3D Virtual Assets
3D modeling of assets for Extended Reality (XR): from industrial equipment, civil construction and engineering to playful elements, applying levels of detail (LODs) to optimize use on multiplatforms.
3D Modeling for Engineering
We develop 3D models for engineering, with a focus on electrical and civil engineering. Our models are created by strictly following the manufacturers' datasheets, resulting in virtual replicas that are true to the real equipment. These models are ideal for a wide range of applications, including Digital Twins, supervisory systems, training, simulations, and other routine tasks in 3D virtual environments. Currently, our models are designed for use in Virtual Reality, both on PCs and HMDs (head-mounted displays), ensuring an immersive and precise experience for users.
Detailing
Our team focuses on developing models with a high level of detail. Each model is enriched with meticulously modeled elements such as screws, cables, connectors and trusses, ensuring that all real-world components are faithfully represented. This detail is not just a matter of aesthetics, but a key part of providing accurate virtual assets for training, education, design reviews, and critical decision-making discussions. The ability to explore every detail in models in a 3D environment facilitates deep understanding and detailed analysis, essential for effective teaching, learning and project execution.
Level of Detail
Level of Detail (LOD) is an essential technique in extended reality systems (VR, AR, MR) that dynamically adjusts the complexity of a 3D model based on factors such as distance from the observer and hardware performance. This practice aims to balance visual quality and system efficiency, using less complex models when minute details are not necessary, saving computational resources and improving the fluidity of the experience. In 3D engineering (CAD) models, LOD is especially beneficial as it allows detailed and accurate visualization of technical components without overloading the system. By implementing multiple levels of detail, LOD improves performance, scalability, and consistent visual quality across devices, from high-performance PCs to mobile devices and HMDs, expanding the accessibility and effectiveness of models across a variety of platforms.
When the viewer is less than 10 meters away, the 3D model displays 100% of its complexity, revealing all the minute details such as screws, cables, connectors and trusses. This proximity allows for a detailed and realistic inspection of components, essential for tasks that require precision, such as technical training, design reviews and advanced simulations.
When the observer is at a distance of between 10 and 20 meters, the 3D model is displayed at 50% of its complexity. At this level of detail, essential elements such as the main structure and larger components are visible, while finer details such as small screws and cables are simplified or omitted.
When the observer is more than 20 meters away, the 3D model is displayed with only 15% of its complexity. At this reduced level of detail, only the basic shape and main contours of the object are visible, omitting most fine details and smaller components. This extreme simplification is effective in optimizing system performance, enabling smooth and fast visualization even in complex environments.
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Simplified 3D Model
In the development of simplified 3D models, tools like 3Ds Max and Blender are crucial for efficiently representing real assets. This modeling approach focuses on the "shell" of the objects, emphasizing the most visible visual aspects while omitting smaller details such as screws and internal components. Such simplification is strategically used to maintain visual quality where it matters most, while reducing computational load. This type of modeling is ideal for applications requiring a broad view of the virtual environment, such as interactive games and simulation environments, where graphic performance and fluidity are crucial. In games and videos, this technique allows large environments to be rendered quickly, maintaining visual immersion without compromising the system's response speed. Thus, simplified 3D modeling is a powerful tool for creating engaging and visually appealing experiences in contexts where an overall view of the environment is more valuable than meticulous detail accuracy.
1. The simplified models are specially developed to optimize performance in Extended Reality systems (VR, AR and MR), applying low-poly modeling techniques. This approach uses meshes with fewer polygons, which reduces graphics load and improves processing efficiency. By minimizing the number of vertices and faces, low-poly models enable faster rendering, which is crucial for maintaining fluidity and responsiveness in immersive extended reality experiences, ensuring users have a smooth experience even in complex scenes .
2. To further improve efficiency, models are predominantly detailed in materials and colors that reflect the visual properties of objects in the real world, rather than relying on complex textures. This strategy significantly reduces RAM usage and storage required, allowing models to run on low-power computers. By simplifying visual details through the intelligent use of basic colors and materials, the models maintain an attractive appearance without overloading the system, making them ideal for applications in virtual environments where hardware resources may be limited.
3. As for dimensions, simplified models do not aim for the millimeter precision typical of CAD models. Instead, these models are created to be visually and dimensionally close to real objects. This approximation is sufficient for most extended reality visualization applications, where the accurate representation of every detail is not as critical as in engineering or construction applications. This approach allows for greater flexibility and speed in the development of virtual environments, facilitating the creation of broad scenarios without the need for extreme detail.
