Ways to save time and money with 3D content
Extended reality (XR) used to be discussed in the same hushed, reverent tones reserved for futuristic technologies. In the same way people used to talk about flying cars or robot housekeepers, they’d talk about merging the physical and virtual worlds.
In many organizations we work with today, the paradigm has shifted. XR is becoming real, one use case at a time. It used to be a single champion who faced an uphill battle, clamoring to be heard. This person generally struggled to make the case for using XR to solve real business challenges, generally because many people weren’t familiar with it. Today, we instead live in a world where multiple business units and functions are bringing the power of 3D content and XR into their ways of working.
Addressing challenges from the get-go
While XR opens a world of exciting possibilities, real challenges exist. And these challenges, if not addressed proactively, can keep companies from scaling beyond a business-unit pilot to satisfy multiple stakeholders with different use cases.
One major scaling challenge is deciding how investments in 3D content will be shared across mobile commerce, web commerce, mixed-reality training, virtual-reality training, customer support, customer training and more. Each of these immersive experiences should benefit from the investments made in the experiences that came before it. But, each has different constraints to delivering this content within the use case and via the optimal device. Managing or extending the flow of 3D content is still new to most companies. If teams can learn to create modular libraries and systems for 3D, they’ll save their organization time and money while maximizing reuse.
Maximize recurring value for 3D content investments
As interest in exploring and using immersive experiences increases, enterprises want to maximize recurring value from their investments in 3D content. We hear some version of this question often: “I need to use innumerable versions of 3D assets for imagery, web content and in AR/VR tools of all sorts. What do I do?”
Accenture works in the 3D space across industries and services. As more business leaders try to sort through the 3D and XR maze, we thought it might be helpful to pose some considerations and key questions to ask to help determine next best steps.
Do you have a single source of truth for 3D models?
As part of our work with clients across Accenture, we’ve found that teams are dropping 3D models into dispersed locations. Rarely are they in just one place — and even when they are, they have no idea how to preview or sort them in an efficient, meaningful way. Having that ability, accessible to anyone in the organization, provides a reliable source of reference at all times. Why is that important? Because it minimizes the time required to sort, locate, collaborate and utilize a 3D asset. It also maximizes use, reuse, output options and creative collaboration.
Do you create unique assets for each new experience or do you look to repurpose?
Too many times, we see designers or departments recreate old assets (or versions of them), whether it be for quick demo purposes or full interactive experiences. With the right approach to 3D content management, teams can access and reuse the source 3D model to avoid rework — optimizing their return on the 3D asset. For example, a sneaker manufacturer might want to simply switch out available colors and materials for its 3D content, based on the season, country or an exclusive launch.
Do you know where to find assets within your organization to leverage across all your use cases?
It’s great to provide the power for designers, creators and developers to manage and create freely and in a modular way. But business teams might want to visualize and employ 3D assets for new marketing, sales and learning applications. Being able to extract that information from a central 3D-enabled location is key to speed and agility.
Do you have a framework or workflow for collaboration and review of content?
The process for review between designers, quality assurance (QA) and final internal customers can be challenging. We’ve seen teams waste hours of effort via email chains or meetings just to gain alignment and approval. Using an accessible 3D viewer, teams can comment on top of a 3D model view, tag others, and approve assets as a collaborative workflow — saving themselves and the company a lot of time and money.
We’ve just touched on the tip of the 3D content iceberg in this blog but we love to have conversations about the topic. 3D is one of our passions. We have evaluated over thirty “3D CMS” providers and can help guide you toward the right solution for your needs now and in the future.
Feel free to reach out to Nathan King and Luciana Jaalouk, members of the Accenture XR practice, if you’d like to learn more.
