Best Practices

Follow these best practices for professional-quality renders every time.

Before you generate

1. Set up your 3D view carefully

Your Rhino viewport is the foundation of your render:

• Composition: Frame the important elements
• Camera angle: Choose a flattering perspective
• Clean scene: Hide elements you don't want visible
• Display mode: Use shaded or rendered preview

2. Know what you want

Before generating, have a clear vision:

• Purpose: What will you use this render for?
• Style: What aesthetic are you going for?
• Mood: What atmosphere should it convey?
• Audience: Who will see this render?

3. Gather references

Collect inspiration before you start:

• Architectural photography you admire
• Renders with the style you want
• Material and lighting references

Writing better prompts

Start with a template

Use this structure for consistent results:

[Building type] with [key features], [lighting/time of day], [atmosphere/mood], [style descriptor]

Be specific but concise

❌ Too vague:

Render of a house

❌ Too long:

A beautiful modern contemporary minimalist house with lots of windows and natural light and wood and concrete and metal and glass and a nice garden with trees and flowers and a pool...

✅ Just right:

Modern minimalist residence, floor-to-ceiling glass, warm afternoon light, landscaped garden, architectural photography style

Use consistent terminology

Pick terms and use them consistently:

Iteration strategies

The 3-iteration method

1. First generation: Basic prompt, no reference

   • See what the AI produces naturally
   • Identify what's working and what's not

2. Second generation: Refined prompt

   • Address issues from first attempt
   • Add specific details that were missing

3. Third generation: Final polish

   • Fine-tune atmosphere and mood
   • Add reference image if needed

When to stop iterating

• ✅ Render meets your needs
• ✅ Key elements are correct
• ✅ Mood and style are right
• ❌ Chasing perfection indefinitely

Style consistency

For project sets

When creating multiple renders for one project:

1. Document your winning prompt — Save prompts that work
2. Use same settings — Keep style, lighting, weather consistent
3. Same reference image — If using references, use the same one
4. Generate in batches — Create related images in same session

Building a prompt library

Keep a document with prompts that work:

Residential Exteriors

Modern: "Contemporary residence, clean lines..." Traditional: "Classic home with detailed trim..."

Interior Living Spaces

Minimal: "Open plan living with natural light..." Cozy: "Warm living space with fireplace..."

Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake 1: Contradictory prompts

❌ "Bright sunny day with moody dark atmosphere"

✅ "Bright sunny day with warm, inviting atmosphere"

Mistake 2: Over-detailed prompts

❌ Listing every single element you want

✅ Focus on the most important 3-5 aspects

Mistake 3: Ignoring your 3D model

❌ Describing a completely different building

✅ Prompts that complement your actual model

Mistake 4: Never using references

❌ Expecting AI to read your mind

✅ Upload reference images for specific styles

Mistake 5: Not iterating

❌ Expecting perfection on first try

✅ Plan for 2-3 generations to refine results

Workflow efficiency

Quick exploration

For fast concept exploration:

1. Use preset prompts
2. Skip reference images
3. Generate quickly
4. Don't over-refine

Final presentations

For high-quality final images:

1. Custom detailed prompt
2. Carefully selected reference image
3. Multiple generations
4. Pick the best result
5. Consider future upscaling in Studio

Client review sessions

For real-time client feedback:

1. Prepare basic prompts in advance
2. Have reference images ready
3. Generate variations during meeting
4. Save promising results immediately

Quality checklist

Before using a render, check:

• [ ] Key architectural features visible
• [ ] Lighting/mood matches intent
• [ ] No obvious artifacts or distortions
• [ ] Appropriate for intended use
• [ ] Represents design accurately

Resource management

Maximizing your credits

• Start with simple prompts (faster generation = faster iteration)
• Use presets for exploration, custom for finals
• Save and organize your best prompts
• Don't regenerate unnecessarily

When to generate more

• ✅ Results consistently missing the mark
• ✅ Exploring significantly different options
• ✅ Client requested alternatives

When to adjust instead

• ✅ Small tweaks to prompt
• ✅ Minor style changes
• ✅ Refining details

Learning and improving

Analyze your results

After each project:

• What prompts worked best?
• What settings gave good results?
• What would you do differently?

Share and learn

• Join our Discord community
• Check the examples gallery
• Share tips in Community Tips

Summary

1. Prepare — Set up your 3D view and gather references
2. Plan — Know what style and mood you want
3. Prompt — Write clear, specific, focused prompts
4. Iterate — Expect 2-3 generations to refine
5. Learn — Document what works for future projects