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Foundations of 3D Visualization Course

Train to become a 3D visualization artist with guidance from industry experts

Teodor Vladov - helldoor.net

Overview

Study 3D visualization online

Bring concepts, sketches, and blueprints to life with career mentorship from a V-Ray authorized instructor

Dive into a stimulating career in architecture visualization (archviz), product visualization, industrial visualization, film, or games with CG Spectrum's Foundations of 3D Visualization Course. Learn to translate ideas into the digital 3D space, establishing accurate representations of what buildings, sets, and landscapes will look like before they're even built!

Why study 3D visualization at CG Spectrum:

We are a Chaos Academic Partner
Unreal Academic Partner & Unreal Authorized Training Center
Mentorship from industry pros
Job-focused career training and 100% online
Private 1-on-1 or small group classes (max. 4 students)

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CG Spectrum, a Rookies Certified School, has partnered with Chaos to develop a job-focused study pathway to ensure you are well-positioned to enter the workforce as a 3D visualization artist, making a productive contribution from day one on the job.

Gain speed and confidence with industry-standard software, learn cutting-edge visualization techniques, and finish the course with high-quality 3D renders that will demonstrate your skills to prospective employers.

nicklasbyrial-stairs-600x600

Qualification

Certificate

Study duration

9 months

Commitment

20 hrs weekly

Skill level

Beginner to Intermediate

Prerequisites

Basic computer skills

Delivery

Weekly online classes, feedback and support

Software

3ds Max, V-Ray, Unreal Engine, Photoshop

Start date

Jul 10, 2023

Why study with us

Learn 3D visualization from professionals actively working in the industry

Our expert-led courses prepare you for a diverse and rewarding career as a 3D visualization artist. Uncover your creative potential while building the right technical job skills.

Flexible Scheduling

Plan your studies around your work and family commitments

Industry Mentors

Learn from mentors who have worked in the film and games industry

Job-Ready Skills

Build practical, relevant job skills that studios are looking for

Payment Plans

Options to help you pursue your passion and start working sooner

Curriculum

Comprehensive, hands-on, and creative career training in 3D visualization

Term 1: 12 weeks

INTRODUCTION TO 3D VISUALIZATION

Learn about the industry and relevant software, 3ds Max and V-Ray, while building your 3D modeling and rendering skills. You'll get to model, texture, and light digital kitchen items, blocking them out in a 3D virtual scene using physical cameras and adjusting focal lengths to achieve better results.

How to use essential 3ds Max and V-Ray features
Basic modeling and texturing skills
Scene planning and composition
Overview of 3D visualization production pipelines

Introduction to 3D Visualization
Introduction to 3D Modeling
Lighting and Rendering Fundamentals
Material and Shader Basics
Understanding Procedural Textures
Texture Projection Methods
Decals, Enmesh and IPR Rendering
Splines For Architectural Visualization
Hard Surface Modeling
Blockout and Planning
Introduction to Production Workflows
Production Workflows Continued

Term 2: 12 weeks

ADDING DETAIL AND REALISM TO 3D SCENES

This part of the Foundations of 3D Visualization Course will explore adding detail to your 3D scene to achieve a more interesting and photoreal finish, using surface imperfections, compositing, and atmospheric effects. You'll also dive deeper into texturing, shading, lighting, and rendering and learn Photoshop fundamentals.

Creating cinematic lighting and adding atmospheric effects
Using texturing and shading to add detail
Photoshop basics
3D rendering and troubleshooting

Materials/Shaders
Unwrapping
Textures and Surface Imperfections
Scattering Systems
Achieving better compositions
Lighting/Gobos/Lightmix/Atmospheric Effects
Photoshop Fundamentals
Post Processing (VFB)
MtlWrapper/Shadow Catcher
Lighting Integration
Render Element/Render Engine Problem Solving
Back to Beauty Compositing (VFB)

Term 3: 12 weeks

3D VISUALIZATION IN UNREAL ENGINE

This final term looks at how to create 3D visualizations in Unreal Engine (UE). Learn how to plan out a shot in Unreal Engine and build impressive scenes with your own assets as well as Quixel's Megascans library. You'll also explore how to fully utilize the Lumen and Nanite features of UE5 and animation to achieve photorealistic real-time projects.

How to navigate Unreal Engine
Importing Megascans assets into your scene
Basic animation (keyframe)
Using Lumen and Nanite features in UE5

Introduction to Unreal Engine
Asset preparation, Datasmith, and FBX
UV Coordinate Controls
Materials and Shaders
Lighting and Post Process Volume
Planning Your Shot and Animation Basics
Making an Interior Scene
Foliage System and Landscaping for Exterior Shots
Making an Exterior Scene
Blueprint Control
Substrate and Procedural Content Generation
How to Continue to Develop Your UE Skills

Course structure

Your pathway to the industry

Mentors

Get direct access to seasoned 3D visualization artists with years of experience

Our mentors have years of 3D visualization industry experience across archviz, product visualization, games, and digital fashion and have worked for clients including Epic Games, Audi, Nespresso, and ICONIQ.

Nicklas Byriel's Work

Nicklas Byriel

A certified V-Ray instructor, Nicklas is a 3D generalist/TD with over a decade of experience in 3D visualization, including running his own company Negative Black.

Mentor of Visualization

Known for Founder of Chaos Theory

Teodor Vladov's Work

Teodor Vladov

After earning his Masters in Architecture from the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, Teodor established Helldoor Visual Studio and has been working in 3D visualization for over a decade.

