Top Innovations That Are Rendering 3D Visualization More Powerfully
Digital technologies are advancing rapidly. As such, 3D modeling, designing, rendering, and visualization are finding more useful applications in various verticals. What seemed impossible a few decades back in the digital realm is a reality today. Innovations in virtual reality are taking the world by storm.
Gamers are able to insert more dynamism in their creations to render games more engaging. Architects are able to visualize and demonstrate to potential clients what the final project would be like. 3D visualization is allowing unimaginable breakthroughs to happen and also helping business verticals to make rapid strides.
The jobs in the arena of 3D visualization are also innumerable. This speaks about the huge demand for this specialization in various industry domains. Not only architectural design services but many other engineering and business segments are benefiting from this creative technology. The future is being shaped with the help of its creative inputs. Some of the industries which are utilizing the potential of 3D visualization optimally include marketing, real estate, mining, architecture and preservation of historical monuments, agriculture, automotive engineering, etc.
3D visualization and modeling are not just facilitating viewing of designs from various perspectives. They are revolutionizing the business by streamlining the testing of ideas and manufacturing of products. With each improvement, technology is becoming more useful.
This post would offer you glimpses into the major innovations where 3D visualization technique is leveraged for benefiting different industry dimensions.
a) Virtual Reality
The appeal of 3D visualization can be best seen in Virtual Reality (VR). VR can breathe life into designing and other pursuits. Just a few years back, you had to rely on 2D blueprints and drawings to visualize the design. If more details were required to be incorporated in the design, an accomplished artist had to be commissioned to add value to the sketch. These have become things of the past now.
In this age of virtual reality, stakeholders are engaged with lifelike experience in the digital realm. Suppose, a real estate owner wants to sell newly created apartments. He would get created virtual walkthroughs of the apartment modeled using 3D software. Prospective buyers can interact with the 3D designs, feel the interiors of the room and scrutinize each aspect virtually. The look of the room can be changed with virtual staging through which furniture and accessories can be positioned in the room for better visualization.
VR is not limited to designing and architecture only. It can be used for making video games more immersive. The feel of such gaming was presented a few decades back when Space Invaders allowed six pixels to the player. The gaming experience has been taken to the next level now with advances in VR that allows players to select items interactively within the game with gestures of hand as well as control play through body movements. With such unbelievable advances, kids can get the benefits of physical exercises while playing video games. Games like Wii Sports are designed to offer exercising benefits exclusively.
The benefits of virtual reality rendering can be availed of in other industries. For example, in the textile industry, buyers can visualize the usage of different patterns on rugs and fabrics before actually buying the products.
The digital world is now at our fingertips, courtesy VR. The experiences are real and kinetic which resemble the physical world.
b) 3D Printing
3D printing design is a promising aspect of 3D visualization. Also known as rapid prototyping, it allows any idea to be materialized in physical reality immediately. Industries can benefit significantly from such breakthrough innovation. Companies are engaging in re-branding to pass on the benefits of smaller batch production to customers.
For the purpose of preliminary testing to enable proof of concept or for showcasing seminal products in trade shows, 3D printing can be used for accurately and rapidly manufacturing prototypes. You need not wait for weeks and months for getting a visual feel of the product being manufactured as a product prototype can be printed within a few hours. The turnaround time of the 3D printer is low which widens the scope of its applications. Top beneficiaries are companies that manufacture large machining components, complex elements, fragile products, etc.
With 3D printing, replacement part of any product or assembly can be created immediately for the interim period during which the actual part is being shipped. The parts can be used permanently in certain cases. With the help of 3D software like Google SketchUp or 3DS Max, the design of the part can be developed and the same can be fired on a 3D printer to get the physical part. There is no need to waste precious production time waiting for the part.
Suppose certain products are being shipped. However, the capacity of the container, resources for transit, and time are limited. You need not worry. Just carry a prototype with you along with a 3D printer. Once you arrive at the destination, other parts can be 3D printed at the spot.
