and sine landscape is made up of life it is impossible to imitate it. If you could then you will never deliver the changing representation that is and will always be a pretty picture.

So what do we offer?

We offer an intelligible plan of our intentions, one that is rended with color, maybe a perspective to explain a detailed space, and always scaled. Scale is everything, and relating ideas is the goal. From the customer to the installer all must understand what is happening.

Earthtech Landscapes guarantees an intelligible plan, a cross-referencing cost estimate and a construction document that is buildable and scaled. One that a customer can understand and one that anInstaller can build off of. If the circumstance is right we do 3D and are really good at it… you can see here. However 3D isn’t a all the time thing.

We don’t do pretty fly throughs….the birds do that.