Hi, Setting the context about my question - My Company sells furnitures online and we use only 3D models for our product portfolio and we do not stick to product photography. I have a designer on my team who is good at creative sketching and modeling and she uses solidworks and keyshot for modeling/rendering. My company's core feature is customization and hence we help people visualize their products by rendering the fabric colors that they have selected on the UI screen. Since there are too many combinations of the same model, we need a reduced image size ( with low poly) with real life rendering of the furniture (plus it needs to be placed in a real time interior - eg. https://www.stitchwood.com/catalogue/keith/ ) We are planning to relay our works. Our Designer will sketch and model the sofa in solid works and hand over the baton to another freelancer for rendering, texturing and lighting ( who uses 3ds max). Is this approach right? My freelancer tells me that realistic images can be obtained only by using 3ds max for our requirements. Kindly let us know which approach is the best to follow - either to have all the modeling done in 3ds max by the freelancer or to follow this relay approach? I am caught in between these 2 decisions and it would be much appreciated if anyone can give us suggestions/advice knowing of our requirements. Thanks.

I think it would be worth paying for the mesh to be modeled/UVs which then gives you the option to easily change the material and press render. And in this case it is just a press of a button to render.
The first part may cost money but the second part is easy.

I personally use 3dsmax for modeling and rendering, so I will say that yes, it can be used as the sole package to do all the things you are currently doing between two parties. However, I would say that the implication that only 3dsmax is capable of realistic results in that situation is untrue. Realistic results in furniture modeling and rendering can be done just as well in many different packages.

The pipeline you currently employ does seem to have one too many steps for what you require, but if this makes financial sense to you, and the results are what you want, then it's fine. However, if you would be reducing cost or expense by employing just the one party to do all of the needed work, and the results were just as good or better, then I would suggest you go that route. Only you know if it's financially sound either way, and that's the approach to take.

@ sathyaz - Sent you a site mail.