From simple CAD to 3D interactivity: SHOWin3D makes it easy

Virtual showrooms, interactive catalogues, manuals and products – here we break down the steps SHOWin3D takes when turning a client’s initial idea into a digital reality.

Over the past few months, technology has bridged the gap between physical environments, bringing geographies closer together and creating new opportunities for retailers. Businesses across all industries have been forced to come up with new ideas and thankfully, digital advancements have solved many of the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

SHOWin3D is a web platform that allows businesses to build interactive applications created by Shin Software, which are able to manage CAD drawings, process them with 4K rendering in real-time, and transform them into an extraordinary immersive experience. Think virtual showrooms, interactive catalogues, manuals and products, configurable for web and mobile devices, without the cost of lavish stands or expensive showrooms.

The power of such a platform has already been demonstrated in the market with customers in fashion, automotive, manufacturing, and retail. SHOWin3D has been used to create 3D product configurators for a series of brands, like Natuzzi who offers customers the chance to browse over 17 million combinations of its interlocking sofas. 

With SHOWin3D it’s possible to convert already existing CAD files into three-dimensional content with ultra-realistic quality. In simpler terms, this means translating real products into 4K digital renders, which can be accessed by consumers on the go or at home, integrated with e-commerce sites, shared on social networks or mobile devices, all updated in real-time. Want to know more? Here’s how it works…

Getting to know you

Before anything else, it’s important to understand how SHOWin3D can help you, which starts with an objective. Is a virtual catalogue what you had in mind? Maybe you want to create and manage a digital replica of your warehouse?

You might be an architect or an interior designer who wants to create a more engaging proposal. Understanding what assets there are to help create the intended user experience, and defining the scope and budget of the project makes are essential parts of this first analytical phase. 

Making it happen

Once the clients’ needs and expectations are clearly defined, a budget and quotation are prepared. At this stage, SHOWin3D’s tailored approach finds the best solution that best meets the clients’ objectives. The quotation and plan proposed are custom made and no plan is standard.

SHOWin3D is Shin Software’s proposal for digital transformation, see how SHOWin3D promises to transform the design industry with its 3D revolution.

Entering the world of 3D

Of course, a vital component of SHOWin3D is the 3D element and after discussing which assets are available to make the project happen, there are several options. If 3D models already exist, the app can turn objects into interactive tridimensional visuals.

And if not? When there are no 3D models, it is possible to make virtualization of the project with a reverse engineering process. Starting with laser scanners, the first detection of surfaces is made: then 3D artists decompose the object into customizable parts.

With regards to materials, SHOWin3D has a built-in library and editor allowing users to create and assign different textures and patterns to their 3D models. If the necessary material doesn’t exist there, it can be fabricated and added manually. 

Bringing it to life

Once you have the models and materials, the next step is to define how these models and materials should behave. You can’t have a 3D product without defining how users will react to it and the best way to achieve this is by understanding its purpose.

Is it a shoppable product? A piece of machinery you intend to use for training purposes? Are you creating a unique retail experience that puts products in situ? The use will define the product’s digital twin and the final interface according to the functionalities outlined in the first phase.

Curious to know more about digital tools? Don’t miss Creating a collaborative platform and a seamlessly integrated workflow with Alastair Simpson, Vice President of Design at Dropbox

Putting it to work

The final step involves integrating your newly 3D world with third-party elements like a shopping cart inside your e-commerce platform, or a specially built app designed for a one-off event for example. This integration works in two directions with SHOWin3D sending and receiving data from 3rd party elements.

The platform can acquire, for example, 3D files directly and automatically from the design department of a company or import the data necessary to display a price from a management system. In the same way, it can send the configuration output parameters to an e-commerce cart or ERP software for production. 

Finally, the platform can be deployed in a completely secure way thanks to the Amazon Web Services, the world’s most comprehensive cloud platform, built to satisfy the requirements of the most security-sensitive organizations. Without further elaboration or intervention by programmers, the contents can be used on desktops, smartphones, and tablets with Windows, iOS, or Android operating systems and can be extended to augmented reality and immersive virtual reality experiences.

Adopting technology is the need of the hour, especially for businesses in the design industry that have been forced to close. Social distancing has impacted brick-and-mortar retail making the experience of e-commerce more important than ever.

How do you convey the true quality of a product? How is it possible to meet the need for personalization online? Or more simply, how do you even begin to explore digital tech as an opportunity? With SHOWin3D it’s actually really easy.