For all the convenience of shopping online, customers often miss the visual and tactile experience of brick-and-mortar browsing. They can’t experience the true dimensions of, say, a wooden dining table or a pair of over-ear headphones through the screen. Without this information, it can be challenging to make a purchase decision. For ecommerce businesses, traditional photography can be limiting and expensive, especially with customizable items or a large inventory.
3D product rendering offers a practical solution. A furniture retailer could use this technology to display that dining table, allowing customers to see it from all angles. An electronics retailer could use 3D product renderings to showcase extreme closeups of the pair of headphones.
Learn about the process of 3D product rendering, each step of the process, and how this technology is changing the way businesses present their products online.
What is 3D product rendering?
3D product rendering is the process of using specialized software to create realistic images of a product. After generating a 3D model of the product, 3D artists apply textures, lighting, and other visual effects to simulate the product’s real-world appearance.
The final result is a lifelike, high-quality rendering that accurately showcases the product’s features, colors, and overall design. These renderings are suitable for ecommerce websites, ecommerce apps, and digital catalogs.
Stages of 3D product rendering
3D product rendering transforms digital 3D models into photorealistic images. The process includes the following steps:
1. Modeling
Creating a product rendering starts with constructing a 3D model of a product. This requires gathering detailed information about the item—dimensions, materials, and design specifications. For a sporty sneaker, a designer would need the exact dimensions, details about the materials used for the fabric, laces, and cushioning, and design elements like colors, markings, and logo placement.
To do this, artists use 3D modeling software programs like Autodesk Maya, Blender, and SolidWorks. They use techniques like polygonal modeling (creating the surfaces of 3D objects from interconnected 2D shapes) or NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines, which use mathematical modeling to create 3D shapes). They then further refine the model, adding details to ensure that it matches the actual product’s exact measurements.
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 illuminates the 3D scene within the rendering software to improve the product’s appearance. Artists typically use a lighting setup that adds depth and highlights the product’s key features. They may also use environmental lighting effects, which can simulate real-world conditions—such as outdoor light.
For rendering furniture sets, an artist might use a bright directional light to simulate sunlight for an outdoor patio or softer area lights to mimic the illumination of a living room.
4. Camera setup
To capture the best views of the product, artists position virtual cameras within the 3D software. The software lets them adjust parameters like focal length, depth of field, and composition to create visually appealing shots.
Artists use multiple virtual camera angles to showcase different aspects of a product, allowing for a variety of renders from a single 3D setup. For example, to render an image of a smartphone, artists might set up wide-angle virtual cameras to capture the entire device in context, as well as macro virtual cameras for extreme close-ups of the camera lens.
5. Rendering
Rendering transforms a 3D scene into a 2D computer-generated image through complex calculations of light interactions, material properties, and geometry. The rendering engine processes all this information to produce a high-quality, photorealistic image.
This computationally intensive process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the complexity of the scene (number of objects, intricate textures, more advanced lighting effects) and the output quality and file format.
6. Post-production
Post-production refines the rendered image to achieve the right final image. This process includes color correction, contrast adjustments, and the addition of subtle effects. At this stage, artists can also combine the rendered product with real photographic backgrounds or add text and graphics for promotional materials.
When finalizing a render of a metallic watch, for example, an artist might enhance the reflections on the watch face, adjust the highlights on the metal band to make it appear more luxurious, or even digitally remove minor imperfections present in the original 3D model.
How to use 3D product renders in ecommerce
From conceptualizing new products to selling existing ones, 3D rendering technology is useful in various fields:
Prototyping
Businesses use 3D rendering to visualize and refine product concepts before physical production. This process, known as industry design prototyping, transforms technical drawings into detailed digital models, allowing designers to explore various iterations and materials.
When it comes to prototyping, computer-generated imagery saves time and resources compared to traditional methods like clay modeling or using computer-operated cutting tools. Once you’ve created a photorealistic rendering of your design, you can evaluate it and identify areas of improvement early in the development process.
If your company sells kitchenware, for instance, you could create a 3D rendering of a new coffee maker design to compare different finishes like matte, brushed, and chrome.
Ecommerce product visualization
Ecommerce shops use 3D product rendering to create photorealistic images for their online stores without needing a physical photography studio. This technique lets businesses showcase products from multiple angles and in various colors, boosting buyer confidence and potentially increasing sales.
3D renders provide consistent, high-quality visuals that you can easily update, offering flexibility for seasonal changes or product modifications. Some businesses even integrate these 3D models into augmented reality experiences, allowing customers to visualize products in their own space.
For example, if you’re a furniture retailer, you could use 3D renders to display a sofa in different fabric options. Going even further, you could increase customer engagement by making the renderings available in augmented reality, allowing customers to place a virtual version of the sofa in their living rooms. You could also use the renderings in your marketing materials.
Advertising campaigns
With 3D product renders, advertisers can create stunning marketing images for commercials and social media posts without ever touching a camera. For example, a sportswear brand could use a 3D render of their new sneakers, showing that it’s flexible enough to handle different environments, from snow to sand.
3D product rendering FAQ
How much does a 3D product render cost?
The cost of a 3D product render can vary widely, ranging from $100 to $1,000 per image, depending on complexity, quality, and the artist’s experience.
How do you make a 3D product render?
To make a 3D product render, use rendering software to create a digital 3D model, apply textures and materials, and set up lighting and cameras to generate a photorealistic image.
What is required for 3D rendering?
3D rendering requires specialized software, a capable computer with a good graphics card, technical skills in 3D modeling and rendering, and an understanding of lighting, materials, and composition.
