When you contract with me for custom 3D artwork for your listing, I will create a three dimensional interior view of the home just like the ones you see on this site. These rendered views can then go directly into the Multiple Listing Service database and potential buyers searching the web can immediately see if your listing's floor plan is to their liking. And as shown in the examples here, these rendered images can depict various aspects of your listing via color coding, transparency, and directional information (for instance, all Arizonans are familiar with the 'south wall' aspect of home ownership).

Key to the effectiveness of these three dimensional interior home views is the inclusion of properly sized and scaled human figures. I believe that having these 'virtual people' in the 3D renderings can give a prospective buyer the best possible way to visualize the size and layout of a home without actually being there. Plus, these images eliminate the 'clutter' problem associated with many occupied homes. And unlike the commonly available virtual tours, my renderings allow the layout of a home to be understood without having the seller's heirlooms and other valuables being put on public display.

It's up to you how to use the images I create for you. You can combine them with photographs and/or Virtual Tours as you see fit. And, standard 2D floor plans of the property are included as well.

The procedure by which I create these custom interior views of existing homes is best explained as occurring in three phases.

The first phase is what I refer to as Data Acquisition. After we have a signed work agreement, I'll set up a time with you for me to come by the property with my equipment and get the information I need. This equipment includes a video camera, a digital camera, a film camera, some hi-tech measuring devices, some low-tech measuring devices, a sketch pad, and some other stuff. The time it takes to complete this phase varies considerably from house to house, but it can usually be done in four hours or so for a home that is less than 2500 square feet in size. I will need to photograph the outside of the home as well.

It is very important that you educate your seller about this information gathering process. It is much more invasive than a typical home appraisal, as I need to image and measure every little nook and cranny of the house. Furthermore, I need to acquire the data in a particular way that makes it necessary for me to make multiple passes through the entire house, and from the seller's perspective I will appear to be running around the house randomly. Be assured, however, that I know what I'm about, and that there is good reason for me to be running to and fro. In addition, since I need to image the property from the inside AND the outside, it is important that pets be under control during the entire process.

Second is the Model Building phase. After I've gotten the info I need from your listing, I then park myself in front of my PC and begin the task of building an electronic model of the home's interior based on the data I have. The time for the completion of this phase varies as well, as it is based more on the complexity of the home (the number of closets, windows, alcoves, etc.) than the total size. This is the most mentally demanding task of the entire 3D image creation process, and I have to go into 'hermit mode', where I ignore the phone, my wife and all other distractions, until the model is built.

Lastly is the Rendering phase. This is where I add color, virtual people, set up the virtual camera and lights for the 3D scene, and do the other things I need to do to actually produce the digital imagery. The finished images are then burned to CD-Rom and delivered to you.

Completion time, from acquiring the data I need from the property, until I actually have the imagery in hand, usually takes about one week, depending on my workload.