interactive 3D models on websites

[flipside]

Hi all,

For a big website project I need to make 3D visualisations of +-20 different products. They don't just want stills, but they want users to play around with the products online (rotate zoom etc...). For some products they have small accessoires to put on. When you click 'lamp' for example, a lamp should fly in from the side.

I was wondering if any of you guys have some basic advice for me on this matter. Like programs you used, problems you had, important things to consider...

At first I was thinking of using quicktime object movies, but I don't know if it's possible to let other objects fly in? I also thought quicktime is a widely used plugin, in contrast with some other realtime 3d viewers. Also because object movies are actually renderings (from vray for example) and so quality is much better than with realtime 3d viewers.

Problem is they want realistic visualisations, for simple products. Everything is based on good lighting and shadows, and online 3d viewers really lack here (no GI for example). I noticed material properties are much better than a few years ago, but still lighting and shadows are very basic.

All suggestions are welcome!

Kind regards,

flipside

[Dynedain]

you may have to just render all the possible options and then use flash to build the interface

you could try baking out the lighting/materials and then using the 3d features in shockwave

those are the two ways i'd try to do it

[cocolas]

same here...I think a combo of flash interface w/ quicktime pre-rendered objects is probably the way to go.......showckwave realtime objects are pretty low quality in terms of lighting/texturuing...

on the other hand when I was at Siggraph earlier, I bumped into this company "Anark" they develop some of the best quality real-time 3d viewer software I've seen...they had a motocycle demo of viewed in 3d thourough a browser (using their viewer/software) and it looked almost like pre-rendered in terms of lighitng and textures......I don't know if it supports vray/GI or how it interacts w/ max, but it's definatly worth google it up and check it out......

paul.

[Dynedain]

showckwave realtime objects are pretty low quality in terms of lighting/texturuing...

thats why i suggested baking the lighting/texture first with bake3d...should solve most of that problem

as for anark...its a really rare plugin that no-one has except for the people who have bought anark. we looked into it for a while and then shrugged it off becuase its not something the market is looking for

[cocolas]

yeah, I figured the major issue w/ that Anark could be the fact that it's not popular enough....


paul.

[J_Bug]

If you want the simplest solution all around, I would say to use Flash

If I'm correct, you know Flash? So screw the headache of learning whatever new software and trying to get Bake3D to work consistently.

I made this about 3-4 years ago. If you'd like the source to get started just send me an e-mail. I don't think it would be too hard to get objects to fly in. I would suggest making the sequence reset to a default position. This would make it easier on the programmer and could be justified to the client by saying it's the best position for the additional objects to be clearly presented to the viewer.

http://www.dtoxx.com/J_Bug/F18VVR_02.swf
forgive the render. This was the test for a larger implementation and I didn't have VRay back then

--Jon

[Dynedain]

yeah...actually if you have Discreet Plasma, you might be able to get the vray rendered stuff directly into flash

[dans]

And what not many know: Quicktime supports Flash !!! A Quicktime movie can contain a Flash layer. Flash UI controls can for example be used to control the movie. But the Flash version Quicktime supports is always some versions behind.

Daniel

[Dynedain]

and vice versa, you can include quicktime files inside of flash as well

[cocolas]

and vice versa, you can include quicktime files inside of flash as well

yeah...that's more what I was thinking about....


paul.

[travistlo]

I would say that Director (shockwave) is the way to go. Flash is too limited for this type of stuff.


Director is more like a composition tool. You mostly compose the interactive file. It has some tools for creating objects, like buttons and things like that, but its crap compared to flashes drawing capabilites. The trick is to use them both. Create buttons, text animations etc, in flash, then For the complex needs you will have to learn a little Lingo programming. It has a lot of "extras" that allow for adding in of additional features. Like 3D quicktime. You can have a 3D quicktime, then when a button is pressed, it can overlay the "lampshade" then switch the the 3D quicktime of the object with the "lampshade"

Like dynedain said, you will have to prerender all the posibille animations. Create all the things needed, then use director to compose the website.

None of the other 3D viewer will allow "adding lampshade" type of things. (atleast not that I know of)

Travis

[jujubee]

I've used Cult3D from Cycore before. If I remember correctly, it also has the ability to export a model to Director. I think materials were always sort of a problem for me to get right:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?CR...&languageid=13

Here's another app to tale a look at - not sure if there's a web-based plugin, but it produces one cool little self.exe file:

http://www.quest3d.com

[flipside]

Thanks a lot for all your replies!

I'm gonna do some research on the things you suggested, and will let you know what I will be using afterall. (this could take a while though, as the project didn't even really start yet)

flipside

[travistlo]

well, good thing you are going to have some time, if you choose director there is going to be a learning curve. You basically will have to learn a new scripting language.

I dont know where ya from, but I bet there is a class that will teach director + lingo in a few days. I took one it was like $600 for a four day 6 hour a day class. taught me everything i needed.

[isoliner]

If you have enough spare cash lying around, take a look at Virtools.