Author: Charlotte Lee

From prehistoric megaliths to the Industrial Revolution, construction techniques have always been evolving, noting incremental improvements. Surely new digital innovations are set to present the next historical landmark along this journey.

Technology is the new linchpin pushing construction into a new age. With the adoption of digital tools and automation, the industry is subjected to a profound revolution, setting the stage for further improvements.

Industry 4.0 transforms construction by adopting digital technologies. Its relevance lies within principles like;

• Interconnectivity.
• Cloud-based resources.
• Automation through smart machinery.
• Machine learning for predictive analytics.
• Real-time data analytics.

A marriage between physical and digital realms improves efficiency and brings costs down.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a methodology that transforms construction by creating detailed digital representations of structures and their functions. Through open skill sharing and accessibility, its importance is in the collaboration between designers, stakeholders, and clients, limiting errors through detailed visualisation, and producing project outcomes efficiently. BIM promotes fluid communication, allowing teams to work closely, without confusion or conflict. Working with a common shared platform, mistakes are minimised, efficiency is increased, and cost benefits are delivered.

IoT devices and sensors collect live data on building sites, empowering data-driven decision-making, predictive maintenance, and ultimately ensuring the safety of workers. Sensors are placed strategically to monitor the environment, energy, safety, material tracking, and workflow optimization. This intelligent approach eases communication, aids efficiency, and provides a secure working environment.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are presenting a paradigm shift. The client experience is optimised through the offering of virtual walkthroughs (or flyovers) and life-like digital renders. Designers and construction professionals are offered immersive training through augmented reality. Client presentations are visualised in a clear, easy-to-understand manner, demonstrating project insights and promoting overall project understanding. Ultimately the adoption of AR and VR limits misunderstandings and improves communication between all parties.

Corona Render and V-Ray are market-leading rendering engines. Similarities are witnessed, yet each boasts distinct features.

Corona promotes simplicity and photo-realism, appealing to designers who want an easy-to-use interface. It astounds in interactive rendering and uses adaptive image sampling.

V-Ray is renowned for its versatility. It supports a multitude of 3D modelling software suites such as SketchUp and offers advanced ray tracing and global illumination for realistic lighting effects. The V-Ray Proxy feature efficiently manages complicated scenarios.

Which to opt for, isn’t necessarily a case of which is better. Designers and architects should consider their preferences. Corona is an intuitive, user-friendly renderer, whilst V-Ray is adaptable and features advanced capabilities. Both engines undergo continuous improvement, so designers need to stay well-read, to learn about new upgrades, relevant plugins and improved features.

Corona’s interface is simple and easy for beginners to grasp. It offers an intuitive design that appeals to novices and seasoned professionals alike.

V-Ray, which offers abundant features, can be more complicated. However, as a recognised rendering engine, a wealth of learning resources are available. You can browse walkthroughs on YouTube or explore Elmtec instructional videos. It is the customisable options that make V-Ray what it is, as a versatile rendering engine. To assist efficient workflows V-Ray allows you to make folders to make your processes more personalised and adaptable.

It’s important to note that only V-Ray is compatible with SketchUp. Corona is not.

Although Corona offers additional functionality through plugins, V-Ray’s extensive compatibility across a variety of 3D rendering software suites makes it applicable to diverse environments. 

Choosing between the two could depend on the skill level of the user and project requirements, with Corona offering simplicity and speed and V-Ray offering broader cross-platform compatibility.

As mentioned, both V-Ray and Corona, although not without their differences, are ideal for rendering stills. However, V-Ray is the preferred option concerning animations.

V-Ray offers you more control over render settings, advanced animation features and camera perspectives.

As mentioned above, the power of SketchUp is only limited by your imagination. From design agency directors to hobbyists, SketchUp is easy to learn and encompasses all.

From shaping custom earrings to designing bespoke furniture, SketchUp is available to assist. The possibilities are endless. SketchUp is at the forefront of a new trend of hobbyists and enthusiasts who are digitising their concepts, and pre-production. 

