Core

• 3D modeling of interiors and furniture: poly modeling, splines, modifiers, retopology, UV unwrapping, texel density.
• Materials & PBR: Albedo/Roughness/Metalness/Normal maps, correct scale, IOR, SSS, glass/metal/fabric/stone, UV packing.
• Lighting: HDRI, IES, light types, global illumination, balancing daylight/artificial light.
• Camera & composition: focus/DOF, exposure, white balance, linear perspective, rule of thirds, image storytelling.
• Rendering: quality/noise tuning, denoising, passes/AOVs, batch rendering, render farms.
• Color & color management: linear workflow, sRGB/ACES, gamma 2.2, LUTs.
• Optimization: instancing, proxies, LODs, light baking, texture sizes, tiling textures, speed vs. quality.
• Post-production: masks/pass comp, color correction, light matte painting.

Software (typical stack)

• DCC: 3ds Max / Blender / Cinema 4D / SketchUp (CAD/BIM import: Revit/Archicad/Rhino).
• Render engines: V-Ray / Corona / Octane / Redshift / Cycles.
• Texturing & materials: Substance 3D Painter/Designer, Quixel Megascans.
• Sims/details: Marvelous Designer (fabrics), SpeedTree (foliage), ZBrush (high-poly detailing).
• Post: Photoshop, Lightroom; if needed—After Effects/DaVinci Resolve.
• Real-time (optional): Unreal Engine 5 (Lumen/Nanite), Twinmotion/Enscape, Unity.

Workflows

• Brief/references/moodboard, technical plans, exact measurements, spec compliance.
• Versioning & asset organization: naming, libraries, links/references, units.
• Scripting/automation (nice to have): MaxScript / Python / Blender API.
• Client communication: scoping, feedback gathering, revisions, deadlines, estimates.

Professional details (what distinguishes a senior)

• Photorealism: micro roughness/grunge, real hardware profiles, believable thicknesses, physically correct light sources.
• Camera match & photomontage: matchmoving, perspective alignment.
• Technical coordination: reading drawings, clash checks, meeting lighting standards (lux/CRI/CCT).
• QA checklists: scale/units, normals/UVs, light leaks, noise/artifacts, clipped highlights.

Soft skills

• Attention to detail, taste and composition, strong visual library.
• Self-management, deadline discipline, handling and implementing feedback, teamwork.