Virtual Reality came to change the way we see the world and how we work, from an immersive experience, it can bring more assertive sensations and responses from the user. 

Its utility is becoming more and more useful in different areas and sectors. From NSFW TikTok videos to gaming, cinema, or even architecture. It’s a new market that has been growing over the last few years.

After an initial boom and hype some years ago, nowadays we are seeing the real implications it might have in the near future, with some organizations and individuals already using it on a day-to-day basis.

The biggest problem with this approach is the fact that most people don’t know what they are doing, which leads to a lot of bad advice being given out by people who claim to be experts. 3D rendering is in fact a bit of a complex field and technical sector, so if you want to learn about it, you need to dig into some rabbit holes before getting a basic knowledge of it. 

However, for someone just beginning to learn, we’ve gathered a simple tutorial with 4 steps that you can use for starting in this field.  

By rendering your projects in 360 degrees and making use of this technology, you can have better feedback from your client and deliver better project understanding.

However, to get the best experience, some technical guidelines about Virtual Reality need to be followed. The goal of this post is to add more technical knowledge to you, the architect and interior designer.

Image Proportions

In order for the Virtual Reality application and Facebook to correctly read the image and leave it looking like 360 degrees, it is necessary to follow the proportion of 2:1, i.e. the width of the image should be twice its height. Example: 2048 x 1024 pixels. Before putting your environment to render, pay attention to these proportions, otherwise, your image will be distorted.

Image Size

As we are dealing with smartphones and Facebook timelines, opt for smaller image sizes, for example, 2048 x 1024 pixels, up to 2 Megabytes. This will speed up the rendering process and will deliver greater fluidity when presenting the project on a virtual reality goggle.

360° Rendering Tool

To render in 360 degrees we need specific tools that configure this type of camera. There are plenty of renderers and compositing applications like Renderpal, 3D Studio Max, Cinema 4D, VRED, V-Ray, Modo, Sketchup,

Just as an example, the tool we use here is VRay, which gives us good image quality and a wider range of options and filters.

Configuring your VRay to render in 360

• Camera height in VRay: The first step is to select the VRay Camera and leave it at eye height, always in a straight line. Be careful with the tilt of the camera, as the rendering will be 360 degrees, there is no need to focus
• Second step is to change the camera type – Spherical and activate the Override FOV – 360. As in the image on the right. Done this the camera will render in 360 degrees, it is important to note that the image should be in the ratio of 2:1 because if you use it in VR glasses the application will use this constant to apply the algorithm and give the immersive effect.

If you want to get in some more detail about V-ray Render settings check this video:

Opting to hire a 3D rendering artist

If you rather prefer to hire someone with some experience already in the field, then hire a so-called 3D rendering artist. These days, they are available online or through social networks. You can find them easily through freelancer platforms or through specialized websites.

Conclusion

Rendering in 360 is not difficult but requires some practice and patience. If you want to start with a simple project, we recommend following our 4 steps above. Otherwise, continue to practice or eventually hire someone that can teach you the right way.