I have used many products over the years for rendering, starting out with Hypershot (later to be called Keyshot), before moving onto Artlantis with its aged looking UI and years between updates that only made it worse. After that was Lumion, fine for ‘game’ like lansdscapes but awful for interiors at that time and certainly no good for product images. Although I stuck with Lumion for many years and managed to get some really great architectural renders from it in later years when it started to get better, I always had to drop back on Keyshot when rendering ‘products’…step in Enscape!
Discovering Enscape in early 2020, I found it so good at interior architectural images that I dumped every other render product on my machine (except Keyshot!). This week, having modelled the latest iPhone 13 and rendering it in,…yes you guessed it, Keyshot, I wondered what Enscape would make of it.
Here are the results. They are not perfect and I wont be dropping Keyshot anytime soon but generally, I was pretty happy with the outcome and hope that maybe with some more practice, Enscape might prove itself to be the best rendering option for almost anything!
What do you think?
…and for anyone wondering what the Keyshot images cam out like, here they are.
Please note: I have Keyshot 6 having not renewed the expensive annual license updates since getting Enscape!
Is your target output realtime : Interactive presentations, video or VR?
This is where enscapes strength lies, it is also aimed at the AEC industries right now, so most functions revolve around users of those industries.
Offline renderers like Keynote have much more flexibility with creating very expensive materials that might not work so well, which will often be essential for a product render : anisotropic materials , velvet, sub surface scattering , different types of glass, dielectric materials.
Something like V-Ray is probably more suited to that type of work.
Adam
My work is spread across the AEC industry, (architectural visualisation for which I use Enscape), engineering and concept design (which again, I use Enscape for set design and Keyshot for products or devices).
I am happy with the toolset I use but the purpose was a test to see if there was a single product that can work for all my needs. In this instance, Enscape does come pretty close on finish image standards but it has shown me that which I will continue to use Enscape for ever more, I will also run Keyshot in parallel, subject to the project I’m working on.
As for V-ray. it is good but I do not see any benefit from it that Enscape or Keyshot doesnt provide for already (they are also a lot quicker and easier to use).
I was just being polite as Enscape and Chaos group who make V-Ray are the same company now ?
I think the reality is that offline renderers , such as Keyshot and V-Ray will always be able to do things that aren’t feasible for Realtime application.
Of course, as compute increases and algorithms and software tech changes, this will improve.
The line is blurring all the time.
Anyways, great work with those. You’ve shown how you can get really great results despite those limitations.
This is awesome! Do you have tips for me?
I work with Sketchup and Enscape. When I try doing product renders the “sun” makes my materials look weird and cast shadows where I dont want them to be. It’s always a fight with the Sun, and if I turn it off, the product materials just looks off.
The sun is great for architectural images (see my other posts on here or my showreel at https://youtu.be/MnFStzPF_HE) but can be difficult to work with on product shots. You have to treat your model like its in a studio so that typically means shutting the sun out.
I use a premade set up (see image) that replicates a studio environment. The overhead lights can be adjusted in groups or coloured when required but essentially, they are placed in a 360 degree layout that cancels out any unwanted shadows. You can switch a light of here and there as needed to force some shadow but I find they work well as they are.
This ‘studio’ set up is supported by a ‘studio’ environment HDRI. There are a few online that work really well.
Thats about it really. Enscape isnt set up for product shots and there are a few alternatives that do it really well but at a cost. If Enscape is the only render solution open to you, then this methods works.
And if you want really really high quality ultra realistic product renders then you should look into blender, you will have a high degree of control over materials and lightning.
Though blender is free but it will cost you some time.
Learning blender can be tricky but results will be rewarding!!
Check this tutorial for product designing in blender
Heyyyy,
Thank you so much!!
I think ill play around today, trying to figure it out <3
