Learn Rendering

the fast and easy way

By Melos Azemi
 I. INTRODUCTION
It all started from here… 4
Why Enscape? 6
How does Enscape work? 8
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What makes a Render Realistic? 9

II. COMPOSITION
Composition Rules that catch attention 10
Aspect Ratios for each platform 14
Keep views organized with THIS tool 16
Field of view - How much should it be? 18
Perspective - Which one to use? 20
Depth of Field: Remove distractions 24

III. ASSET LIBRARY

Importing Assets with just 1 click 25
Modifying Assets to your project preference 27
Using Proxies so you don’t burn your PC 29
Custom Assets - if the library is not enough 31
Scatter Tool to fill the scene with 1 click 33

IV. MATERIALS
Why you should use PBR Materials 37
Material Library - one click to apply 41
Importing External Materials in your project 43
Using Imperfections for a “livable” render 45

V. LIGHTING
Using the default Enscape Sky 47
Using an HDRI for life-like lighting 49
Every Lighting Object Explained 51
“Fake Lighting” Technique for Interiors 58
 VI. VISUAL SETTINGS
The Main Tab: the base of Renders 60
The Image Tab: to fine tune everything 62
Atmosphere Tab Exaplained 63
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sky Tab to take control of lighting 64

VIII. VIDEO WALKTHROUGH

Keyframes to move the camera around 65
Transitioning in Keyframes 66

IX. COLLABORATIVE TOOL

How to use the collaborative tool 67

X. 360 PANORAMA
Mono vs Stereo 360 Panoramic Render 68
Sharing the 360 Panorama 69

XI. VIRTUAL REALITY

Linking up your Headset inside the file 70

XII. WHAT’S NEXT?

How to put these tips in aciton 71
INTRODUCTION

It all started from

here...
I sat in the front of my computer, feeling a
little confused that after everything, it
would all end here … like this.

I had been blindly following the

recommendations for 6 months, moving
towards one goal, only to find out the
whole thing was a lie …

I looked to my left … and I looked to my

right … and I saw hundreds of other
students in my classroom in the same
situation as me. Only THEY had smiles on
their faces.

Didn’t they know what was about to

happen to us?

It was Thursday, December 12th, 2019. It was the day I was finally finishing my
first semester in my Architecture studies.

“You need to learn these software to create Realistic Renders"

This is what our Professor was shoving down our faces

(And to be fair...
3Ds Max, a five thousand dollar PC and a long rendering time was written out as
a requirement all over the internet for creating Realistic Renders...
And unfortunately it still is,,,)

But what about the next morning?

That’s when I had the chance to discover Enscape.

And as I quickly found out...

I was being lied to this whole time...

[Link] 4
INTRODUCTION

It all started from

here...
For most of the people who graduated with me, IF they could somehow buy a five
thousand dollar PC, they were going to spend another 6-12 months to learn these
complex software and still wait 2 hours for a render to finish...

So, when I looked around and saw them all smiling on that Classroom, at first I
was confused …
Not for me, but for them …

Because for me, I knew what my next step was. Just earlier, I had stumbled on a
cool software that allowed me to create Realistic Renders in a six hundred dollar
PC and it took less then an hour to finish a project from start to finish.

This was a software that later allowed me to complete over 100 projects in over
30 countries in the first year that I learned it.

Would you like to know what I found out? Are you interested in how I was able to
get away from the usual advice on the internet and from professors and actually
create a workflow that allowed me to advance further in my career?

If yes, continue reading this book.

[Link] 5
INTRODUCTION

Why Enscape
I have tried 10+ Rendering software so you don’t have to and I can
confidently tell you that the type of tools you use in your workflow matter...
A LOT! In that case, here’s the reason why I chose Enscape over those 10+
software:

Speed
Being able to create Renders fast
makes you a better Architect.
“How?” - you might be wondering.

You can implement changes faster,

you can tweak materials faster and
overall have much faster feedback
loop.

Think about this, while someone takes

4 hours for ONE Render
You can create that same Render 5
times and apply 5 rounds of feedback
within those same hours.

Simply put: You will improve 5X Faster

in your design skills than everyone
else.

Speed to Quality Ratio

Being able to create Renders fast that
look awful is never the goal.

