Unreal Engine & Architecture

Unreal Engine applied to 3D architecture

Every day Unreal Engine is receiving more recognition thanks to the success of video games that were created through its programming. While it is true that Unreal Engine was conceived as a video game programming software, it is also true that some developers, architects and independent studios use it for 3D architectural rendering.

“En los últimos años se está experimentando un gran aumento del uso de Unreal Engine para representar proyectos arquitectónicos y esto está representando una gran fuerza transformadora en el mundo del marketing”

Is it worth using Unreal Engine?

The short answer is no. As of today, Unreal Engine does not provide the quality that other render engines do. That is, architectural images created with Unreal Engine are of lower quality than 3D architectural images created with professional render engines such as v-ray.

Unreal Engine and its advantages for architecture

It is obvious and anyone can see that the rendering quality of Unreal Engine in architecture is far inferior to the quality provided by render engines like v-ray. That is why Unreal Engine can never be used for architectural advertising images.

So when should we choose Unreal Engine over other 3D rendering engines?

Unreal Engine was conceived as a video game creation software, which makes it ideal for virtual tours. Unreal Engine creates an optimized system that allows us to move freely in 3D environments. The problem is that to move smoothly, without jerks, the rendering quality is very inferior. The "ray tracing" is in real time and even if we have the latest model of graphics card, the image obtained will always be of much lower quality. However, if what you are looking for is to traverse architectural spaces with a joystick and at high speed, Unreal Engine is the perfect solution.

Unreal Engine is also very easy to use. That is why many architects and small developers use it to visualize architectural projects.

Another great advantage of Unreal Engine is that it is free software. Only the big video game developers who make a profit from the sale of their games have to pay for it.

Architecture videos made with Unreal Engine

One of the main advantages of Unreal Engine is its ease of video creation. For this reason, some studios use Unreal Engine to create architectural videos for their real estate projects. However, the final result is of low quality and always conveys the feeling of watching a video game. Architectural rendering with Unreal Engine is not hyper-realistic.

Of course, if you consider that Unreal Engine is perfect for your 3D architectural project, please contact us and we will help you to develop it.