Stairs and railings for Viewrail: product imagery in architectural context.
U.S. stair and railing manufacturer Viewrail is based in Goshen, Indiana. Our images needed to show its systems as part of the architecture. The CGI brand imagery therefore connects each product with the space around it.
We first visited Viewrail in Goshen in 2022. Working with the team gave us an understanding of the products and their design possibilities. Together, we developed visualizations of the floating stairs and glass railing systems. The images needed to show how open staircases and transparent railings shape a space.
Developing the product and its setting together
For Viewrail, we created 3D product imagery of stairs and railings. The images needed to connect the systems’ design possibilities with the character of each space. The brand comes through in both the product and its architectural setting.
Our CGI artists studied Viewrail’s products, working methods and ideas. That informed the interiors and outdoor settings we designed for the 3D visualizations. These spaces give the stairs and railings context while keeping them central to the images.
3D Visualizations for Indoor and Outdoor Staircases and Handrail Systems
Indoors and outdoors, stairs and railing systems affect the view through a building. Open structures and slender lines are characteristic of Viewrail. Our camera views show how treads, handrails and railings relate to the space and its surroundings.
Glass railing and cable railing require different approaches to visualization. Transparent panels need to remain visible without blocking the view. With cable, the fine lines and their direction matter. Our CGI artists needed to bring out these differences in both interior and exterior views.
Textures for Stairs and Railings in Photorealistic 3D Renderings
Glass lets us see through it, but it also refracts light. Reflections and shadows affect how the surface and the space beyond it appear.
Creating these materials for the stair and railing visualizations and building photorealistic showroom settings was a particular challenge.
For the exterior views, we also coordinated lighting, materials and camera angles. Surface texture and reflections make the differences between materials visible in the CGI product images. The digital materials contribute to both the product’s appearance and the visual language of the project.