My goal is to find the sweet spot

between the least amount of time
required to input and the highest
amount of rendering quality output,
and that is what Enscape does best!

[Link] 6
INTRODUCTION

Why Enscape
Ease of use
When starting out rendering , technical difficulties are the number one
reason why you fail to improve at a faster rate.

I know it from experience.

However, Enscape is so intuitive and so easy. It is the perfect blend

between giving you creative freedom and limiting the amount options at
your disposal that way you don’t make your life harder.

Compatibility
When working as an architect, the
amount of different files you receive
becomes a serious headache.

Revit, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, Vectorworks,

Rhino and a bunch more.
Just converting from one file to
another takes hours.

However Enscape is compatible with

all of them.
It works the same way with all of them.

No matter what Native Modelling

Software you use, Enscape is the
destination for Visualization

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INTRODUCTION

How does
Enscape work?
Enscape serves as a plugin to your modelling software and it is a real-time
rendering engine. Meaning that all the changes that happen to your project
will automatically be applied in your Enscape window.

Pro Tip: If your budget allows you to use 2 Monitors, I highly advise you to do
so. It will make your life so much easier and your workflow so much faster.

On one screen keep the modelling window and on the other one let
Enscape work it’s magic.

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INTRODUCTION

What makes a
Render Realistic?
The 5 Components of a Realistic Render are exactly what I showed below.
When all of those components align perfectly then a render will reach it’s
peak potential.

Next up we will go in detail about each one of these stages:

Color Correction 3D Modelling

Materials Composition

Lighting

[Link] 9
COMPOSITION

Composition
Rules
that catch attention
Rule of thirds

This is one of the most fundamental rules of composition. By dividing the

image into nine equal parts with two equally spaced horizontal and vertical
lines, this rule suggests placing key elements along these lines or their
intersections.

For instance, placing a building's focal point or significant architectural

detail at one of the intersections draws the viewer's eye naturally and adds
interest.

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COMPOSITION

Composition
Rules
that catch attention
Centering Rule

The centering rule in architectural rendering focuses on placing the primary

subject or focal point at the center of the composition.
This emphasizes symmetry and balance, this is particularly effective for
highlighting the grandeur or importance of a structure.

By drawing the viewer's attention directly to the center, this approach can
evoke a sense of order and strength, making it ideal for showcasing
buildings with symmetrical designs or central elements that demand focus.

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COMPOSITION

Composition
Rules
that catch attention
Leading Lines

The leading lines rule is

meant to guide the
viewer's eye toward the
main subject or focal
point.

These lines can be

natural elements like
pathways, edges of
buildings, or even
shadows, and they draw
attention by creating a
visual journey through
the image.

By strategically using
leading lines, architects
can emphasize depth,
highlight key features,
and create a sense of
movement within the
rendering.

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COMPOSITION

Composition
Rules
that catch attention
Pro Tip: In order to have an easier workflow to set up your composition, activate
the guidelines by following this process:

Step 1: Click the Video editor or press V Step 2: Click show Gridlines

Step 3: Use the gridlines as a guide to set up your composition

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COMPOSITION

Aspect Ratios
for each platform
Why should we have the right aspect ratio?

Short answer: you don’t want your render to end up like this one right here.

4 by 5 (Recommended Res. 1080x1350px)

This aspect ratio is almost square and it

is mostly used for:

Social Media: Particularly favored for

Instagram posts as it maximizes
screen real estate within the
platform's constraints.

Print Media: Sometimes used in

posters and flyers to provide a
balanced view without being too wide
or too tall.

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COMPOSITION

Aspect Ratios
for each platform
16 by 9 (Recommended res. 1920x1080px)

This is a widescreen format and

it is commonly used for:

Television and Monitors: This

is the standard aspect ratio
for most modern TVs and
computer monitors.

Presentations: Often used in

slideshows and video
presentations to provide a
broad view of the subject.

Web Content: Ideal for

embedding videos and
images on websites to fit
widescreen displays.

9 by 16 (Recommended res. 1080x1920px)

This is the vertical counterpart of the 16:9 ratio, it is

commonly used for:

Mobile Devices: Common for social media stories,

reels/shorts/tikotk etc.

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COMPOSITION

Keeping Views
organized
with THIS tool
View Management

When creating Renders, you are often going to be looking for the perfect
angle to capture.