Considering SketchUp is such an easy and fun tool to use, incorporating it should not be seen as a burden, but rather an extra layer of enjoyment, providing an increased chance of your project being true to your imagination.

Picture a novice carpenter, imagining his next table design. By incorporating SketchUp into workflows, the hobbyist can rapidly translate their idea into a 3D render by;

• Generating 3D models. Easily draw 2D designs, or create realistic 3D models. Proportions and materials can be experimented with throughout the design process or in post-render. Through trial and error, the DIY enthusiast can incrementally improve designs until the desired design is achieved.

• Visualise ‘the table’ against the backdrop. By importing images of a living room, for example, the designer can see how the table will look alongside the rest of the room’s furniture and decoration.

• Alter scale and proportions.

• Collaborate with other interested parties. Perhaps there are other members of the family, or friends, that want to collaborate. SketchUp allows all interested parties access to designs, acting as a central hub.

Since its initial release in 2000, SketchUp has undergone a multitude of updates and as a result, is the intuitive interface designers know and love today. Experimenting with shapes, changing dimensions in a moment and visualising renders from any angle, makes the design process as easy as it could be.

DIY enthusiasts can access the 3D warehouse, a comprehensive catalogue of materials and models that can be incorporated into your projects, or used as a source of inspiration.  

SketchUp negates the frustration associated with hand drawing plans, and ensures accuracy before the production process begins, saving time whilst avoiding costly material wastage.

SketchUp also has an important role to play in education. In courses relating to art and design, students and teachers can develop 3D models and diagrams for teaching or presentational purposes. Teachers can engage with students and maintain their interest by incorporating dynamic animations, walk-throughs or fly-overs. Considering teachers’ already tight schedules, incorporating SketchUp into lesson planning should not consume much time at all. As previously mentioned, SketchUp is intuitive, quick and easy to learn.

Explore SketchUp’s advanced techniques such as;

• Organic modelling.

Organic modelling is utilised for curvilinear designs. This works perfectly for non-uniform shapes that can be found in nature. Objects such as plants and landscapes.

• Parametric modelling.

Parametric modelling is useful for customizable objects. It is a non-native feature of SketchUp but is often used to alter models by pushing or pulling surfaces.

By exploring native features and plugins,  you will elevate your projects, enabling more complexity and possibilities as you practise.

What is BIM?

Building Information Modeling (BIM) encompasses the management of the digital representations of a physical structure and its functional characteristics. Surpassing visuals alone, BIM captures data about materials, structures, and historical elements. 

Elmtec’s advanced tools, such as SketchUp, improve the modelling experience and support accuracy in heritage preservation projects. 

At this point, we should acknowledge that BIM is a methodology that relies on a range of tools and technologies to achieve its objectives.

The preservation of heritage buildings proposes unique challenges. Intricate architecture, structural decay, and the necessity for period-accurate restoration present complications. The adoption of BIM methodologies, in unison with Elmtec’s portfolio, combat these challenges. 

BIM opens the door for the precise documentation of architectural nuances and helps gauge structural vulnerabilities. Geometric data such as dimensions, linear measurements and volumetrics, can be incorporated and underpin historically accurate restoration, promising the preservation of our legacy.

Future adaptations in BIM-centric technology are anticipated to transform heritage preservation. The development of augmented reality (AR) is poised to offer immersive experiences, allowing experts to interact with and visualise how structures were, are, and are planned to be. 

Real-time collaboration tools will further facilitate experts, without regard to geographical location, to work on projects in synchronicity. When combined with SketchUp’s future-proof, intuitive platform, these innovations will create an ecosystem that promotes the safeguarding of heritage buildings.

Imagine wearing an augmented reality headset while exploring an ancient village or Roman ruins. Through AR, you can step into a virtual world that immerses you in the daily lives of ancient civilisations. This immersive experience provides experts, amongst other stakeholders, with a deeper connection to the past.