In the international space station, there is significant space constraint. Astronauts cannot carry and stock specialty items onboard. They simply get tools and components printed with the 3D printer when the need arises. The discarded components can be reused for other purposes or end up in recycling bin.
c) 3D Rendering in Real Time
In video games, real-time rendering is present. This is also being replicated in different technological domains. Due to lack of sponsorship, the progression is not as fast as expected.
The experience of 3D rendering in real time can be acquired while playing video games. As the player moves through the landscape of the game, the same gets continuously changed and adapted to the controls of the player. The virtual elements of the game transition quickly to offer the desired gaming feel.
Designing virtual reality creations in standstill mode is usually simple. It is similar to designing an apartment’s floor plan or 3D modeling a product to be sent to the production line. The design changes dynamically and updates itself spontaneously as one navigates through it. This gives 3D visualization the desired cutting edge.
The virtual world, static in nature, can be created for exploring and viewing. The same can be manipulated and made more experiential by allowing changes to happen mechanically at every movement of the user or head gesture. After exploring the virtual world, the physical world can also be tested. When an ambiance that resembles real life closely can be precisely designed and simulated, you can understand the interactions in the real world.
Real-time 3D rendering is very complex, requires a high level of skill, and a huge budget. As this challenging field is explored more, the prices would drop. Skilled creative artists can undertake approximation of any environment. Different simulations can be managed for performing vital functions for seamless visualization.
d) Cloud Computing
Cloud computing and virtualized servers are much talked about these days. All leading companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc. have embraced the cloud and launched their cloud-based services. The groundbreaking concept of the cloud was envisaged to get around the limitations posed by physical storage. The rapid pace at which data is being used has pushed us to the brink of optimization of all physical storage available. Soon we may run out of physical storage but cloud would rescue us from such a situation.
3D technology consumes a significant amount of space. The simulations in Virtual Reality are dynamic in nature and changes continuously. The simulation files are larger in size as they carry accurate and intricate schematics of minutely created mega designs. Such files cannot be contained in flash drives and require storage space on the cloud.
Cloud servers are located all around the world. The virtual reality components can be divided into pieces, which can be integrated easily, and then stored conveniently. Access to complex details can be secured quickly on the go. With the help of cloud-based storage infrastructure, complex and large files can be stored quickly and retrieved at will. If the same would have been done on physical storages, a significant amount of space and time would be taken.
The application of cloud computing is not restricted to 3D technology only. Anyone can share data on virtual space in the cloud and avail of the benefits of top-notch storage infrastructure. For companies, leveraging the power of information becomes easier as the volume of information that can be stored, shared among all stakeholders, and accessed from multiple locations is huge. The information can also be demonstrated in visual mode to showcase any projection in a realistic and powerful manner. You can plan, redesign and tweak your projects with ease.
Using large volumes of data simultaneously by different teams become easier. Collective models can be developed which can impact the quality of output of any work. Initiatives can be devised for the future in a more collaborative way. All clients and authenticated users of any company can access information on cloud servers. The utility of information increases as its outreach grows. Compiling and presenting actionable and meaningful reports become simpler. You can also beat the competition by quickly harnessing the potential of 3D visualization by utilizing the data readily available in a powerful manner.
e) 3D Capturing and Mapping of Data
Data can prove to be a powerful media for gaining strategic advantage if it is accurate. While designing elements for virtual reality tours, the elements of the scene must be in proportion. This would allow the viewers to experience something that is consistent with physical reality. Your products would also sell faster. Anything that is unrealistic and not relevant to the situation being portrayed can ruin the efforts.
Designs can be made accurate with 3D mapping and scanning technologies. Anything can be produced in a virtual setup, However, when real life conditions have to be incorporated or replicated, representations need to be accurate.