However, once you find it you’ll need to move around and explore your
model.

The view management tool will allow you to organize your angles/views
and going back to them with once click.

Here’s how we can set it up:

Step 1: Click the View management icon Step 2: Click the “Create View” icon
or press “F” on your keyboard to save your current angle

[Link] 16
COMPOSITION

Keeping Views
organized
with THIS tool
Step 3: Name your View and click save Pro Tip: I always recommend
doing this as the first step.
This allows you to get clear on
your exact view, that way you
don’t waste time modifying
parts that you will not capture

If after saving the view you

need tweaking, just go
through the same process,
but instead just click on the
edit icon of the view you
created..

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COMPOSITION

Field of View
how much should it be?
The Field of View is one of the
most discussed aspects of the
Composition.

The Human Field of view is over

120 degrees horizontally and 90
degrees vertically.

However, that doesn’t mean that

it has to be the same with
renders. Different aspect ratios
require different field of views.

Let’s take a look at it:

Step 1: Open the visual settings Step 2: Tweak the Field of View

[Link] 18
COMPOSITION

Field of View
how much should it be?
Even though you can get field of view right most of the time with self-
experimentation, here’s a few things you should consider:

Distortion: Higher FOVs can lead to distortion, especially at the edges of

the screen.

Performance: Wider FOVs can impact performance, as more of the

scene is rendered. Making sure your hardware can handle a higher
FOV is important.

Virtual Reality: If your goal with Enscape is to create Virtual Reality files,
make sure to have 100-110 degree field of view for user comfort.
Distorted POVs can lead to motion sickness for people who experience
Virtual Reality
Examples of how different field of views look:

70° 50° 30°

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COMPOSITION

Perspectives
which one to use?
2 Point Perspective vs 3 Point Perspective

When using enscape, the default perspective is set at 3 Point Perspective.

While this is how the human eye naturally sees, this is not the
recommended perspective to capture Architecture Renders (most of the
time).

Most Architecture Images are taken at Eye-Level height and if taken with 3
point perspective they will look distorted.

In the image below you will notice that vertical “lines” are not truly vertical
in the 3 Point perspective image since they are tilted to the 3rd vanishing
point, however at the 2 point perspective image you will notice that the
vertical lines are at perfect 90 degree angles.

So overall: Use 2 Point-Perspective for eye level renders.

3 Point Perspective 2 Point Perspective

90°

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COMPOSITION

Perspectives
which one to use?
3 Point Perspective
If you are creating aerial renders using 2 point perspective will distort the
image.

In the example below you can see the difference between 2 Point
Perspective and 3 Point Perspective and it is clear to see on why you
should always use 3 Point Perspective for Aerial Images.

2 Point Perspective 3 Point Perspective

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COMPOSITION

Perspectives
which one to use?
Orthographic

The orthographic view is very useful when you want to create elevations
for your project that will look stylized.

You can use the number pad keys for different orientations of your camera
in orthographic mode

Check the example below:

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COMPOSITION

Perspectives
which one to use?
Orthographic

You can use the orthographic mode to also

create isometric diagrams for your projects.

How to choose the perspective setting?

You can either choose the type of perspective you want to use by going
into the visual settings and going under Projection in the Camera section
or directly inside the enscape window in the “cube” icon as shown below

[Link] 23
 COMPOSITION

Depth of Field
to remove distractions
The depth of field options allows you to easily direct the attention of
viewers into what should be emphasized and to minimize the distractions.
This option does this by blurring out everything that is not considered as
important by the creator of the render.

You can see the examples below:

Here’s how to use it:

1. Depth of Field: You can control how much “blur” you want in your
renders”
2. Focal Point: You can either let the software decide the focus of the
camera by clicking on “auto focus” or you can select where you want
the camera to focus by specifying the distance of the focal point from
where you are “standing”

[Link] 24
ASSET LIBRARY

Importing Assets
with just one click
You can use the orthographic mode to also create isometric diagrams for
your projects.

Step 1: Opening the Asset Library

Step 2: Choosing what you want to use

The Enscape Asset Library offer 3788 assets from multiple categories such
as accessories, vegetation and furtiture. You can filter what you need to
find by the categories or you can also use tags such as bush, business etc.

