Rendering Isometric Masonry Details with nXtRender!

Matt Fowler is Senior Designer at Dailey Engineering Inc., in Onsted, Michigan. Founded in 1993, Dailey is a small firm specializing in structural design with some architectural design. Projects consist mostly of commercial and light industrial.

Structurally Sound Since 1993

What sets your business apart from your others?
One of our niches is masonry design/detailing. We are members of the Masonry Institute of Michigan, where our owner, Todd Dailey, is chairman of the Generic Wall Design Committee. This has strengthened our mason design capabilities as well as exposed us nationally for consulting opportunities. Our office produces most of the details that The Masonry Institute publishes online.

What part does nXtRender play in these details?
The construction details we produce for the Masonry Institute demonstrate the best ways to construct masonry structures. The details consist of sections calling out various components, and renderings showing isometric views. The isometric views not only show wall composition, but also illustrate the order of installation.

One of the Rendered Isometric Views

Example of a Masonry Detail Dailey Engineering has Produced for the Masonry Institute

Have you received any feedback on the details?
Many mason contractors have commented on the quality, both from a content perspective and the realism.

When did you start using nXtRender for AutoCAD and why?
I started using nXtRender years ago when it was called AccuRender. We use renderings to help everyone visualize a design, which you can literally do with nXtRender, like you are there!

Are there any features in nXtRender that you find especially useful?
I build all my models in AutoCAD and nXtRender loads in AutoCAD to render. Some nice features are lighting control, realistic material libraries, and the ability to make “materials” out of pictures. All the CMU blocks are a pattern taken from an actual photograph to make them look as real as possible.

What elements do you pay most attention to when rendering?
Lighting can make a big difference on a model, and you can get quite a different look by changing the sun angle and degree. Also, with the nature of our renderings, realistic products/materials are very important.

Thanks, Matt! We appreciate you taking the time to tell us how you our rendering software.

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