Down to the Thread: Q&A with Featured User Andre Minoli Nobody knows detail like Andre Minoli, Industrial Designer at ROBRADY. His attention to the little things, like the thread on a screw and imperfections in his models, make his renderings that much more photorealistic. Q: Can you tell me a little about yourself? What is your background? How did you get into 3D?
A: I served my hard time in Detroit! It was cold, tough and you rarely got to see sunlight. No, I don't mean prison, I'm referring to the College for Creative Studies. But don't get me wrong, CCS is a great school for designers, and the desolate environment means there isn't much else to do besides school work. Especially if you didn't have a car like me.
In 2006 I received my degree in Industrial Design and have been designing ever since.
Q: How long have you worked for ROBRADY design?
A: I have been a designer here since the day after I graduated. It's been 3 years now, and in that short time I have designed everything from medical products to military vehicles, and consumer electronics to industrial machinery. I even had to render an entire college campus once. The list goes on for miles, which is a testament to V-Ray's flexibility.
Q: When did you start using V-Ray, and how did you find out about it?
A: The switch happened about two years ago and it came from frustration at our old render engine. I knew there had to be other options, but I didn't know where to look.
Fortunately, being a bit of a geek and having been known to surf Rhino3D.com just for fun, I eventually stumbled upon a list of Rhino render engines and tried them all out. V-Ray had everything I was looking for, but the photorealism and seamless integration into Rhino was what sold me. I presented my first render to my boss the following day, and we purchased two seats of V-Ray within one week.
The introduction of V-Ray into the studio represents a gigantic milestone in our workflow, as well as our quality and quantity of work. Before V-Ray, our workflow was slow and tedious. The render quality wasn't up to studio standards and we spent too much time doing post-render Photoshop work. Now, with V-Ray, a rendering rarely takes more than ten minutes, and the quality is amazing!
Q: Having worked so many different types of projects, what has been your favorite so far?
A: I love to render the Vectrix scooters. They are full production models, modeled by our mechanical design team. Our renderings are made into actual parts, so every detail – down to the thread on the individual screws – has to be rendered. The detail really pays off however, making the final render look just like a photograph.
Q: What changes in the technology you use daily do you hope to see in the future?
A: I wont lie, I couldn't tell you the difference between an irradiance map or a quasi Monte Carlo - or even why it has such a peculiar name – if you asked. The render options menu scares me, and I try not to stray too far from the familiar environment tab. I let the V-Ray express toolbar do the rest, and I love it! I want more of it!
Q: Do you have any tips for our users?
A: The best way to learn is to ask questions. The V-ray forums are an excellent place to start. You may also email me your questions at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Another tip: a good composition goes a long way, but my favorite part about modeling is adding imperfections. For example, if my product has visible screws, I always make sure they are all screwed in slightly different. It's all in the little details.
Thanks to Andre for taking time to speak with us.See more images by Andre Minoli and ROBRADY here.
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