[Link] 25
ASSET LIBRARY

Importing Assets
with just one click
Step 3: Importing the Asset
While using the steps that I laid out above, you can only import these
assets inside the sketchup window. You can do that while clicking on the
asset and clicking inside the sketchup window exactly where you want it
placed.

You will notice that in sketchup the asset will come up only as an
approximate shape to save space in your computer, meanwhile on the
Enscape screen it is showing just like in the thumbnail of the asset library.

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ASSET LIBRARY

Modifying
Assets
to your project needs
Step 1: Asset Library
Previously we took a look at how we could access the asset library in
Enscape inside the SketchUp tab. However, in order to use adjustable assets
we will need to do it inside the Enscape Window

Step 2: Select the Asset you want to adjust

Inside the Enscape window you can
easily select any of the assets that
have been placed. You can only
select them once you have clicked
the Asset library icon. Once you click
on that asset it will turn orange,
meaning that it is selected.

Quick Tip: Make sure that the asset

you are trying to adjust is under the
“adjustable” tag in the library,
otherwise you won’t be able to make
any edits

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ASSET LIBRARY

Modifying
Assets
to your project needs
Step 3: Edit Selection
After selecting the asset you will
have the option to edit your
selection by clicking the icon.

Step 4: Change
the Material

First, choose the

material which
you want to edit.

Secondly,
choose the color
of it by clicking
under
Albedo>color.

[Link] 28
ASSET LIBRARY

Using Proxies
So you don’t burn your
PC
Even tough Enscape offers over 3000 assets, still sometimes you will need to
import external ones. However, when you do that you will notice that your
PC may work slower or completely crash.
A great way to prevent is to use proxies, which basically means that in the
modelling software, instead of showing the whole gemoetry of the asst that
you have imported, you will only see a wireframe of your model.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open Enscape Objects

Step 2: Click on Linked Model

Step 3: Select the SketchUp model that you want to make a proxy

[Link] 29
ASSET LIBRARY

Using Proxies
So you don’t burn your
PC
Step 4: Import the 3D Model

As you can notice, in the SketchUp video the sofa is showing up only as a box,
meanwhile in Enscape it is showing as the full 3D Model.

This is another powerful method to not overwhelm your PC and be efficient with your
setup and this is one of the reasons why Enscape remains king in the time:quality
ratio as mentioned in the beginning of the book.

[Link] 30
ASSET LIBRARY

Custom Assets
if the library isn’t enough
In case the Asset Library isn’t enough and you still need external models, then this is
an alternative to proxy models that can still work great.

Adding custom assets will help you keep the external models very organized and
easy editable.

Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Export the 3D Model as obj

[Link] 31
ASSET LIBRARY

Custom Assets
if the library isn’t enough
Step 2: Go inside the Asset Library and click in the Custom Assets section and click on
the + icon

Step 3: Click Import the geometry, name your asset and save the changes.

After finishing these steps, the 3D Model will always show up as part of the Enscape
Custom Assets library, organized and easy to find.

[Link] 32
ASSET LIBRARY

Scatter Tool
fill the scene with 1 click
What is the scatter tool?
The scatter tool allows you to place multiple models/ assets at once within a certain
distribution parameter that you set up.

It is especially useful for 3D Models that repeat multiple times throughout your
project, such as trees, leaves, people, shrubs etc.

Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Click the Asset Library inside the Enscape window

Step 2: Select one of the distribution tools (Rectangular, Circular, Bucket). Here’s how
to use all of them:

[Link] 34
ASSET LIBRARY

Scatter Tool
fill the scene with 1 click
Rectangular Selection

The shape of selection of the scatter tool basically defines the shape of the area
where the assets will be distributed, so in this case a rectangular area.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Choose the 3D models you want to scatter and

choose the rectangular selection

Step 2: Click the starting point and the ending point

of the selection

Step 3: Choose the amount of density that you want through the density slider, the
type of distribution in the dropdown menu. If unhappy with the distribution, click on
“regenerate” to see a different option. When happy with the result, click on confirm
placement to finally have the model rendered. (See the leaves in the photo below)

[Link] 34
ASSET LIBRARY

Scatter Tool
fill the scene with 1 click
Circular Selection

Step 1: After selecting the assets that you want to distribute just like in the last step,
click the starting point and the ending point of the radius of the selection

Step 3: Choose the amount of density that you want through the density slider, the
type of distribution in the dropdown menu. If unhappy with the distribution, click on
“regenerate” to see a different option. When happy with the result, click on confirm
placement to finally have the model rendered. (See the bushes in the photo below)

[Link] 35
ASSET LIBRARY

Scatter Tool
fill the scene with 1 click
Bucket Tool
Step 1: Unlike the last two selections, the bucket tool scatters the assets along a
certain material/surface. So after choosing the assets you want to use, selecting the
surface, i.e in this case grass.

