insight
3 applications of 3D product visualization
Where digital environments are already creating limitless possibilities
Your visual presentation makes the difference between standing out and blending into the crowd. With the rise of 3D visualization, the possibilities for that presentation are endless. In a virtual world, anything goes. The design and interior industry has been embracing those possibilities for a while now: from playing with lighting to adjusting the texture of a floor. They perfectly demonstrate how 3D visualization is increasingly replacing traditional video and photography. We've previously covered what 3D visualization is and what the benefits are; in this article, you'll discover where 3D visualization is already being applied today.
Lights out, spotlight on
Creating photos and videos for lighting products is no simple task. The light always has to be just right — something that's notoriously difficult to capture in a photo. That's why 3D visualization is a breath of fresh air for the lighting industry — especially in the design segment. Anything is possible: dynamically displaying different lighting options, for example. You can show the effect of a lamp in lighter or darker rooms, dim lights, reposition fixtures, adjust the effect of a lamp on a wall… And there's much more to explore. Think of the rise of augmented reality (AR), where customers can see the lighting in their own space. For now, traditional catalogues still dominate, but 3D visualization offers endless possibilities for social media and dynamic online catalogues, for instance.
Floor in view
In the flooring industry, the transition to 3D visualization is already complete. Customers expect a realistic representation of what their future floor will look like — ideally across a range of environments. Where lighting is primarily about the atmosphere of the entire room, a flooring image needs to be two-thirds floor. That calls for specific camera angles that aren't always straightforward with traditional photography. What also works extremely well here is the combination of 3D visualization and configuration. With a single click, you can place different floors in the same room — a dream for a customer who wants to immediately assess the effect of a particular product.
Sleek, playful, and everything in between
The furniture industry — with giants like IKEA leading the way — is also discovering the power of 3D visualization. Taste is subjective, and customer preferences can range from sleek and modern to rustic, playful or futuristic. 3D visualization can cater to every taste: you can place furniture in different settings, change colors, enlarge spaces, reposition items, create detail shots… This allows companies not only to present their products in a variety of styles, but also to make the leap to an online configurator. Customers can, in principle, browse virtually the entire catalogue in a single virtual scene and customize products to their liking.
The common thread running through all of these applications? Aesthetics. You want to present your product as beautifully and stylishly as possible. In the past, that meant building sets, or searching for suitable locations and props. Now, your set is built digitally — complete with the endless options that 3D configuration brings.
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