3D Design
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Last year, when we were considering what to call our company, we were advised by several well-respected business professionals to call ourselves something people could easily spell. For some unknown reason we decided to completely ignore that advice.
We were also advised to try to work the word “solutions” into our company name. While this may be right for some businesses, we felt it was too generic. To me, “3D solutions” sounded a bit like an algebraic homework assignment.
We liked the word “mitooshi” and the meaning was a good representation of our service offering. “Mitooshi” is a Japanese Romaji word and it means perspective, unobstructed view, outlook and forecast. For a company which offers 3D visualisations, these words seemed like the right words to associate ourselves with.
It’s also fitting that we used a Japanese word to name our business because our technical director believes himself to be some kind of Ninja. What kind, we haven’t yet established.
Here are some interesting amateur Ninjas on YouTube – these guys never fail to make me laugh.
Tags: 3d, 3d company, July, matooshi, mitooshi
Posted in 3D Design, Miscellany | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
I love robots. I especially like it when those who I consider to be nerdier than myself, tell me things they know about robots and what the latest robot technology is. Someone who fits that description recently showed me a video of a robot designed by Boston Dynamics called BigDog and it both intrigued and 
repulsed me. I was intrigued because of my aforementioned love of robots and I was repulsed because, well, I’m not sure. I’m aware of the uncanny valley hypothesis where robots which look and act almost, but not entirely, like actual humans, cause human observers to feel revulsion, but the BigDog robot is not at all human-like (the clue’s in the name really). I think my reaction was probably related to the way the BigDog moves and the fact that it has two sets of legs which go in opposite directions – very “exorcist”.
As you might imagine, I really liked the Citroen C4 Transformer advert which was on TV a few years ago. It was an excellent example of motion capture and 3D graphics put together seamlessly by Toronto Production Company, Spy Films and The Embassy VFX in Vancouver. (more…)
Tags: 3d, Advertising, big dog, interactive, June, motion capture, robots
Posted in 3D Design, Advertising | 6 Comments »
Sunday, June 15th, 2008
I was recently talking to a friend who’s a search marketing specialist and I mentioned that to get our site up and running quickly, I was considering throwing something together in Flash. His response was, “if you do that, I’ll have to kill you”.
Flash has been dividing opinion since I was learning about this new thing called Google back in ‘99. I once witnessed one of our Flash developers throwing a printer at a wall because of its so called “inconsistencies”.
That said, Flash has been providing web sites and 2D animation since 1996 and doesn’t show any signs of dissipating. Companies that consider themselves to be comprised of “creatives” often go wild with beautifully detailed animation and graphics and I have seen some truly remarkable work. So Flash has its place among the web design community, even if that’s not with my search marketing friend.
As you might imagine, something we’re particularly interested in is Flash for 3D. Until recently the only way to use Flash for 3D was to pre-render image sequences and use Flash to control them. This is often referred to as 2.5D because it looks like 3D but it’s actually 2D. Now that there are a few decent real-time 3D engines for Flash such as Papervision3d, FIVe3D, Away3D and Sandy, we can for the first time, create content in Flash that is truly 3D.
Of course there are many real-time 3D engines which have nothing to do with Flash, but the appeal with the 3D engines for Flash lies in the browser requirements and the file sizes. Real-time 3D engines for Flash provide content which can be viewed in browsers with Flash Player 8 or above installed and according to the Adobe Flash Player Version Penetration Statistics, in March 2008, 98% of users in the UK had at least Flash Player 8. The Flash based real-time 3D engines can also output relatively small files sizes considering the graphics-heavy nature of the content.
Currently, the main uses for the Flash based real-time 3D engines seem to be games and website navigation. The Neighbourhood’s website is a particularly good example of how Papervision3D can be used for site navigation and Carlos Ulloa (one of the Papervision3D development team) shows an application of the technology on his website in the form of a car which can travel into the distance as well as left and right. Another good example is the award winning LAB website which uses Mathieu Badimon’s FIVe3D. FIVe3D works slightly differently in that it’s entirely vector-based. Zeh Fernando explains more about the intricacies of FIVe3D compared to the other 3D engines on his blog.
In terms of commercial examples, I recently saw a banner ad which was almost identical to Ullosa’s car and I’m sure it won’t be long before advertisers come up with more snazzy ways to use the real-time 3D engines for Flash to attract and hold our attention.
One thing that’s certain is that the real-time 3D in Flash has a lot of potential and I’m really looking forward to seeing it develop in the coming years. All the Flash-based 3D engines I have come across so far are open source which will hopefully pave the way to experimentation and exploratory projects. I’ve encountered plenty of browser-crashing examples which seems to be a good indication we are right at the beginning of Flash 3D’s journey.
The other consideration is Flash Player which will have to develop considerably to meet the demands that 3D content brings. Adobe has outlined new features to be included in “Astro” (Flash Player 10) which will make the possibilities for delivering 3D content greater. Once there’s a Flash Player that can handle the complexities of 3D lighting and reflections, 3D Flash content could easily become as ubiquitous as Flash’s 2D content is currently.
