(i didn't look at the link you provided)

....but one difference is that in Max you can distribute your rendering among several different computers. If you are using Vray or Mental Ray it's done with buckets or natively in max you can break the rendering into strips.

I've only done a minimal amount of rendering on revit, but a lot on max. I can say that I can't imagine doing any kind of production rendering in Revit. It's way too slow.

Any Thoughts on This??

I'd thought about something similar. I haven't looked to see how much is exposed in their api.I've only written 4.3 external revit apps..

anyway, i don't know why a pseudo render farm couldn't be developed. Each comp on the farm would render out a portion of the image (similar to what you describe...except it'd be automated). Then there's probably an with activeX module that could be used to combine the portions back together.

I can't be the first to have thought of this, so don't be suprised if someone doesn't come up with a working version.

Wow, thanks for that post - that weblink was a good read~!

Thanks for the reply...yah, we tend to use Revit for renderings when it's just supposed to a quick, single image.  We have gotten pretty good results using just Revit, but depending on the scene, it can take a while.  But, sometimes, this is actually more worth it than moving to MAX, especially if you are just looking for a few images at high quality, you can use the batch renderer utility.  Just check your materials, colors, and lighting conditions on low quality, before you leave for the day, then set up the batch renderer to run all the images you want over night...usually works fine.

 However, I have also used the FBX export, and it works really well.  The main problem with the MAX workflow is that there are a lot of settings for mental ray you need to be familiar with to maximize your rendering quality vs. time.  If you aren't familiar with these settings already, there is a pretty good learning curve associated.

 Anybody else have any workflows they would like to share?

Those of you interested in this topic may also be interested in these two posts:

3ds Max Design 2011 and Revit Architecture 2011 Workflow Enhancements Summary

Revit 2011 and 3dsmax Design 2011 New Feature Workflow - FBX linking

Enjoy!

Okay, so the attached images are something I have been experiementing with in Revit 2011.  Have a look and let me know what you think (you have to be a registered, logged in user to view attachments, but don't worry, registration is free, you just need to make sure and put in a valid email address, because you'll have to verify your email, so check your spam box when you are looking for the verification email after you register).

There is definetely a place for photorealism, and it can be done with just Revit, but I like these types of images A LOT!  I just think they lend themselves to be more artistic, less "Final" looking, and you can spend less time on it because your goal isn't 100% photorealism...you are really going for accurated color, lighting, and just to put accross the design and concept of what the space might feel like.

So anyway, Here's what I did:

1)  Set up my model with all the materials, lights, etc. that I wanted

2)  Rendered the view to a specific resolution on High Settings (Rendered.jpg)

3)  Saved out a Hidden Line view and set sillouette edges on to a thick line (Hidden Line.jpg)

4)  Saved out a Shaded View with Ambient Occlusion Turned On (Shaded.jpg)

5)  Used Photoshop to:

      a)  Put the Rendered Image in at 100% opacity.

      b)  Put the Shaded image in at like 50% opacity.

      c)  Put the Hidden Line.jpg in at 100% opacity on top layer after I had removed all the white (so it's transparent leaving only the bold black lines)

      d)  Got the Final Image (Final Photoshoped Image.jpg)

That's an interesting workflow.

So you rendered the model in Revit Architecture, NOT 3d Max Design 2011, right?

So how long did it take to render that image in Revit 2011 overnight?

This is a good comparision in my opinion:

The difference of the rendering time between Revit 2011 vs. 3d Studio Max 2011

If it's significantly faster in Max, then the next question is how long does it take to export the model as FBX from Revit 2011 to Max Design 2011? (with all of right materials applied and light fixtures) before the rendering begins in Max Design 2011)

If it's significntly faster in Max, which rendering engine are we talking about?  (VRay, Mental Ray, etc.)

I totally agree.

It depends on what type of presentation you are talking about.  Your method is kind of "quick and dirty" way for something that doesn't require super photorealism and yet it's realistic enough to be used in presentation.

I always believe there's no one solution to get things done.  It's all about what's best suited in that particular scenario.  As long as the method is time efficient and maximize the efficiency, I'll always choose that option.