The technique of creating realistic images of a product using specialist software is called 3D product rendering. To replicate the product’s actual appearance, 3D artists create a 3D model of it and then add texturing, lighting, and other visual effects.
Steps of 3D product rendering
- Modeling
- Texturing
- Lighting
- Camera setup
- Rendering
- Post-production
1. Virtualization:
Building a product’s 3D model is the first step in creating a product rendering. To do this, comprehensive information regarding the item’s dimensions, composition, and design requirements must be gathered. A designer would require the precise measurements, information regarding the materials used for the cushioning, laces, and fabric of a sporty sneaker, as well as design features like color placement, marks, and logo placement.
Artists use 3D modeling software such as Blender, SolidWorks, and Autodesk Maya to do this. They employ methods such as NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines, which employ mathematical modeling to build 3D shapes) and polygonal modeling, which creates the surfaces of 3D things from connected 2D shapes. After that, they add further details to the model to make sure it precisely matches the dimensions of the real product.
2. Texturing:
Texturing adds surface properties to the 3D model, giving it a realistic appearance. Artists create and apply texture maps, like diffuse maps (responsible for the color), normal maps (to add scratches, bumps, and other small details), and specular maps (to create a reflective or shiny effect). These maps carefully align with the model’s surface using UV mapping—a technique that unwraps the 3D model into a flat 2D surface to add texture.
These colors and textures simulate real-world surface properties. For example, when rendering a leather handbag, artists may apply texture maps to accurately represent the leather’s grain and subtle color variations, resulting in a photorealistic depiction of the material.
3. Lighting:
Lighting enhances the appearance of the product by adding light to the 3D scene within the rendering software. Artists usually utilize lighting that accentuates the main aspects of the product and provides depth. Additionally, they might employ environmental lighting effects, which can mimic illumination found outdoors and other real-world scenarios.
An artist may utilize softer area lights to replicate the illumination of a living room or a bright directed light to approximate sunlight for furniture sets.
4. Camera Arrangement:
Artists set up virtual cameras in the 3D program to get the greatest angles of the product. They may generate visually appealing photos by adjusting characteristics such as depth of field, focal length, and composition using the program.
5. Producing:
A 3D scene is rendered, or converted from a complex calculation of light interactions, material properties, and geometry, into a 2D computer-generated image. All of this data is processed by the rendering engine to create a sharp, lifelike image.
This computationally demanding procedure might take a few minutes to several hours, depending on the output quality and file format, as well as the complexity of the scene (number of objects, complex textures, more sophisticated lighting effects, etc.).
6. Finishing touches:
To get the desired final image, post-production refines the produced image. Subtle effects are added, contrast is adjusted, and color correction is done throughout this procedure. At this point, artists can also add text and images for promotional materials, or blend the generated product with actual photographic backgrounds.
For example, an artist may refine the reflections on the watch face, change the highlights on the metal band to make it look more opulent, or even digitally erase small flaws from the original 3D model while finishing a render of a metallic watch.