It’s essential to respect cultural sensitivity throughout the representation of heritage buildings and sites. Awareness of the cultural and historical context is imperative to ensure accurate, truthful, and respectful depictions that pay tribute to the values of associated communities.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) helps promote cultural and Ethical sensitivity, in digital representations, in a variety of ways:

• Accurate Historical Documentation: BIM enables the accurate documentation of historical and architectural details, ensuring precise representation.
• Collaboration: BIM principles are built on collaboration. Historians, archaeologists, cultural experts, architects, and digital designers simultaneously work through the same methodology to guarantee a comprehensive and culturally sensitive result.
• Data Integration: BIM can imbed cultural and historical data into the digital representation, meaning that the representation respects the beliefs, and practices of both ancient and existing communities.
• Feedback Loops: BIM facilitates feedback from consultants, promoting the continuous improvement of the digital representation.

SketchUp supports cultural sensitivity by offering a platform for collaborative adjustments, and visualisation, ensuring digital representations respect values.

The release of V-Ray 5 brought with it significant improvements, revolutionising digital design with enhanced ray tracing for lifelike lighting and shadows.

By employing LightMix, in the new V-Ray Frame Buffer, designers are free to tweak lighting conditions post render, promoting creativity through experimentation. Furthermore, The Layer compositor in V-Ray 5 allows accurate adjustments and final adjustments for your renders directly within Frame Buffer, removing the necessity for a separate post-processing application.

V-Ray 6, however, focuses on collaborative tools, contributing real-time project sharing and cloud rendering, catering to modern collaborative demands. A strengthened compatibility with Enscape and new ability to add stickers and labels to textured features elevates realism dramatically.

Additional remarkable features include enhanced contour rendering, and tools like V-RayUVWRandomizer for impressively realistic materials. Improved capabilities for masking lens effects and denoising, streamlined workflows, and powerful GPU rendering transform the rendering landscape.

V-Ray 5 exhibits impressive rendering speeds, especially in dealing with intricate scenes. Upgraded GPU rendering and adaptive algorithms have dramatically enhanced rendering times, boosting efficiency, and permitting rapid rendering in complex situations.

V-Ray 6’s speed improvements really set new standards. V-Ray 6 offers optimised ray tracing algorithms and amplified GPU acceleration, promising a significant reduction in rendering times, perfect for time sensitive projects.

V-Ray 6, is provided with NVIDIA’s Ampere, Turing, and Pascal GPUs, and has undergone stringent performance testing, posed in a variety of scenarios. Recognising V-Ray 6’s advanced rendering speed, we witness a twofold improvement in IPR, and the impactful use of a second GPU assigned to denoising for quicker results.

Both V-Ray 5 and V-Ray 6 demonstrate a commitment to speed improvements, helping digital designers working to complex, time-critical projects.

Limited space presents unique challenges, demanding well-considered, creative solutions. Elmtec, through extensive experience, excels by highlighting the necessity of smart storage solutions, multifunctional furniture, and space-maximising layouts. Our original approach transforms challenges into opportunities, creating sophisticated yet practical spaces.

Here are specific examples of how Elmtec achieves luxury in small spaces, through its core principles and product portfolio:

1. Materials choice: Elmtec suggests sourcing premium materials. Quality hardwoods, natural stone, and opulent fabrics can be opted for to create a feeling of luxury in small spaces. For example, install granite countertops in a kitchen or opt for leather upholstery in a living area.
2. Lighting: Perhaps one of the more cost-effective methods of injecting some luxury into a small space; be conscious when choosing lighting. Ambient and accent lighting enhance the mood of compact interiors. Cleverly placed chandeliers make a statement, and concealed LED strips can introduce a warm atmosphere.
3. Thoughtful Decor Choices: Elmtec recommends decor items that maximise the visual appeal of small spaces. Browse SketchUp‘s extensive 3D Warehouse to visualise an array of options. A large mirror in a small bedroom creates the illusion of more space. A tasteful artwork adds a touch of class and acts as a focal point in a living room. Be careful with colour selection, as darker colours can make a space seem smaller, especially when they are overhead.
4. Multi-functional furniture, like a sofa bed or a coffee table with concealed storage, declutters a space. These pieces enhance both the functionality and aesthetics of small interiors, promoting minimalism.
5. Space-Maximising Layouts: Intelligent layouts designed through SketchUp promote open floor plans and thoughtful furniture placement.
6. Luxurious Additions: The inclusion of rich textures such as thick rugs, or silk curtains, might not necessarily create a feeling of space, but they will certainly add a sense of indulgence to small spaces.

