"Light: Science and Magic" is mainly meant for experienced photographers since it provides a deep examination of various photographic lighting alternatives. Nonetheless, this book might also be handy for lower-level architects, particularly when it comes to 3D architectural visualization. Any reader who wants to enhance their lighting abilities and make their 3D renderings stand out can find lots of useful information from this title!

In general, "Light: Science and Magic" highlights the core of how lighting affects the final image quality. Even the most costly equipment will not provide jaw-dropping results if you lack lighting knowledge! The same holds true for 3D rendering, since even the most contemporary tools and sophisticated technological applications are insufficient to make outstanding 3D renderings on their own. Even in lighting, a certain amount of knowledge and skill is required.

This book may significantly improve any architect's 3D modeling abilities, which are essential for generating attractive and captivating 3D renderings.

Author: Paul Fuqua, Steven Biver, Fil Hunter

Year of Release: 1990

Score: 4.6 stars (from 279 reviews)

The first title on this list, Architectural Visualization: Its Relevance to the Unbuilt World, is one of the best books about architectural 3D rendering. It was published in 2018 and was authored by Sarah Jones and Michael Secrist.

Architectural Visualization: Its Relevance to the Unbuilt World is not a technical book designed as a guide for artists, designers, and architects - like the other volumes that follow it. Instead, it demonstrates why architectural visualization is essential for every construction or remodeling job. The writers argue that the success of a project relies on the connection between architects and artists. As this book teaches how to successfully interact with CGI artists, both architects and their clients may gain a great deal from reading it.

Also, the readers will have a greater comprehension of architectural design and all of the required stages. Architects who are not adept in architectural visualization may utilize this book to connect with visualization firms more efficiently, and hence, ensure a smoother project. In addition, it helps you get a better understanding of your project's specific requirements and, if necessary, participate in modifying those criteria.

Authors: Sarah Jones, Michael Secrist

Year of Release: 2018

Score: 4.5 stars (from 201 reviews)

"Real-Time Rendering" is actually the product of a huge collaboration among a number of industry specialists. It is the most recent volume in a series of three focal points on the most cutting-edge approaches for producing exceptional rendering results.

No prior understanding of rendering is required to comprehend this textbook, since it starts with the mathematical basics to help you get acquainted with the concept first. Only when you are pretty well-tuned to the pace of the book, it eventually moves to the complex methods often seen in games of the greatest quality. Though its major concentration is on rendering processes in video games, this book also goes into more depth regarding rendering than other architecture publications. In addition, the approaches presented in this book are fairly general and suitable for any rendering goal.

With 26 chapters, the writers of this text describe each stage of this intricate procedure in great detail. Therefore, after reading this handy book, you will have a comprehensive understanding of AR, VR, colors, texture, shading, illumination, light, transformation, processing, and rendering. Even better, the book was written in a very comprehensible style and is packed with references and examples to other useful publications. Therefore, we can say that "Real-Time Rendering" is one of the best books about architectural 3D rendering!

Author: Naty Hoffman, Eric Haines, Tomas Akenine-Möller

Year of Release: 1999

Score: 3.8 stars (from 164 reviews)

The next book on this list, "Revit 2020 for Architecture: No Experience Required", is exactly what it claims to be: an ideal resource for novices with no prior knowledge of Revit for architecture. Autodesk Revit is most certainly the greatest BIM program for architectural purposes; thus, it is not surprising that the vast majority of architects use it for 3D visualization. If you are currently utilizing or intend to utilize Autodesk for any of your 3D renderings, then "Revit 2020 for Architecture: No Experience Required" is for you.

"Revit 2020 for Architecture" will help you generate high-quality architectural visualizations by guiding you through the vast Revit universe. It introduces the content with some of the most fundamentals, such as learning the Revit layout and how to apply its fundamental facets to specific examples. The book delves into model development, then moves on to door and window placement, followed by various views, plans, angles, and of course, 3D perspectives.

There are a total of 17 chapters. Upon the completion of this book through synchronous project development, you will have mastered all the required tools for a thorough and high-quality 3D architectural render.

Author: Eric Wing

Year of Release: 2019

Score: 4.6 stars (from 126 reviews)

The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture is another book based on a specific software built for architects. To be more specific, this book's second version, released in 2018, concentrates on SketchUp, a premium 3D design application.

Michael Brightman, the writer of this book, is a designer with years of expertise and a history of successfully completed projects. Due to the enormous growth and reputation of the first version released in 2013, this renowned architect decided to revise and publish a second edition five years later.

The second version of The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture is geared at architects, landscape architects, real estate developers, and interior designers worldwide. This book serves as a lesson for some of the most famous architectural visualization applications, using the widely known SketchUp software as its foundation. Following this book, you will rapidly grasp and master all SketchUp tools and choices, including drawing, visualizing designs, and preparing the necessary construction documentation for any kind of project you may be working on.

Author: Michael Brightman

Year of Release: 2013 (first version), 2018 (second version)

Score: 4.3 stars (from 58 reviews)