Real 3D vs Flat 3D

Born from the need to render architectural images quicker a clever technique emerged. It was the use of 2D photographs on flat planes in 3D to create the illusion of a realistic object in a computer generated scene. Think of these as "cardboard cutouts" of people and objects. From a distance and from the right angle you may not be able to tell that they have no depth - the perfect illusion. The computer has less work to do, the image looks real and the client is happy.

But, every shortcut has a downfall, and the negative of this technique is it's over use. It only takes a few seconds for you to identify a cardboard cutout, which is as you move towards or around it. The lack of depth becomes very apparent. This means the technique is best suited to still images with no camera movement whatsoever. When you relate this to our scene building techniques it soon becomes apparent that there are limitations imposed.

The way around this is to only use true 3D objects, and this requires skill and resources - something that Archiform 3D has in ample supply. We create detailed and highly realistic 3D models of almost everything you see in a scene. This means you can move through it in virtual reality and get a true perspective of what is around you.

Unlike a flat 2D object placed in 3D, a true 3D object allows you to move around it and look from any angle. It also casts the correct shadow. This is highlighted in our article regarding flat landscaping and real 3D landscaping and you can view and animated movie to see the difference.