Step 3: Choose the amount of density that you want through the density slider, the
type of distribution in the dropdown menu. If unhappy with the distribution, click on
“regenerate” to see a different option. When happy with the result, click on confirm
placement to finally have the model rendered. (See the trees in the photo below)

[Link] 36
MATERIALS

PBR Materials
why to use them
PBR Materials stand for Physically Based Rendering, which means that these
materials are based in real world physics.

When using PBR Materials, you will not have to manually edit every single aspect of
your texture i.e depth, reflections etc. Instead, when you download the PBR Materials
you will also get different maps to import i.e Albedo, Normal, Bump, Displacement,
Roughness, Ambient Oclussion etc.

In the next pages we will go through each one of the maps and what they are meant
to be used for.

[Link] 37
MATERIALS

PBR Materials
why to use them
Albedo

An albedo map is essentially a detailed

color map that defines the base color of a
material without any lighting effects. Think
of it as the “true color” of the surface,
representing how the material looks in a
neutral lighting environment. This map
ensures that the material’s appearance
remains consistent under various lighting
conditions.

Normal

A normal map adds intricate surface details

without increasing the geometry’s
complexity. It simulates small bumps,
grooves, and textures on a material by
altering how light interacts with the surface.
This allows for highly detailed and realistic
textures, like wood grain or stone, without
the need for additional 3D modeling.

[Link] 38
MATERIALS

PBR Materials
why to use them
Bump

A bump map is a texture that simulates

surface irregularities and textures by
manipulating the lighting on the material.
Unlike normal maps, which use RGB values
to convey directionality, bump maps use
grayscale values to create the illusion of
depth and detail. This technique helps add
realism to your renders by giving flat
surfaces a more dynamic appearance
without adding extra geometry.

Displacement

A displacement map physically alters the

geometry of a surface based on grayscale
values, creating true 3D details. Unlike bump
or normal maps that only simulate texture,
a displacement map changes the actual
shape of the surface, adding depth and
dimensionality. This results in highly realistic
renders , making it particularly useful for
materials like bricks or stone.

[Link] 39
MATERIALS

PBR Materials
why to use them
Roughness
A roughness map controls how shiny or
matte a surface appears by defining its
microsurface texture. Using grayscale
values, it determines how light scatters off
the material: white areas indicate rough,
matte surfaces, and black areas indicate
smooth, glossy surfaces. This map is crucial
for achieving realistic reflections and
surface finishes.

Ambient Oclusion

An ambient occlusion map enhances the

realism of your renderings by simulating
how ambient light interacts with the
surface. It darkens crevices, corners, and
areas where light would naturally be
occluded, adding depth and definition. This
subtle shading effect makes architectural
visualizations appear more lifelike and
dimensional.

[Link] 40
MATERIALS

Material Library
One-click to apply
The great thing about the Enscape Material Library is that you don’t have to deal with
all the material maps. Instead, you can access the library and with one click have
everything automatically imported.
Step 1: Open the Enscape Material Library

Step 2: Choose the material you wish to use and click on import selection

[Link] 41
MATERIALS

Material Library
One-click to apply
This is how an Enscape Material looks like with all the maps automatically applied.
Not bad for a 15 second process, right?
Now let’s look at a workflow that takes a bit longer but achieves higher results most
of the time.

[Link] 42
MATERIALS

External Materials
if the library is not
enough
Even though there are over 400+ Materials in the Enscape Library, there will still be
instances where you will need something more specific. In those cases, you will need
to use an external source I.e [Link]

After you choose your material there, here’s how you can apply it inside Enscape:

Step 1: Create new Material in SketchUp and import the Albedo map from your
download

Step 2: Open the material editor and import the PBR map to the respective section,
i.e the roughness map in the reflection section, the displacement map in the height
section etc.