By combining these components, you can manifest a luxurious atmosphere in any small space.

Space planning is a crucial aspect that stands as a pillar of interior design. Measuring dimensions and prioritising function over fashion; a carefully considered plan promises the best possible use of available space. Volume, structure and the intended use of a space are all key considerations. Designers and architects must ask themselves questions to ensure functionality.

Questions might include:

• How many people will be using the space and what is the purpose?
  
  

• What’s the plan for existing furniture?
  
  

• Is there natural light available and what are the lighting requirements?

Consider using SketchUp to plan, trial different layouts, and design visually appealing spaces. SketchUp’s ability for top-down viewing makes the visualisation of small spaces convenient.

Designer James Knight loves the versatility of SketchUp and makes the most of its functionality in designing practical furniture for smaller spaces. Read more about his story.

Elmtec had the pleasure of interviewing Martin Nealson from Angel Martin Interiors. His insights on how he realises his creative designs through SketchUp are insightful and worth a read. 

Elmtec shines in converting small spaces into luxurious havens through technology and creative design. Responding to the demand for luxurious urban dwellings in smaller spaces, Elmtec promotes strategic principles, enabled through its portfolio of products. SketchUp’s intuitive interface can play an important role in imagining your designs.

Elmtec hopes that the advice and tips offered will set you on your way to creating luxurious small spaces.

Explore our blogs and case studies for further inspiration, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our approachable team of designers.

Sophisticated software suites, like SketchUp, have transformed guest experiences by allowing designers to create detailed, photo-realistic 3D renders. Virtual walkthroughs allow clients to be immersed in a model, envisaging the result before construction. These innovations, although indirectly related to guest experiences, have a profound impact down the line. Guest experience and therefore perceptions are optimised.

SketchUp is a transformative presentational tool. Perhaps a client would like to know the influence natural light has on a space, and how a space will be illuminated at different points throughout the day. In applying the new V-Ray Sun and V-Ray Sky features, such scenarios can be presented. Models can depict how spaces will be lit at the more important parts of the day (or even year), by natural light:

• How will a dining area look at breakfast time?
• Will the reception area be sufficiently lit at the busiest times of the day?

Animation functions within SketchUp make the presentation of such scenarios even more dynamic.

Creating an interior that is customised, starts with understanding who your target audience is. Although hospitality, by nature, caters to a diverse spectrum of society, you of course have a demographic in mind.

Personalising interiors to your demographic is paramount. The software empowers hotels and restaurants to tailor their spaces to specific guest demographics through furniture selection, material choices, mood lighting and colour themes. Elmtec’s designers leverage software to develop designs by culture, age, and nationality.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Incorporation into hospitality interior design enables exciting enhancements to customer experiences. AI applications and software can capitalise on historical data, to predict and improve guest preferences. In collating guest feedback, verbal and surveyed, AI can offer design alterations, fostering incremental continuous improvement. Elmtec is leading the way, devoting resources to AI-led design solutions, to transform the way guests feel about hospitality interior design.

Sustainable design in hospitality interior design is improving with the incorporation of software tools like SketchUp. Collaborative tools such as SketchUp allow for multi-departmental collaboration in live models, further facilitating the integration of sustainable knowledge and skills.  

