Why CGI is a game-changer for large retail products
Solving large business challenges with a small change.
Imagine for a moment that you run a company that makes large-ish furniture or white goods. We’re talking bed frames, wardrobes, fridges, air-conditioning units, medical equipment – items that you need two or more people to carry.
Now imagine you could showcase one of these items, in all its detail, from any angle, in multiple lifestyle settings, or even in a virtual tour…
…without needing to carry it anywhere.
Today we’re all about how CGI is changing the game for retailers with large-scale products.
What is CGI (casually known as 3D) product imagery?
3D product imagery is the creation of photo-real digital versions of products using computer-generated techniques. The process opens up a world of possibilities.
CGI and big things
Computer-generated technology is revolutionising the way retailers approach selling large-scale products, for reasons that include:
Best face on your wares
Once you create a single 3D render, you own a perfect, photoreal, 360-degree digital version of your product. You can apply any colour or texture (which is great for identical items that come in different styles). You can bring it into a virtual studio, light it, and capture it from any angle, from any distance.
In other words – however you want to see your product showcased online or in print material, you can make it happen with CGI.
Goodbye logistical nightmares
Any big-product brand will tell you that studio shoots are a logistical pain in the backside. Not only do you need to courier or ship your product to that studio (which is even more taxing for products that can’t be disassembled), but you then have to compete with time constraints, production budgets, people wrangling, and gear troubleshooting. Not to mention reshoots.
A virtual studio alleviates those headaches, offering a powerful, predictable, and feature-packed solution to capturing your product in all its glory.
Your product, made interactive
A single static image (or even a slideshow of static images) taken using traditional photography rarely do large-scale products justice. Nowadays, customers expect a certain level of immersion, including the ability to zoom into key features, rotate around an object, or even experiment with selecting bespoke colours and textures.
CGI allows you to do all of that, and more. You can even create exploded views, allowing consumers to get right inside your product, which is great for things like fridges or sofa beds.
The Greatest Showroom
What you can do with a standalone CGI product image is one thing, what you can create AROUND it is another altogether.
You can put it behind any background, or drop it into any lifestyle environment. This is particularly awesome for furniture manufacturers – as they can create visually stunning virtual showrooms featuring their products.
Want to show how your couch will look in a small family room and in a large, open-plan living room? You can do both. CGI allows you to create photoreal environments that look almost too good to be true.
The Insite difference
Our 3D product imagery is created by real photographers with over two decades of craft experience. To find out how we do big things with your large-scale products, contact an Insite expert today.