[Link] 43
MATERIALS

External Materials
if the library is not
enough
Pro Tip: You cannot place multiple height maps within the same materials. In the
height section, you will need to use different maps for different materials. In some
materials like brick, the displacement map is the PBR map that makes the biggest
difference. Meanwhile in wooden flooring, the bump map might be the one that
makes the biggest difference. This will take some trial and error to develop an instict
on which works best.

External Brick Material with only the External Brick Material with
Albedo map (No Roughness Map, Roughness and Displacement Map
No Displacement Map) (big difference, right?

[Link] 44
MATERIALS

Imperfections
for a “livable” render
Extra Layer of Realism

In real life, no surface is perfectly smooth or spotless, so why should they be

perfectly smooth in your renders?

There are always subtle scratches, smudges, or wear and tear. Including these tiny
imperfections in your renderings, like a slight smudge on a countertop or a faint
scratch on a wooden floor, adds a layer of realism that makes the space feel more
“livable”.

[Link] 45
MATERIALS

Imperfections
for a “livable” render
To add imperfections you should first download the imperfection map in
[Link], usually the easiest to apply are scratches and finger prints. After
downloading, choose the material you want to apply the imperfection to, go to the
roughness section and upload the imperfection map to your reflections.

[Link] 46
LIGHTING

Enscape Sky
Using the default sun
The default Enscape sun is set too high for most settings (at 80%), so I usually
suggest to keep it between 5%-20%.

After that has been set up, now it is time to see how you can configure the angle of
the sun.

Here’s 3 ways you can change the sun orientation:

Option 1: Shadow Section in SketchUp Option 2: Letter “U” and “I” in the keyboard.

Option 3: Hold the Shift Key and move the mouse right/left while holding the right
mouse button

+
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LIGHTING

Enscape Sky
Using the default sun
below you can see the difference with 2 different time of day, which can be
acheviable with all the 3 methods that I showed you earlier.

Even though this is useful in cases where you need to create renders quick, if you are
trying to maximize the quality potential of Enscape, I highly recommend to use the
method shown on the next page.

P.s to change the sun brightness, go to “Visual Settings”>Atmosphere Tab

Time of Day: 9 AM Time of Day: 3 PM

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LIGHTING

Using an HDRI
for life-like lighting
HDRIs (High Dynamic Range Images) is a 360-degree panoramic image that
captures a wide range of light intensities in real life, from the darkest shadows to the
brightest highlights.

When used in rendering, HDRIs wrap around your 3D scene, offering natural,
dynamic lighting and reflections that respond to the environment. This technique
basically applies realistic lighting to your model and gives a more realistic horizon
line than the default one. You can find a lot of HDRIs for free in [Link].

You will see how to apply it in the next page.

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LIGHTING

Using an HDRI
for life-like lighting
Step 1: Go to Visual Settings> Sky and Step 2: Check the “Brightest Point as sun
choose the horizon source as skybox Direction” and test out best angles

Default Enscape Sky With HDRI

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LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
Sphere

The Sphere Lighting Object is mostly used for lamps and it distributes lighting equally
in all directions.

Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Go inside “Enscape Objects” and click on the sphere icon

Step 2: Use 2 clicks to place the light in Step 3: Control the Light Intensity and radius
the Sketchup window through the slider in Enscape Objects

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LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
Spot

The process to create a spotlight is very similar to the sphere. However, instead of
distributing the light equally to all directions, it actually focuses it in a certain point of
direction.

Here’s how: Go to Enscape Objects> Choose Spotlight> Place it with 3 clicks inside the
SketchUp Tab> Tweak the intensity and beam angle through the sliders

Pretty basic steps, however if you want the best possible results with spotlights,
check the next page.

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LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
Step 1: Download an IES in the [Link]
IES Profile

An IES profile is a data file provided

by lighting manufacturers that
contains detailed information about
how light is emitted from a particular
fixture.
When applied to a light source in
your rendering, an IES profile ensures
that the light behaves just as it would
in reality, with precise spread, falloff,
and intensity.
You can find plenty of them for free
at [Link].