Mentor of Visualization

Known for Architectural Visualization

Ioanna Ivanova's Work

Ioanna Ivanova

Ioanna graduated with a degree in Computer Visualisation & Animation from Bournemouth University. She began her career at INK, a creative studio based in London, where she worked with clients such as Honda, Audi, and Nespresso.

Mentor of Visualization

Known for Product Visualization

Wessel Huizenga's Work

Wessel Huizenga

Combining his interests in architectural visualization and game development, Wessel works as a real-time architectural visualization artist to create courses with Epic games for their ArtStation Learning platform.

Mentor of Visualization

Known for Architectural Visualization

Anastasia Edwards-Morel's Work

Anastasia Edwards-Morel

Anastasia holds a masters degree in Fashion Design from FIT, where she focused on 3D. She has led design at various startups, and currently serves as Head of Design at ICONIQ AI.

Mentor of Visualization

Known for Digital Fashion

Study Options

Small Class

The most affordable way to learn from top industry mentors in a fun, collaborative environment, while still getting plenty of personalized feedback.

Max. 4 students per course
Affordable high-quality education
Network while you learn

Study Options

1-on-1 Private

Progress faster and enjoy more flexiblity with private mentorship. Ideal for busy schedules, career-changers, or artists upgrading skills or changing specialties.

Maximum level of mentor interaction
Greater flexibility to schedule classes
Customized learning experience

Monthly

$1,185 USD

(9 x payments)

Save 10%

Per Term

$3,199 USD

(3 x payments)

Most popular

Save 25%

Upfront

$7,999 USD

(1 x payment)

Monthly

$1,485 USD

(9 x payments)

Save 10%

Per Term

$3,999 USD

(3 x payments)

Most popular

Save 25%

Upfront

$9,999 USD

(1 x payment)

Frequently asked questions

Foundations of 3D Visualization Course FAQs

Any student enrolling in this course will need to have basic computer literacy (i.e. knows how to use a computer and operate everyday applications such as email, Zoom, and Slack).

If you have successfully completed the Introduction to 3D Visualization Course, and want to continue your education, you can move straight into term 2 of the Foundations of 3D Visualization Course.

You will also need a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

Software:

An educational license will be provided for 3ds Max, V-Ray.

You will need to purchase Photoshop (photography plan only) for term 2 and will be reimbursed for the cost by CG Spectrum.

Term 3 requires Unreal Engine, which is free to download and use.

Hardware:

Students will need a dedicated graphics card and a computer that meets the minimum requirements for Autodesk 3ds Max, Chaos V-Ray, Photoshop, and Unreal Engine.

The software and skills you will be learning in this course do not require a background in architecture.

What we teach you can definitely be applied to architecture, if you desire, and can help you work towards a career in architectural visualization (archviz) if that is your goal.

If you choose the 1-on-1 private mentorship option, then yes, you can decide to skip and adjust the pacing with your mentor.

Yes! 3D modeling is a significant part of 3D visualization, and we welcome modelers to our course.

If you have previous 3D modeling experience, you may not need to take the first term and could enroll straight in term 2. However, the first term may still be beneficial if you are unfamiliar with the software we teach (3ds Max and V-Ray).

To skip term 1, you must be able to show that you have a fundamental understanding of how 3ds Max works along with basic lighting and rendering skills via a portfolio demonstrating your experience and an accompanying resume.

Please note that for those wishing to move straight into term 2, we are not taking enrollments for the July start date at this time. Term 2 will commence later in the year (please contact our admissions team for more information).

3D visualization processes are employed across myriad industries—from building and construction to film and video games to product design and VR—making 3D visualization artists in demand.

This 9-month course is designed to prepare you for a career as a 3D visualization artist. It also includes personalized career services and 1-on-1 time with our Career Development Manager, which can help when applying for junior-level jobs in visualization across:

Architecture and construction
Engineering
Film and television
Video games
Product design

Discover more about this career path, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:

3D VISUALIZATION ARTIST CAREER

We will also be offering specialization courses in 2024—stay tuned!

Student Showcase

See what our students are creating!

With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students build their competitive edge with high quality work that gets noticed.

studentshowcase-2022-featured

Studios that hire our students

My experience at CG Spectrum was second to none, and taught me so much more than I initially anticipated.

My mentor took me from being barely computer literate to an animator working at a studio in only a year and a half. The information and level of teaching at CG Spectrum will absolutely not be found anywhere else.

Kieran L
Animation

I can't stress enough how much I'm enjoying studying here!

I started the course out of curiosity, I was brand new to this world but I feel like I got all the answers that I needed and even more.

Antonino C
Real-Time 3D & Virtual Production

I’m excited to start the new leg of my journey!

It isn’t every day you decide to quit your job, go back to school, graduate and get a new job in a field you’ve always dreamed about in less than 1 year. Needless to say, it has been one eventful year for me! I have to give a huge thanks to everyone at CG Spectrum for making this possible.

Chris Mackney
Foundations for VFX

A great way to connect and learn

The interaction with the mentors is the best thing at CG Spectrum: their support and flexibility to adapt and support you with specific, practical tasks help you improve in the areas you're interested in. The huge Slack community is also a great way to connect with and learn from peers, it's a constant source of info from various areas of the industry.

Liviu G
Game Design

The CG Spectrum training solidified my skills using Unreal Engine.

Having used it briefly before, and feeling overwhelmed by how big the range is of what you can do using the engine, the training taught me the areas I would need for virtual production very well. I now feel confident with the skills I have gained.

Simran M
Real-Time 3D & Virtual Production

CG Spectrum offers unconditional support.

I want to thank the entire CG Spectrum staff and mentors for their unconditional support, for sharing beyond the course syllabus, and for always giving 100% in everything.

Jorge R
Real-Time 3D & Virtual Production