Lionsorbet uses a number of techniques to create digital representations of a company's products for display on websites, literature, display screens, and marketing material.
Unlike Jewellery photography which requires a physical sample set up in a studio to photograph directly, we use skills in 3d modelling, rendering, and animation to create a virtual, digital photograph or a movie, often referred to as an animation, of a companies products for use in marketing material.
Photography Studio Set up next to a 3D Digital Studio for rendering Jewellery
A photography studio and a digital studio share common attributes such as a Camera, Lighting and Background. Fine adjustments such as Exposure, Lens type, Depth of field and many others can be edited directly in the 3D Rendering software.
3D CAD modelling
A virtual, digital representation of a jewellery item, such as a ring or pendant, is built in a software program from references to the original product. This Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) represents the original product in size, dimensions, physical attributes, and style. It is important to accurately re-create the product (in this case Jewelry products such as Rings, Earrings, and Pendants). In most cases, 3D cad models are provided to us to allow us to create digital images and videos of these products.
We've outlined some of the steps required to produce 3d renders of diamond jewellery in our post below.
Live 3D CAD Example of a 1.5ct Diamond Engagement Ring
3D Rendering
Once a CAD model is produced we can import this 3D model into our digital rendering studios specifically set up for jewellery. Think of these as a simulation of an actual photographic studio, with lights, cameras, and flooring. We then apply physically based materials to these CAD models such as Diamonds, Gemstones, and Precious metals to the correct parts of the model ready for rendering.
Once a few test renderings have been produced and approved we can then set the software programs we use to produce production-quality images of the products in a range of positions and styles e.g. different combinations of metals and gemstones.
Image illustrating a typical Sketch > 3D CAD > 3D Rendering Process.
Example rendering of a Diamond Ring in two views with varying metal colours.
Post Production
Once a set of images have been produced by our render software, we use a number of digital techniques to further enhance the images. These might include colour balancing, editing of parts of the model to make it look more appealing to the eye or add alternate background colours for delivery.
Using 3D renders on photographic backgrounds
Animation/Video
Much like 3D rendering, we use the exact same process but with the addition of moving cameras to produce a series of images that can be edited together to produce high-quality video files.
Software used for 3D rendering and Animation for Jewellery
Rhino 3D: CAD Modelling
3D Studio Max: 3D Cad Modelling / Production rendering / Animation
Cinema 4D: 3D Cad Modelling / Production rendering / Animation
Adobe Photoshop: Post Production
Adobe After Effects: Post Production
Items Typically Delivered for 3D Jewellery rendering projects:
3D CAD models (3dm, stl, iges),
Production renderings (jpg, png),
Video files (Mp4)
Items Generally not delivered unless specifically agreed:
Production scenes,
digital studios,
materials applied to products,
animation scenes
post-production files used to create the final output.
Thoughts on Cost
3D rendering requires the use of very specialist software, outlined above, along with powerful computers to produce the final images or animations, this is called rendering. You also need something called render nodes installed on other machines that you wish to decrease your render time or increase production and you have to factor in electricity usage for the machines producing your renderings.
Once you have these you also need a person or team of people that are trained in both 3D CAD modelling and Production rendering. When you add these costs up it can be quite a daunting prospect and this allows us to determine the value of each rendering or video produced.
When buying from companies in the UK and the USA you will find they are generally working will fully licensed software, state-of-the-art computing equipment, and staff that are paid well for the skills they have. Many companies in other parts of the world can offer rendering at a value that wouldn’t even cover the cost of the software and hardware required to produce them. So do your research well and ensure you are not buying into illegal practice and software theft or underpaid and undervalued staff.