Let’s see how we can use them:

The difference between a default

Step 2: Import the IES Profile in the Enscape Objects spotlight (left) and an IES Profile (Right)

[Link] 53
LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
Line

The line light is distributed lineary and usually placed in recessed ceilings.
The process of placement is very similar to the other lighting objects.

Here’s how:
Go to Enscape Objects>
Choose Line>
Place it with 2 clicks
inside the SketchUp
Tab>
Tweak the intensity and
length through the
sliders

Here’s the result and

how you can expect the
line light to look

[Link] 54
LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
Rectangular and Disk Light

The rectangular and disk light have the same process and work the same way, the
only difference is on the shape that the light is distributed to.

Here’s how both of them work:

Go to Enscape Objects> Choose Rectangle/Circle> Place it with 3 clicks inside the
SketchUp Tab> Tweak the intensity and width/lenght or radius through the sliders.

[Link] 55
LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
This is the result of a great Lighting combination while using all the different light
sources.

Let’s take a deeper look on how we can use even more advanced tachniques to
enhance our scenes further.

[Link] 56
LIGHTING

Lighting Objects
Explaining them in detail
Changing light temperature
The Default Enscape lighting objects have a
cold temperature, but a well balanced interior
lighting as contrast, balance and a lot of other
elements that make up a great scene.

Here’s how you can configure the Light

temperature:

Step 1: Choose the color in the material palette

Step 2: Apply it in the Lighting object in the
SketchUp window

Below you can see the difference between a cold

sphere light and a warm sphere light.

[Link] 57
LIGHTING

“Fake Lighting”
Pro technique for interior
Creating Realistic Interiors in Enscape with the default Enscape sun is very difficult
and very inconsistent. For this reason I highly recommend that you use the “fake
lighting” technique as described in the upcoming steps. This allows you to simulate a
“fake sun” while the Enscape default sun intensity is set at 0%

Option 1: Create a Rectangular

Lighting object right inside of a
window and direct it in the inside.

When you do not have curtains, you

can also place it outside of your
openings directed on the inside for
even a more realistic look, however
curtains seem to create some
unusual and unrealistic shadows in
Enscape

[Link] 58
LIGHTING

“Fake Lighting”
Pro technique for interior
Option 1: Create a row of spotlights (5 by 5 usually works best for me) at the outside
of your interior that are directed towards your openings.

Make sure that you increase the Beam Angle to the maximum for softer shadows.

This is the result you can expect when using the “Fake lighting” technique correctly.

[Link] 59
VISUAL SETTINGS

The Main Tab

The Base for all renders
Even though we went
through some of the options
inside the visual settings,
now I will go in detail about
every single one of the tabs.

Inside the main tab you will

notice a dropdown which
has 3 Modes: Light View,
Polystyrol and White.

Light view is very important

to check wether your
lighting is balanced (if that
is what you are aiming for)

The other two look very

similar (almost identical)
and they are mostly used
for maquette type renders
and when there is more
emphasis on the shape
rather than materials.

Light View Polystyrol White

[Link] 60
VISUAL SETTINGS

The Main Tab

The Base for all renders

The outlines slider will

determine how thick you want
the edges of your model to be
when you are going for a
sketch-style image

Here’s an example of how a

white or polystyrol mode can
look when combined with some
percentage of outlines.

[Link] 61
VISUAL SETTINGS

The Image Tab

To fine tune everything
The image tab is something that doesn’t have clear and defined rules (like most of
the other rendering processes). However, this one section is highly dependable on
the type of project you are creating and the style that you are aiming for.

Here’s a broad guide of what I recommend:

Either go for auto

contrast or leave
Highlights at 40% and
Shadows at -30%

Saturation between
105%-110%

Color Temperature Colder

than default

I usually turn all of these

off except the Vignette if
needed

[Link] 62
VISUAL SETTINGS

Atmosphere Tab
Detailed explanation

You can use the fog

through the sliders. Pretty
self explanatory.

Usually in interiors I like to

keep the shadow
sharpness at 10% since I
like softer shadows

The Artificial Light

Brightness is an option
that allows you to control
the intensity of all lights at
the same time

The wind section is more useful when doing Video walkthroughs (which we
will take a look at soon). Other than that, you still want to keep it on during
images since if we leave it at 0%, water in pools, lakes etc, will look
completely flat since there is no waves to simulate.

