🦥 Exploring the Power of AI Tools in Animation

Today, I want to discuss how AI tools are transforming animation workflows—not as a justification for adopting them, but to provide data that can help clients understand current rates and capabilities of 3D artists and inspire 3D artists to make the most of their newfound time with these tools.

The Workflow: From Still to Animation

Recently, I created a 3D scene for still images (available on my socials and website). To expand my skills, I converted it into a clay render animation and explored workflows with 3DsMax and AI-powered tools.

Here’s what I did:

1) Rendered the scene in 3DsMax using clay rendering (bump, refraction, reflection, displacement intact).

2) Set 15 FPS for a 10-second clip (150 frames total).

3) Limited each frame to 1.5 minutes of render time—resulting in a 5-hour render on a single machine.

After rendering, I:

1) Imported the frames (.EXR) into Adobe Premiere Pro and exported the clip.

2) Enhanced the clip using Topaz Video AI, focusing on Denoising and frame interpolation

Other features like motion deblur and fidelity improvements.

The result? A smooth video rendered at 50 FPS with noticeably improved quality. While frame interpolation exists in tools like Premiere Pro, Topaz AI's capabilities stand out for their impressive detail enhancement and denoising performance and other features like motion deblur and fidelity improvements.

We all love raw numbers, and I am not going to hide them from you.

Here’s how the numbers stack up:

Process (10 seconds clip)	Duration
3DsMax render at 15 FPS + AI enhancement to 50FPS and denoise	~5 hours
3DsMax render (50 FPS)	~15 hours
3DsMax render (50 FPS) - high fidelity	~30 hours.

Efficiency in ArchViz Animation

Architectural visualization often relies on scene optimization, reducing lighting/effects, or adopting a 24 FPS cinematic standard to manage rendering times. While these strategies remain essential, AI tools like open up new possibilities for reducing the time and complexity of creating high-quality animations.

The field is evolving rapidly, and I’m optimistic about how these tools will streamline animation creation. While there’s still much to be desired, these technologies are paving the way for faster and more accessible workflows.

To my fellow creators and clients: Keep learning, stay curious, and embrace innovation. The most successful and intelligent people are lifelong learners. 💡

💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts—how do you see AI shaping animation and 3D visualization in the near future? Have any of my fellow 3D artists already implemented any tools in their workflows and what experiences did you have?

Have a great day! 🚀