Tags: 2.5d, 2d, 3d, adobe, away3d, carlos ulloa, five3d, flash, June, papervision3d, real-time, rendering, sandy, zeh fernando
Posted in 3D Design, Advertising, Digital Marketing, Interactive 3D | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
You’re probably familiar with architectural visualisation. Most property marketing teams know that they can use their architect’s CAD drawings and a specialist 3D visualiser to make some nice marketing images. They also know that having still images or animations which show the property development complete and in its best light, before the builder has even lifted a brick, vastly increases their chances of selling off plan.
But now that architectural visualisation is used by most property marketing teams, how do you ensure yours is the one potential buyers are looking at and talking about?
In my experience, it takes a combination of animation, stills and web-based, interactive media to make a visualisation really stand out. Combining web-based, interactive visualisations with stills and animation is much more effective than stills or animation alone. The stills can be used in print campaigns to drive traffic to the developer’s website where users will find the interactive visualisations. We have found that users spend longer browsing websites with interactive visualisations and are more likely to follow a call to action.
Interactive visualisations enable potential buyers to immerse themselves the property; they can watch the development evolve over time while exploring the space and room layout options. This heightened level of engagement means potential buyers are more likely to make an enquiry.
The interactivity also helps you to communicate the property’s features. So if the development boasts the best, most energy-saving insulation on the market, let the potential buyer click the walls and see inside them. If all the wood used in the property comes from a sustainable resource, give the potential buyer that information while they enjoy a seamless interaction.
Using an interactive visualisation also means you get double the value from the 3D design process. Your 3D artist can render stills and animation from the model they produce for the interactive visualisation, so you get three types of media from one process and engage with your potential buyers on a whole new level.
When you go interactive, architectural visualisation transforms from luxury to necessity; from a tool which is nice to have, to an indispensable means of meeting sales targets.
Tags: 3d, animation, architect, Architectural Visualisation, CAD, interactive, marketing, May, property, stills, virtual, visualisation, web
Posted in 3D Design, Architectural Visualisation, Digital Marketing, Interactive 3D | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
How can I use 3D to promote my new product?
If your product currently only exists as a CAD file, or a sketch on a piece of paper, or even as an idea in your head, 3D design can be a fantastic way to help your potential investors understand the product and appreciate its unique selling points.
3D imagery is also a good way to help your customers visualise your product and many of our clients use 3D visuals, which we have produced early in the product’s development, again in their sales and marketing activities. We’ve even had clients use their 3D visuals to train their staff once the product is launched.
3D visuals are an excellent way to communicate the finer details of a product and can be particularly useful for products with complex mechanisms or internal systems which can’t easily be photographed.
How can 3D design help me feature my product in a scene which would be expensive or difficult to photograph?
Using 3D technology, we can create realistic images which show your product in any environment. Just like your favourite Hollywood film, we can create stunning visual effects so that your customers see you product in an interesting environment. This can be an excellent way to attract attention and press and means your creative team can let their imaginations run wild.
Why is interactive 3D content so important?
Where interactive 3D content only used to be possible with long downloads or via CD ROM, increased broadband speeds, mean we can now deliver interactive 3D content through the web.
Using interactive 3D content provides an immersive experience where visitors can interact with your product and this can vastly improve the amount of time visitors spend on your site. Interactive 3D content is particularly useful for those with products that offer the customer configuration options as it can provide an accurate representation of how your product will look with the customers’ options in place.
Interactive 3D is also an excellent way to give your customers a sense of space. Virtual worlds where the customer can walk around and explore are now possible even for SMEs with a limited budget. This is a particularly useful tool for property developers, planners and environmental regeneration organisations who want to show their website visitors their vision and plans for the future.
Can 3D images be used to promote services as well as products?
3D imagery is an excellent way to help your audience understand your processes, proposals and figures and engage with your presentation. We have produced visual representations of graphs and charts which have enhanced multi-million pound projects and proposals and helped convey messages in boardrooms all over the world.
Once we have a 3D visual, can it be used in other formats?
Our 3D team can make your 3D visuals extremely versatile. We can build one 3D model and from that we can render, stills for print and web; interactive models for the web and CD ROM; and animation for TV, DVD and the web. So one 3D project can deliver content for each part of your marketing campaign.
Who uses 3D?
Architects use 3D images to help communicate their plans to clients and to aid planning applications. This can save enormous amounts of time and money by helping planning applications go through smoothly and can help keep last minute alterations to a minimum once building begins.
Property developers use 3D visualisations to help sell properties which aren’t yet complete. The property can be made to look complete with soft furnishings and nice lighting, and this is an effective tool in selling off-plan.
Event planners often use 3D images to show clients how their exhibition stands will look. Again, when used in this way, 3D images can help save vast amounts of time and money and help win business.
Companies launching a new product use 3D images to help their potential investors and customers understand the product and how it works.
Web designers and creative teams use 3D to give their website or brochure an edge and generate powerful visual effects.
Advertising agencies use 3D to show products in an interesting setting without the cost of photography and set design. 3D can be used in advertising to help engage clients and customers and make campaigns memorable and impressive.
Tags: 3d, about 3d, Advertising, animation, architect, Architectural Visualisation, FAQ, interactive, May, product, property, visual, visualisation
Posted in 3D Design, Interactive 3D, Product Design | No Comments »
