Bringing Buildings To Life 3D Graphiti’S Computer Renditions Speed Up Visual Satisfaction

There is little but raw concrete and metal studs to suggest the appearance of the new Gonzaga University Law School lobby.

And just try getting inside without a hard hat.

But there is one way you can see it.

3D Graphiti has prepared a virtual version of the space for fund-raising purposes, said Preston Potratz, one of three family members behind the fledgling company.

He said a compass rose inset into the floor will be encircled by brass plaques inscribed with the names of benefactors. The computer rendition of the lobby gives potential contributors a sense of how the school intends to show appreciation for their support, he said.

Potratz developed a virtual space for Avista when the Spokane utility redesigned its lobby area in 1997.

“It’s the first one I’ve actually been able to go out and see,” he said.

Potratz, an architect at Integrus Architecture, said he has been experimenting with virtual spaces almost since he graduated from Washington State University in 1992.

The technology enables designers to show clients how an interior will work, or how surrounding buildings might cast shadows onto their home or offices, he said.

“If you could show people how these spaces would look when they’re done, they’d get a lot more excited about it,’ he said.

But the software and powerful hardware needed to create the renditions are expensive.

Potratz said he taught computer-assisted design at Spokane Community College part time, which gave him the opportunity to buy software at a discount.

During more than five years, he accumulated a library that now includes cutting-edge graphic design programs like 3D Studio Max, used to develop most video games and special effects, such as those in the movie “Lost in Space,” and Adobe Illustrator.

In November, he founded 3D Graphiti with his brother, Shannon, and father, Roger.

Shannon is a graphic designer at Lawton Printing. Roger is a respiration therapist at Kootenai Medical Center.

“He’s always been an artist; he’s just never made any money at it,” Preston said of his father.

So far, the three have kept their day jobs while splitting their hours with 3D Graphiti, earning small commissions like that for Gonzaga and their own projects.

Their studio is a garret stuffed with computers, software manuals and a rocking chair where either Preston or his wife, Kamela, also an architect, can rock daughter Kiera to sleep.

A miniature Han Solo, from the “Star Wars” trilogy, sits atop one monitor.

“The business is definitely in its infancy,” said Preston, who listed business cards, brochures and a “rolling video” introduction for a local-access TV show among the projects already undertaken.

He has also created a virtual space and done computer training for another architectural firm.

Shannon has done a series of sketches for a virtual world he and a friend conceived. Argyrus, the name of their imaginary domain, perishes with the tolling of a mysterious bell that signals a new age doomed to the same fate.

The Potratzes have collaborated on the early stage production of an animated version of the Robert Service poem, “Dangerous Dan McGrew,” a family favorite.

“Animation is really what we’re excited about and where we want to go,” he said.

If the McGrew cartoon is successful, they would like to do more family-oriented productions.

“We all kind of appreciate something people can show to their children,” Preston said.

Logos and introductions for commercial advertising are other potential businesses, he said.