[Link] 63
VISUAL SETTINGS

Sky Tab
Tweak the default sky
In the sky setting there is only 1 thing that you should keep in mind, HDRI’s.
Please understand that HDRIs is what makes the biggest difference in any
renders. If all you have is 5 minutes for a render and can take only 1 action
to improve it then you should use an HDRI.

Here’s a reminder of how to use:

Step 1: Go to
[Link] and
download an HDRi

Step 2: Go to Visual
Settings> Sky and choose
the horizon source as
skybox and upload the
HDRI you Downloaded

Step 3: Check the

“Brightest Point as sun
Direction” and test out
the best angles in the
rotation slider

[Link] 64
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH

Keyframes
to move the camera
around
We can create video walkthroughs the Video
Editor where we can use Keyframes.

Keyframs act as markers that define specific

points in your animation timeline, capturing
the camera’s position, angle, and settings at
each point.

By setting multiple keyframes, you can outline

the path and movement of the camera
through your scene.

You can create the keyframes with the plus

icons in the timeline. The left plus icon adds a
keyframe in the beginning and the right plus
icon ads a keyframe in the end.

You can add a new

keyframe between
keyframes by clicking
in the middle of them.

If you exit the

keyframes you
created you can view
them from the ouside
as separate orange
camera within your
project (see image in
the left)

[Link] 65
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH

Transitions
Changing along
keyframes
You can change the total length
of the animation through the
total duration of the timeline.

If you have more than 2

keyframes in your animation, you
can choose how much time it
takes for a camera to “travel”
from one point to the other just
by choosing at what time within
the total duration the camera
should arrive at that keyframe

To make a transition between 2

different keyframes you can set
a different time of day on each
of them, set a different focal
point for the depth of field to shift
focus and to set a different field
of view for each of them.

[Link] 66
COLLABORATIVE TOOL

Collaborative Tool
how to use it
Enscape’s collaborative tools streamline the feedback process and enhance
teamwork on architectural projects.

By pressing the “C” key while in the Enscape window you can add comments,
suggestions, and markups directly within the Enscape viewer.

This feature allows for real-time collaboration, where team members can discuss
design adjustments, highlight areas of concern, and propose changes.

You can easily select a certain object, highlight it with orange and comment on top
of it.

[Link] 67
360 PANORAMA

360 Panorama
Mono vs Stereo
To create a panorama, you simply position the camera in your scene, select the
Perspective option (if you are in two-point perspective the panoramic rendering
won’t be available to you) and select the 360 panorama option from the capture
settings.

The difference between mono and stereo panoramas is in the depth perception. A
mono panorama captures a single 360-degree image, offering a flat, panoramic
view that’s suitable for standard screens or simple 360 viewers. A stereo panorama
consists of two slightly offset images, one for each eye, creating a 3D effect when
viewed with VR headsets.

[Link] 68
360 PANORAMA

360 Panorama
Mono vs Stereo
After creating the panoramic image, you will be able to find it in the Upload
Management which is located inside the Enscape toolbar.

Once you open the window, you can upload the Render to cloud, click the 3 dots and
either share it as a link or as a QR Code. This makes it very accessible for clients and
easy to share.

[Link] 69
VIRTUAL REALITY

Virtual Reality
Linking your Headset
You can easily explore your file through the VR Headset in the top right corner of the
Enscape Window. You have to connect the headset with your computer and click
the icon.

How to use Enscape as a standalone?

You can easily share your design with your client even if they do not have Enscape
installed. They won’t be able to make edits, but they will be able to fully explore it.

To do this you just have to export the file as an .exe standalone in the top right
corner of Enscape and share the file with whoever you wish

[Link] 70
CONCLUSION

What is next?
How to put these tips in
action?
Even though this book is a great summary of the main functions you need to use
Enscape Effectively, you still need a need a structured plan to put these into action.

And that is why I created the 7 Day Rendering for Architects program. Instead of
only reading and learning about these tips theoratically, you can get a structured 7
Day program where we go through these processes together through pre-recorded
video tutorials which you can watch at your own pace.

On top of that you will get over $10,000+ worth of excercise files that I have created
in the past 4 years of my Rendering journey.

And you will also get access to the private community where you will get Rendering
feedback by professionals.

If you want to learn Rendering for Architects in just 7 Days, click the button below.

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