• Sustainable Interior Design comprises:
• Energy modelling.
• Natural light prediction.
• Eco-friendly material selection. This might include regenerative materials like wood and cork.
• Renewable energy sources, for instance, solar lights.
• Biophilic Design, integrates elements of nature into designs, such as plants and natural light. Biophilic design has been proven to improve guest comfort and wellbeing, promoting memorable experiences

Elmtec’s commitment to sustainable interior design aligns with increasing customer demand for green hospitality spaces.

Last year (2022) Elmtec had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Whittaker, owner of WithPencils, about his workflows and how he leverages SketchUp whilst designing hospitality interiors. Read here about one of his more recent projects for Nest, Bishopsgate.

CAD software is crucial in creating accurate prototypes and products. Parametric modelling facilitates the ability to precisely define factors within mathematical parameters, ensuring ultimate control. Live simulations permit consistent testing and refining. SketchUp promotes global collaboration. Multiple stakeholders can work on the same model, in real-time and unison, truly optimising efficiency.

Elmtec’s dedication to distributing CAD software for product design, and supporting the integration of such, ensures that your digital renders are produced to precise standards.

SketchUp expedites design through prototyping and iterative processes. The integration of this market-leading software suite streamlines workflows through collaboration, enabling endless tweaking and experimentation. As a result, prototypes are produced to demanding deadlines, ultimately meaning new products reach the market faster.

Some further examples of how CAD software aids product design, by acceleration include:

• Simulation and analysis: Simulation allows for stringent testing of prototypes before physical versions are produced.
• Comprehensive design libraries: SketchUp has an extensive library of components in the ‘3D Warehouse’. Choosing from one or some of the standard components/parts means the design process can be further optimised.

• Integration with other methodologies and systems.

• Customisation: Custom templates can be created and utilised to save time.

The future of CAD is at a tipping point, with virtual prototyping standing as a cornerstone. Elmtec, as always, is at the forefront of this transformation, offering designers the ability to simulate real-world conditions, through award-winning platforms such as SketchUp.

Augmented Reality (AR), is set to allow designers to relate with virtual prototypes in real time, throughout the design process. AR is poised to transform product design, through ease of validation, permitting real-time fine-tuning and encouraging collaboration. Elmtec’s commitment to virtual prototyping will reduce eventual costs, and accelerate time-to-market.

As mentioned throughout this blog, efficiency and the future of CAD lies within its collaborative capabilities. Real-time collaboration through the cloud, facilitates live skill share, on a global scale. International teams can collaborate in an instant, enabling constant feedback loops. In a global market where departments are becoming evermore remote and distant, real-time collaboration is a huge factor driving accuracy, speed and efficiency.

Modern automated interior design systems are revolutionising efficiency. Elmtec uses and promotes automation tools that smooth and optimise tasks, permitting rapid prototyping and detailed simulations. This not only expedites the design process but also ensures precision in every aspect, negating the opportunity for human error. As an outcome, projects are delivered significantly faster, with no compromise in quality. As mentioned previously, automation frees up more time for interior designers to explore other aspects such as client management. However, automation also allows designers to focus more efforts on creative pursuits, as opposed to dealing with more numerical or precision-based activities.

Automation in interior design facilitates mass personalisation. Advanced algorithms analyse huge datasets, allowing designers to customise designs on an untold scale. Couple this with digital offset printing technology, and designers can automate vast amounts of customised designs, such as wallpaper, with the desired level of personalisation.

SketchUp aids automation and personalisation with its endless possibilities to represent whichever kind of interior design you desire. The adaptability and versatility of SketchUp is astonishing.

You can further customise through automation by incorporating market data, encompassing consumer behaviour, demographics and new trends.

We at Elmtec hope that you have found this blog informative and useful. Elmtec trusts that you understand a little bit more about the importance of automation in design software, its applications and projections for the future.

You can explore Elmtec’s blogs and case studies to read more about Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality.

Regarding SketchUp, Elmtec is now offering a free 7-day trial.

As always, if you have any questions at all, please reach out to one of our expert consultants.