We had the opportunity to discuss with the projects members behind the LS CAR.
Benoit BOURGARDEZ, Computer Graphics Manager at LS GROUP, talks to us about the "LS CAR", an in-house project designed to showcase LS GROUP's expertise in creating very high quality visuals and 3D experiences.
In this series of interviews, we'll delve into the details of the LS CAR project, including the inspirations behind the idea, the challenges faced during development and the team's future goals. We'll also get an insight into the design and manufacturing process.
LS CAR: the project genesis
Why did you choose a vehicle?
Benoît: The automotive sector is very buoyant in terms of communication and technology. We frequently use the term configurator* with our customers. So we wanted an example that would speak for itself, as our founder is a former PSA employee. The automotive world is very well known at LS GROUP. Our aim is to demonstrate our technical know-how through high-quality products.
"We can achieve the same rendering on a furniture, an aircraft or a HiFi product…"
At LS GROUP, we create 3D content, but we are not designers. That's why we've teamed up with a partner company, Technicon design. We asked them to model and design for us a vehicle in the LS GROUP image. That's really how the idea of having an LS GROUP branded product came about.
LS CAR, showcasing LS GROUP's expertise
The LS CAR will allow us to :
Produce unlimited images, videos, configurators and more.
Have royalty-free communication to enhance our presentations, websites and communications of all kinds.
To showcase LS GROUP's expertise in terms of 3D rendering and the development of applications requiring specific functionalities.
To highlight our ability to provide what we call user experience, the creation of UI as part of the production of a configurator.
How did you manage the project?
Benoît: Modelling an entire vehicle in CAD* is very expensive. We were lucky to have the opportunity to work with Technicon Design, who already had some designs to offer us. We started from a base that was already known and designated by them. This helped to reduce costs a little because they didn't get involved in the idealisation phase, the design phase and so on. On the other hand, we were able to follow the development of the design and intervene from time to time in certain phases, challenging them on design proposals that we wanted to see on the vehicle: certain shapes, the headlights on the rear lights, the dashboard...
LS CAR or the desire to own high-quality 3D data
We wanted something uncluttered but with detail so that you could tell it was a data constructor*. The aim was to have good quality data and a design that stood up to the test.
In our opinion, CAD data is the source of a successful project. This CAD will be used in our data preparation processes, which will enable us to create models that are more optimised for mobile or WebGL platforms, which require very light data. If the 3D content is not as good as the visuals, the final rendering will not be of high quality. So we needed detailed 3D data to get closer to 'manufacturer' data.
What software did you use for this 3D car configurator?
First of all, we used PIXYZ* to transform the CAD data into Mesh* data so that we could use it in our 3D rendering software. We then worked on 3ds Max* and a GPU* rendering engine, Fstorm, to produce interior and exterior visuals and videos of the LS CAR.
What were the most challenging aspects of this project?
The challenge was to obtain high-quality 3D data that was as good as the 'manufacturer's' data. We challenged Technicon design on the quality of the 3D data, so that it was representative of what we use at LS GROUP.
The production of 3D content is often perceived as accessible and simple. However, it requires a great deal of expertise, creativity and a good understanding of the customer's needs. For those who are not familiar with 3D, everything is simple, but understanding the different stages of high-quality creation can help to understand the constraints of the field. This article can highlight the difficulties encountered in making the right choices when it comes to technologies, because this requires a great deal of experience and skill.
LS STUDIO can help you enhace your products.
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