Difficulties associated with 3D image mapping have been lessened to a large extent. The availability of 3D scanners and other advanced tools make accurate mapping of real-life conditions and incorporating them in virtual scenes really easy. Motion can also be planned in a comprehensive manner. In hit movies like The Hulk, the results of the efforts invested become apparent. Even freelancer artists who carry out 3D rendering can do so easily by capturing 3D data for simulating the physical feel precisely.
3D mapping is being accurately used by companies for catering to different purposes. These things are impacting the lives of common masses in more than one ways in often undiscernible manner. Cloth manufactures and lifestyle stores are using the potential of 3D imaging for tailoring apparels that are slinky and measures up to your body stats accurately. Customers can also visualize themselves in different clothes.
The same can be applied to any product that is being manufactured. Using 3D mapping, the way intended users would use the product can be assessed beforehand from different perspectives. This would enhance safety and will also ensure that the product perfectly complements the situation for which it has been manufactured. Real times can be incorporated in the virtual space using 3D mapping so that interactions can be accurately measured and analyzed.
f) 3D Model Designing and Testing
With various innovative interventions, you can easily build a virtual world where objects can be manipulated without actually touching them. The virtual setup can be effectively used for giving marketing efforts the much-deserved boost. Different products can be planned beforehand. With 3D modeling design, you can give shape to a virtual world where all the properties can be dictated by you. This facilitates optimal 3D visualization.
The product can be modeled and designed in 3D. The 3D design can be subjected to stringent tests of any type. You can understand the dynamics of the product as well as its interactions with other physical objects. A virtual prototype can be created which can then be put through stress tests to understand the factors that contribute to its success or failure.
Different companies are already leveraging the potential of this visualization technique. Supercomputers are being used for modeling aerodynamic flow in car prototypes of the future. Tests are done in difficult conditions for verifying the accuracy of the design. With 3D modeling, literally, scores of different scenarios can be generated with ease. The data can then be mapped on them for demonstrating the pros and cons of various design propositions.
Test modeling also proves valuable in conditions where tests cannot be replicated physically. Suppose a bride is going to be constructed. A prototype can be created to analyze how the bridge would withstand gusty winds and other elements. Once the prototype is dismantled, it would be a cost and labor-intensive job to build the prototype again. With 3D models, different test scenarios can be visualized for needful planning and devising of alternate ways of disaster management.
Vehicles can be tested for their endurance to crashes. Crumple points can be designed for allowing collapsing of the car while passengers stay safe inside. 3D visualization with the help of 3D modeling can prove helpful in saving the lives of people and improving the quality of products.
3D modeling for testing is fundamentally easy. A product can be tested to understand how dense or strong it is. The product prototype can also be stress tested to check endurance. Intricacies can be embedded using advanced methodologies.
Summary
3D visualization has made rapid advances in recent times but the best is yet to come. Innovations are still being done in this domain to render the process of critical visualization more seamless. Another innovation that is waiting to revolutionize 3D technology is quantum computing. Storage size can be scaled down to an unbelievable level which would increase the processing power phenomenally. This would facilitate the creation of designs that would be more dynamic as well as realistic and can be subjected to real-time rendering. Collaborative designs can be created using crowdsourced 3D model designing. People can interact with each other and design products together in the virtual space. Also, the development of real-world simulation is going on in full swing where hypothetical interaction of physical objects with the virtual environment can occur. Visualizing how things would be affected would become easy which will help us understand the impact on items nearer to the physical product. With the aid of haptic sensing tool, seeing and feeling products and ambiances, which surround us would become a possibility. Incorporation of block chain in the virtual space would help us keep track of product designs in a secure manner. The incredible power of 3D visualization is yet to be realized fully. As more innovations surface, the dynamism and efficacy of the same would amplify. With 3D technology, the creation, manipulation, testing, and visualization of virtual ambiance and products become really easy. All real-world situations can be simulated in the virtual environment which would make visualization and testing super easy. Customized designs can be created and modeled for visualization purpose which would offer companies and individuals the much-desired competitive edge.
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