Interactive product visualization for the web

# 1 03-11-2003 , 01:13 AM

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Interactive product visualization for the web

Hi all!

I need some hard and quick answers:

Someone I know asked me if it would be possible to present interactive 3d product visualizations on his website withou too much hassle (and I'm not talking Flash here).

He kinda fell in love with the stuff Fujitsu-Siemens did some time ago, but these presentations were done using Viewpoint technology, which is definitely too expensive.

I don't have any details yet, but would just like to know for a start what options there are (peferably those which don't require huge browser plugins...).

I think it will be sufficent to rotate the object around the y-axis according to mouse movement (yet I'm not sure about this at the moment).

Any pearls of wisdom here?

Thanks,

Renderizer

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Free your mind, and your ass will follow!

Last edited by Renderizer; 03-11-2003 at 01:18 AM.

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# 2 03-11-2003 , 01:58 AM

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imho "without too much hassle" -> not possible...

Kari
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Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

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# 3 03-11-2003 , 02:27 AM

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lol...

That was quick...and hard!

I already thought that much.

Maybe I should have accented that 'too'...more like ' TOO much hassle'...

user added image

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# 4 03-11-2003 , 02:35 AM

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Quicktime VR.
Research it mate. user added image

adldesigner
Caracas, Venezuela
Hell .. not gone perse, but with a certainly lower post count per day.

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# 5 03-11-2003 , 02:35 AM

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Yes, an interactive view would take a lot of work. I believe it would be in your best interest to do something like a quick rotation of the object through a gif image or maybe a quick 5 second mpeg or mov movie of your object for download with the camer amoving completely around it in the animation.

I'm sure there are some other things you could do as well.

www.Darkware3D.com

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# 6 03-11-2003 , 02:40 AM

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Yeah, I have thought of the QT VR stuff before...just like ADL said: have to do some research on it!

It's a pitty that this Viewpoint stuff is so expensive... user added image

Thanx for now,

Renderizer user added image

Subdivide and conquer!

Free your mind, and your ass will follow!

Last edited by Renderizer; 03-11-2003 at 02:43 AM.

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# 7 03-11-2003 , 06:23 AM

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Doesn't Maya export to shockwave or something like that that could be plugged into an app for user input?

not sure....

Israel "Izzy" Long
Motion and Title Design for Broadcast-Film-DS
izzylong.com

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# 8 03-11-2003 , 02:05 PM

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I believe that most ppl think that if you need to download any plugins to view a web page -> it's too much of a hassle. That's how I think anyway...

Here's couple of possibilities you could investigate though:
- VRML (maya can export vrml2 files after you load the plugin in the plugin manager)
- Cult3D (www.cult3d.com)

neway, good luck. post some results if you get it working...

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

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# 9 03-11-2003 , 04:09 PM

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Kbrown - thanks a lot.

If this is going to take shape, or better still, if it's going to yield any results, I'll be sure to post something here.

But for today I have stopped any further research, as my cat just got killed by some stinking, rotten dog...

Later,

Renderizer

Subdivide and conquer!

Free your mind, and your ass will follow!

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# 10 03-11-2003 , 05:35 PM

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VRML is quite possibly the best bet, however anything that forces the user to download a plug-in is IMHO a bad idea.

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

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# 11 04-11-2003 , 11:45 AM

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Change of plan.

Given the pretty tight deadline, we've deceided no to do an animation, but to render out a number of still images from different perspectives and simply put up a gallery.

The whole thing must be online by monday, just in time for the start of some trade show (until last night I didn't now that the schedule was THAT tight...).

Luckily, I don't need to go into any great details.

Source material is more of a problem - just a few AutoCad files, and a few photos of a rather rudimentary prototype.

BTW: the object in question is some kind of portable, or rather driveable, party tent.
At the center is a trailer with bar and apsis.
A large tent can be unfolded to both sides of the trailer in no time.

I basically just need to block out the shapes from the AutoCAD files and add some major details and textures/shaders, so the viewer will get an idea of the whole thing.

As I said: there exists only a very rudimentary prototype - largely made of wood and plastic... user added image

Another question that's bugging me: how much can I charge for this kind of job...?

When I first told them of the costs involved in purchasing/licensing the Viewpoint Technology stuff, they didn't even flinch.

Ok. Once again: quick and hard answers, please!

Thanks,

Renderizer

Subdivide and conquer!

Free your mind, and your ass will follow!

Last edited by Renderizer; 04-11-2003 at 11:51 AM.

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