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becoming more and more comfortable buying computer-generated product. So how do we, as designers, deal with this? It's time to start thinking about doing photorealistic renderings of our own. There are a lot of ways this can be done. Nearly every CAD software for kitchen designers has some sort of rendering ability. SketchUp has a plethora of rendering add-ons. Chief Architect and 2020 also have built-in solutions for render- ing. Each option has varying levels of complexity and photorealism. Rendering software is a lot like a paintbrush: Powerful in the hands of a professional and use- less in the hands of a novice. As someone who's used several photorealistic rendering packages over the years, I can tell you that this isn't just a push-button solution. On top of learning CAD, you have to learn all of the technical aspects of your render. After that, you need to become a photography and lighting expert, too. I'm not trying to scare anyone away from doing this, but know that it's time-consuming and difcult. Once mastered, though, the results can be amazing. There are many perks to doing photo- realistic rendering in-house. For those of us who don't want to do this in-house, outsourcing is the way to go. There are probably hundreds and thousands of peo- ple you could look up online to do renderings for you. You can't just hire the lowest bidder, though. You need to fnd someone who actually understands your work. Just as you wouldn't hire a professional photographer who specializes in puppy photos (this is real, I know someone who has this specialty) to shoot a kitchen, you wouldn't hire someone who renders the M&Ms; commercials to do your kitchens. When interviewing a poten- tial renderer, make sure they understand kitchens. This is a huge frst step. After you fnd them, you need to establish a good rapport with them. Ask them to show you what other clients send along for information. Do they need CAD drawings? Photographs? Detailed notes? Finish samples? These are all important details that they will need to complete your rendering right the frst time. In my experi- ence, the best amount of informa- tion is too much information. Even though you're hiring a renderer who knows kitchens, assume they know nothing about your design and give them all of the details. If you can do all of this, and fnd a skilled person, you'll get great results. And speaking of great results, did you see the November cover of KBDN? Did you look closely? It was a rendering. Read past columns and features and send us your comments about this article and others at KitchenBathDesign.com 22 Kitchen & Bath Design News • March 2016 DESIGN TECHNOLOGY KCDsofware.com I 508.760.1140 E S S E N T I A L TO O L S F O R TO d Ay 'S d E S I g N P R O F E S S I O N A L S arrive. play. deliver. mobile custom cabinet design software Professionals do what they love to do with KCD Sofware – Create! From thousands of design optons and price quotng to seamless producton, it's all made easy with KCD's Cabinet/ Closet Suite. The sofware is designed for: • Residental and commercial cabinetry • Frame and frameless cabinetry • Kitchens, baths, closets • Entertainment centers, laundry rooms • Media rooms, foyers, build-ins • Garage storage and more Designers and Builders world-wide fnd KCD fast, easy and proftable. Plus, the full program is touchscreen-ready for PC, laptop or tablet* Try it today for only $95/month! Full KCD Cabinet/Closet Designer with Pricer evaluaton for proposals, estmates and contracts. Includes free live tech support. try it! *Tablet requirements: Full Windows 8 Pro tablet with Windows 8.1 operatng system, standard USB port, rear-facing camera Circle No. 14 on Product Card