In this episode of our Spotlight series, we interviewed Daniel Reuterswärd from Illusive Images. He discussed the company’s beginnings, his typical workflow, and why he uses Scene Manager in his day to day workflow.
Could you please introduce yourself and your company? When and how did you get into 3D?
My name is Daniel Reuterswärd, and I manage Illusive Images. My journey with 3D started in high school with an introductory course that provided a basic understanding of the software. This was about 20 years ago when 3D Studio Viz was still in use.
Later, I took a general 3D course and took and internship at an architecture firm for a couple of weeks, where I learned more about archviz. After that, I found another 3D course specifically focused on archviz, which was perfect since I wanted to learn more about it.
In 2014, I started my own company, and in 2017, I co-founded Illusive Images with my friend Johannes Lindqvist.
Could you walk us through a typical project of yours? What is your process and what tools do you use?
In a typical project, the client generally has distinct ideas about what they want and how they envision the images. They usually provide CAD files, a mood board, and their preferred materials and furniture. Once the initial drafts are complete, we typically have a meeting where I share my screen so the client can make live changes. After a few iterations, the project is complete, and I deliver the final high resolution images.
I use my own HDRI of my living room as a studio. I aim to use as many scanned textures and models as possible, as they significantly enhance the quality of my images.
The tools I commonly use include 3ds Max (with plugins), FStorm Render, and predominantly Affinity Photo, though sometimes I use Photoshop.
Does your workflow vary with each project, or do you have a standard approach that fits most of your projects?
Generally, my workflow remains consistent across projects as I primarily produce still images. However, it may vary based on specific client requirements.
Could you share your experience using Scene Manager in your projects?
I started using Scene Manager about two years ago when Johannes Lindqvist recommended it. Although I wasn’t actively seeking a specific solution at the time, I found Scene Manager to be very useful. In most of my projects, clients typically request different camera angles and make changes based on the camera view. Scene Manager has been instrumental in keeping things organized and accelerating the workflow. The features I find most beneficial are Batch Render, Layers, Resolution, and Render Output.
To see more work from Daniel and Illusive Images, be sure to follow him on Instagram and Behance. If you’re interested in learning more about Scene Manager, you can start with a 14-day free trial here.