Updated on: 20 September 2025
In ArchiVinci 4.0 a prompt is a short instruction in plain language, not a list of keywords. The model reads sentences the way a person does: it understands materials, light, and where things sit in a room or on a site. Your sketch, model screenshot or photo does the heavy lifting; the prompt only tells the AI what to change, what to finish, or which mood to hit.
Prompts are capped at 200 characters, roughly 25-30 words. That is plenty. The best prompts are one or two precise sentences.
What works in ArchiVinci 4.0
Write sentences, not tags. "Warm oak floor, linen sofa, soft afternoon light" beats "oak, linen, sofa, light, 8k, realistic".
Say what you want, not what you don't. Negations are weak signals. Instead of "no curtains", write "bare floor-to-ceiling glazing".
One instruction per render. Change the floor, check the result, then change the lighting.
Put the target first. "Kitchen island: white quartz top, walnut base." The opening words carry the most weight.
Name real materials and real light. "Brushed brass", "travertine" and "overcast north light" are specific enough to render; "nice" and "modern" are not.
The four-part formula
Target + action + material or finish + light or mood. Put together, it reads like this:
Living room: replace the rug with a cream wool rug, add a walnut coffee table, warm evening lamplight.
You rarely need all four parts. For a small edit, two are enough:
Sofa: change to forest-green velvet.
Prompt examples by tool
Sketch or 3D model to exterior render
Use with AI Exterior Design. Describe cladding, roof, light and the immediate surroundings.
Two-storey house, white lime render and charred timber cladding, standing-seam zinc roof, late-afternoon sun, wet pavement after rain.
Board-formed concrete facade, overcast light, mature trees and a gravel forecourt.
Coastal villa, pale limestone walls, bronze window frames, golden-hour light, calm sea behind.
Interior renders
Use with AI Interior Design. Style, three or four materials, one light source.
Scandinavian bedroom, oak floor, off-white walls, linen bedding, soft morning light from the left window.
Japandi living room, low walnut furniture, rice-paper pendant, matte plaster walls, diffused daylight.
Office lobby, terrazzo floor, walnut reception desk, brass signage, cool daylight from a skylight.
Editing an existing render
Use with AI Modify Room Design or AI Modify Architecture. Name the element, then the new finish.
Floor: change to herringbone oak.
Kitchen cabinets: matte sage green with brass handles.
Facade: replace the red brick with pale travertine.
Furnishing an empty room
Use with Furnish Empty Room or Virtual Staging AI. Say what the room is for, then list the key pieces.
Furnish as a family living room: L-shaped grey sofa, oak media unit, wool rug, two floor plants.
Stage as a home office: white desk by the window, ergonomic chair, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.
Masterplans and landscape
Use with AI Masterplan Design or AI Landscape Design. Assign a colour or material to each surface type.
Colour the site plan: green lawns, dark-green tree canopies, blue water, light-grey roads, white buildings with soft shadows.
Courtyard garden: gravel paths, ornamental grasses, a single olive tree, evening uplighting.
Style and atmosphere
Use with Style Transfer AI or Dream Render Generator. Say what stays, then what changes.
Keep the layout, restyle as mid-century modern: teak furniture, mustard accents, brass lighting.
Same building, winter dusk: fresh snow on the roof, warm interior lights glowing through the windows.
Good vs. bad, side by side
Good: "Sofa: change to green velvet." Bad: "Design a nice living space for me." The first names a target and a finish; the second gives the model nothing to render.
Good: "Facade: pale limestone, bronze frames." Bad: "No brick, no dark windows." Positive wording tells the model what to draw.
Good: "Bedroom: oak floor, linen bedding, soft morning light." Bad: "bedroom, oak, linen, 8k, ultra realistic, masterpiece." Quality tags do nothing; the output is already photoreal.
Good: "Floor: herringbone oak." then "Walls: warm white plaster." Bad: "Change the floor, walls, ceiling, lighting and add plants." Five changes in one prompt blur into a compromise.
Turning "don't" into "do"
"No curtains" becomes "bare floor-to-ceiling glazing".
"Avoid clutter" becomes "clean surfaces, a single vase on the table".
"Don't change the layout" becomes "keep the existing layout and openings".
"Not too bright" becomes "soft, diffused evening light".
"Remove the cars" becomes "empty street, clean asphalt".
Words that move the needle
Materials: oak, walnut, travertine, terrazzo, board-formed concrete, corten steel, brushed brass, lime plaster, linen, bouclé.
Light: golden hour, overcast, north light, dappled shade, warm lamplight, blue hour, backlit, skylight.
View and mood: eye level, wide angle, close-up, calm, minimal, lived-in, dramatic.
Iterate like a designer
Start from your sketch, model screenshot or photo and describe only materials, light and mood.
Make one edit per render until the scene is right.
Run the same prompt a few times; small wording changes give useful alternatives.
Finish with AI Render Enhancer for presentation resolution.
Quick checklist
Under 200 characters, one or two sentences.
Target named first.
Real materials, real light.
Positive wording only.
One change per render.