SCENE RENDERING ARTIST

BASIC FUNCTION 
This position is responsible for creating high-quality scene renders featuring Kohler products. The role involves transforming interior design concepts into photorealistic renderings using advanced CAD and graphic design tools, adhering to Kohler’s rigorous standards. 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

• 3D Scene Creation: Build 3D room scenes using 3ds Max, Unreal Engine, and Substance Painter based on design concepts from set designers. Develop textures, materials, lighting, and camera setups to achieve photorealistic renderings with input from engineers, set designers, photographers, art directors, and stylists. Leverage Unreal Engine’s advanced features such as real-time rendering, dynamic lighting, and virtual reality (VR) integrations to enhance scene interactivity and visual fidelity. 

• Prop Modeling: Create fully textured prop models specified by set designers. 

• Product Model Preparation: Locate Kohler product models in the engineering storage system, export, convert to surface models, UV map, and prepare them for 3ds Max usage. 

• Texturing and Detailing: Utilize Substance Painter to create high-quality, detailed textures and materials that contribute to the photorealism of scenes and props. 

• Data Management: Follow standards for file, model, and texture management to ensure organized storage for archival and future use. 

• Process Optimization: Establish best practices to reduce processing time while maintaining realistic visualization quality.

RELATIONSHIPS AND CONTACTS 

• Supervisory Relationships: Reports to vertical leader, Animation and Rendering. 

• Professional Relationships: 

  • Mentorship relationship with Communications Manager – CGI Content Development at The Beacon, Kohler WI.

  • Collaborative relationship with other scene rendering artists at Kohler WI, and ITC. 

• Organizational Relationships: 

  • Frequent interaction with product engineers, set designers, art directors, stylists, and photographers.

  • Occasional contact with industrial design teams for geometry gathering and troubleshooting. 

• External Business Relationships: Occasional engagement with software vendors and service providers for research and acquisition of new software.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS 

• Degree/Diploma in a related 3D visualization field. 

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in creating high-quality photorealistic 3D renderings. 

• Proficiency in tools such as 3ds Max, Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, V-Ray, After Effects, and Photoshop. Exposure to ZBrush and other architectural CAD programs is a plus. 

• Advanced proficiency in Unreal Engine, including expertise in material creation, blueprint scripting, real-time lighting techniques, and rendering optimization. Familiarity with interactive content creation and VR applications is highly desirable. 

• Expertise in photorealistic rendering techniques, including light, shadow, and texture mapping, to produce highly realistic visualizations. 

• Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate thoughts and inspirations effectively. Proficiency in English is a significant advantage. 

• Team player with a quick learning ability.