3D Content Guide - 3D Workflow Overview (Public)
CONTENTS
OUR PHILOSOPHY ON 3D CONTENT
Our guiding principles around 3D content are that:
Content should be both scalable and extensible to as many 3D applications you decide to invest in, and
Materials can and should be reused across different products and/or product families.
We distinguish between geometries, or “geo” (the physical base model of a 3D object), and materials (e.g., fabrics, finishes, etc.). Rather than creating a 3D asset of every single unique combination, we build unique geometries and materials separately, and then apply business rules that govern what materials can be applied to what geometries. This approach achieves reusability of materials for items across one or many product families (e.g., sofa, loveseat, ottoman, etc.), and ability to support unlimited variations within 3D experiences in real time.
CONTENT REALISM: LEVELS OF DETAIL
Sample Content by Level of Detail
We distinguish the levels of detail of 3D content into one of 5 levels: Low, Moderate, High, Very High, and Special detail. Below are representative samples of products according to level of detail. Unit pricing is available; please refer to the rate card within the 3D Cloud Master Agreement.
Low: defined as hard surface models with minimal details.
Moderate: Simple models with certain levels of details
High: Complex models with details like some wrinkles, bumps, nail heads, etc.
Very High: Complex models needing very high level of details and exact match with reference
Special: Models with multiple parts and very high complexity
Level of Detail Mapping to 3D Cloud Applications
Low and Moderate levels of detail can be used in all of our 3D applications, but are most appropriate for WebAR, Room Visualizer and 3D Room Planner applications to balance performance and realism. High, Very High and Special levels of detail are most appropriate for Product and/or Sectional Configurators. Below is an illustrative example of an armchair with varying levels of detail.
Reducing level of detail
There are certain instances where the level of detail for a given geo may need to be reduced in order to meet performance requirements and device limitations. Our recommendation it that it is better to start with a higher level of detail and decimate, or reduce, the number of polygons rather than start with a lower level of detail and try to scale up to higher levels.
For example, a client may have selected two 3D Cloud applications for implementation, Product Configurator and 3D Room Planner. While the Product Configurator supports higher levels of detail for an individual item, we would need to reduce the level of detail for the 3D Room Planner to accommodate all the items within a given room and remain performant.
There is an additional charge for reducing detail from high levels of detail to lower levels; please refer to the rate card within the Master Agreement.
CONTENT OWNERSHIP
We are often asked who owns the 3D content once they are created and published in our applications. Our position is that you, the client, are the owner of your 3D assets and can leverage them as you please. For example, you may want to leverage your content for use in your own social media campaigns.
Clients may choose to receive assets directly from the 3D Cloud CMS or via the hosting service of their choice (Google Cloud, Dropbox, etc.). Files will be distributed in group orders that match client's naming conventions when received.
INTRODUCTION TO 3D WORKFLOW
3D Product Catalogs are created through 3D Workflow, Marxent’s web-based planning and orchestration software. 3D Workflow manages new orders, teams, tracking, QA, and catalog publication.
ORDERING 3D PRODUCTS
Ordering 3D versions of your real-world products is managed through our Content Orchestration system. An integral part of our CMS, the Orchestration system receives orders, reference materials, and business rules then determines the work required to complete your virtual inventory. This works across Marxent, your organization, and our network of studios as well as reports on completion and accuracy of created assets.
Our standard protocol is to accept orders in ~300 product batches. Ideally each batch is homogeneous to optimize reuse. Products in the same family should be in the same batch.
There should be one master image for a family of products, to ensure accurate color and lighting references for QA.
It is important that all product information and references are provided at the same time.
3D Reference Materials
Most product types can be ordered by providing a URL to an existing Product Detail Page (PDP) on your website, providing at least the following exists on that page: SKU, dimensions and high-resolution photography of the product from multiple angles.
3D Cloud can also ingest existing 2D and 3D assets such as polygonal meshes, industry-standard 3D formats, CAD, and other engineering drawing formats. Note that conversion work will be required in this scenario; please refer to the rate card within the Master Agreement for conversion fees.
Product Meta Data & Business Rules
The key difference between a 3D Model and a Virtual Product is the coupling of Product and Behavioral data with the 3D asset. We harvest this data from your existing systems when available, derive it from engineering/production documentation, generate it as a result of interviews with your product teams and even reach back to your OEMs.
Examples of this data include:
· Product information (name, description, color, etc.)
· Pricing and availability (including regional and international)
· Configuration options
· Material, upholstery, and other finish compatibilities
· Installation requirements
· Industry, safety, or legal standards and rules
· Best practices
· Design considerations
Product Material Libraries
Realistic 3D versions of your products require an accurate representation of the various textiles and finishes utilized in their production in addition to the geometry. Just as important is the delivery of those assets over our CDN. We use industry-standard real-time formats to create, store and deliver these materials from the cloud. Once created, we can re-use a material directly from the CMS on any product providing for a single source of truth and one that can be updated across your entire product library instantly.
We can also work with your OEMs to create materials libraries of their products, ensuring accuracy and consistency across your entire inventory.
Material references provided by a client may include:
Material files (ideal)
Scanned swatches (ideal)
Photos of swatches (acceptable)
Photos of the product
Material textures in PBR format:
Metallic/roughness should be combined using an alpha channel. If not, a separated roughness and map will suffice.
.PNG or .TGA file format
Textures should be squared, power of 2 resolution (i.e., 1024x1024 ideally)
Textures should follow a clear naming convention that allows our artist to parse them cleanly
Textures should be seamless, unless otherwise specified as non-tileable
Textures should be grouped in folders according to their parent material
Product Assemblies & Configuration Rules
We make 3D products exactly as you do in the real world, by creating component-level assets and assembling them into fully configurable, buyable SKUs in order to maximize reuse and minimize cost and waste. We use these same data structures to encapsulate business rules such as compatible component and finish options, availability, non-visual subcomponents (mounting hardware, for example) and other subassemblies.
Content QA Process and Tools
Included in the 3D Workflow is the ability for you to review and comment on content before being released to production. You can view the asset in full 3D, evaluate its behavior in-app and validate product information attached to the asset for completion and accuracy. This function is fully integrated into the CMS and will submit remediation tasks to the appropriate teams to address and correct any identified issues.
Catalog Publication & Certification
A catalog is a snapshot of your virtual product inventory at a point in time. This provides several advantages, including:
The continual addition to and updating of your inventory without affecting production environments
Rapid delivery of content to production environments via flat files over our CDN
Ability to roll back to any point in time
We create and maintain all aspects above for all environments including dev, test, staging, and production.
Staging Content within 3D Room Planner applications
For our 3D Room Planner application, we can make available ‘staging content’ to help support your customer’s and/or designer’s experience, including but not limited to:
Flooring: Hardwood, Tile, Area rugs
Walls: Paint, Wall Coverings, Wall Decor, Mirrors
Structural elements: Fireplaces, flexible shapes
Lighting
Plants
Table Decor
Holiday Decor
Accessories
Finishes