23 Daily Struggles Only Architectural Renderers Understand

Architizer’s Tech Directory is a database of tech tools for architects — from the latest generative design and AI to rendering and visualization, 3D modeling, project management and many more. Explore the complete library of categories here.

Once upon a time, ink smudges on drawings might have been an architect’s greatest source of angst. Nowadays, every digital line and 3D model is perfectly clean, and can be easily edited in any way a designer chooses. Now that technology is commonplace in both architecture school and professional practice, perhaps the days of design headaches are over?

In our dreams. While the advancement of tech in architecture has brought with it countless benefits related to practical efficiencies and creative innovation, things are by no means perfect. In fact, computers have brought with them a whole new set of problems, each of which tests the patience of rendering artists, architects and students every day. The struggle remains real.

See how many of the following trials and tribulations you can relate to. As you wrestle with Revit or scrap with SketchUp in order to create the perfect entry for this year’s One Rendering Challenge competition, take comfort from the fact that you are not alone!

1. The term “SketchUp Bug Splat” is a common phrase in your vocabulary.

2. When researching precedents for your project, 37 open tabs is never enough …

3. … And you can never tell which tab the sound is coming from.

3. When you shut your eyes at night, you see a warning appear: “A software problem has caused 3ds Max to close unexpectedly…”

4. … and when you open them, the first thing you wonder is if that animation you left rendering survived the night.

5. Photoshop crashing as you hit “save” is a primary cause of migraines …

6. … And “Force Quit” is a programmed shortcut on your keyboard.

Via Razer

8. Sometimes, even two displays aren’t enough.

9. Deciding which mouse to buy feels like a life-or-death decision (for your poor hand, at least).

10. Your new phone is always filled immediately with incredibly cool but storage-sucking rendering apps.

11. Every time you purchase a new computer, you have to open Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge or Safari just so you can download Chrome.

12. You love Apple products … but they just don’t cut it for your rendering ambitions.

13. You dream of owning a high-end gaming laptop … but never for video games, only for real time rendering.

14. Nothing gets you going like a rainbow-colored backlit keyboard.

15. When your mom tells you you can have anything you like for your birthday … and you ask for Blender 3D by Example.

16. When rendering high-res visualizations … the patience of a saint is required.

17. You have waking dreams of owning your own render farm.

18. Running five programs at the same time makes your computer perform like it was made in the 1800s.

19. When you accidentally click on Photoshop in your dock, and then you have to wait 20 seconds for it to load so you can close it.

20. Software indecision is crippling (Autodesk or Graphisoft? SketchUp or FormIt? VRay and Corona Renderer?)

21. Successfully importing an AutoCAD layer into SketchUp brings a tear to the eye.

22. When you forget to blink and your eyes hate you for it.

23. When the spinning rainbow loading wheel appears on your screen … and you know it’s time to get more coffee.

Architizer’s Tech Directory is a database of tech tools for architects — from the latest generative design and AI to rendering and visualization, 3D modeling, project management and many more. Explore the complete library of categories here.