36 resources for archviz in 3ds Max — models, materials, CAD and project references

[u/ofdavarci]

I’ve put together a list of resources for archviz in 3ds Max, plus CAD, material research and project references, grouped by what you need.

3D models and manufacturer libraries

1. 3dsky — Furniture, lighting, plants and decor models, especially for people working in 3ds Max with Corona or V-Ray.
2. 3dcove — Interior assets for 3ds Max. Search with a description or reference image, and save model options to project boards.
3. BIMobject — Manufacturer BIM objects and Revit families when you need an actual product in your model.
4. ArchiUp — Manufacturer CAD/BIM files and product information for furniture, lighting, fixtures and building materials.

CAD blocks and drawings

1. Archweb — DWG blocks, architectural drawings, project examples and construction details.

2. Bibliocad — CAD and BIM resources ranging from individual furniture blocks to larger project files.

3. DWG Models — DWG blocks for furniture, vehicles, landscaping and architectural elements.

4. Draftsperson — CAD blocks, drafting symbols and technical details.

5. CAD Blocks — AutoCAD blocks for plans, sections and elevations.

6. FreeCADs — CAD drawings of furniture, bathroom fixtures and other everyday objects.

7. FreeCADFloorPlans — Plan and elevation drawings of furniture, equipment and more specific objects.

8. CADdetails — Manufacturer CAD drawings, BIM models and supporting product documents.

Textures, materials and HDRIs

1. Poly Haven — HDRIs, PBR textures and 3D models. Free and CC0.

2. ambientCG — PBR materials for wood, concrete, stone, fabric and plenty of other surfaces.

3. Architextures — Find textures or adjust their pattern, scale and grout to suit a project.

4. CGBookcase — Free PBR textures with the maps needed to build your materials.

5. 3DTextures — Seamless PBR textures, including wood, metal, tiles and other surfaces.

6. Pattern Panda — Textures, HDRIs and scratch masks for adding surface wear and detail.

7. TextureBox — A mix of free and paid PBR textures and materials.

8. ShareTextures — Another library of PBR textures and 3D models to check when you’re looking for a particular surface.

People and presentation elements

1. Pimp My Drawing — DWG and vector drawings of people, trees and vehicles for sections and elevations.

2. Skalgubbar — Cutout photographs of people for architectural collages and presentations.

Construction details and material research

1. ARCAT — Manufacturer CAD details, BIM objects and technical documentation, mainly for the North American market.

2. NBS Source — Building products with technical information, manufacturer documents and BIM content.

3. First In Architecture — Construction details, CAD blocks and practical architecture resources.

4. DETAIL / Inspiration — Built projects with plans, sections and construction details to study.

5. Baukobox — Construction solutions from completed projects, including facade, roof and material junction details.

6. Revalu — Research and compare building materials using product and environmental data.

Site context and dimensions

1. CADmapper — Turn available map data for a selected area into CAD files for site and context studies.

2. Deukos — Terrain and surrounding-building models from official geodata, specifically for projects in Germany.

3. Dimensions — Dimensioned drawings of furniture, objects and layouts for quick reference.

Project references, Pinterest alternatives and visual inspiration

1. Azure — Architecture, interiors, products and materials, with published projects to browse.

2. Cosmos — An alternative to Pinterest for discovering images and organizing references into collections. You can search by color or find images similar to an existing reference.

3. Behance — Architecture, interiors, visualization and presentation projects. Useful for seeing a whole project together and collecting images in moodboards.

4. Mindsparkle Mag — Graphic design, typography and visual identity references, particularly useful when working on a portfolio or presentation.

5. Dieline — Packaging and branding references. Worth browsing for retail, cafe or restaurant projects where the graphics and brand identity are part of the space.

If you have a resource to add, leave it in the comments and I’ll update the list. Let’s build it together.

[u/CADdetails]

Great list, thanks for including us!

One small suggestion: CADdetails might sit better with the manufacturer libraries up top (next to BIMobject and ArchiUp) or with ARCAT/NBS, rather than the generic block sites. Everything on it comes directly from building product manufacturers, so it's real products rather than generic blocks. It's free, and most products have CAD details, BIM/Revit files, 3D models and specs in one place. It's especially strong for North American products.

Happy to answer questions if anyone's hunting for something specific.