Are you wondering if there a possible way you can visualize your idea without making a physical product? Product rendering is a process in which computer software is used to create realistic images or animations of products before they are manufactured. It is a valuable tool for product designers, inventors, and marketers to visualize, communicate, and showcase their products to potential customers and investors, without having the need to make any physical prototype.
Product Rendering OR Concept Sketches?
Product concept illustrations are visual representations of product ideas that are used to communicate geometry and functionality of a product. These illustrations are usually in the form of digital drawings or basic hand sketches.
Whereas, product rendering is the process of creating a highly detailed and realistic visual representation of a product using computer software. It involves the use of 3D modeling software to create a digital model of the product, and then applying textures, materials, lighting, and other visual elements to create a photo-realistic image or animation of the product.
The primary purpose of product rendering is to create a visual representation of a product that accurately showcases its design, features, and functionality in a way that is visually appealing and easy to understand.
Concept Sketches are the first step in your product development journey, whereas, rendering are helpful when you want to engage and educate the audience about your product.
Concept Sketches are useful if you want to:
1. Document an initial idea
2. Communicate your concept
3. Establish the overall shape of your product
Visualization renderings is useful if you want to:
- unveil your concept to potential audience
- check how your product will look in real world
- pitch to investors and initial marketing
Rendering & Prototype Manufacturing
A prototype is an early or preliminary version of a product or system that is built to test and validate its design and functionality. They do not establish the final outlook or appearance of the product. 3D product renderings focus on the user experience and aesthetics, while prototypes test the working of product.
Product rendering is a cost-effective and efficient way to test product design and gather feedback early in the process, while prototype manufacturing is a more hands-on approach to testing product functionality and validating the design before production.
While both techniques are useful in the product development process, they serve different purposes and are used at different stages of development.
It is also possible to use both in parallel during the product development process. In fact, the two methods can complement each other and help to accelerate the product development process. Once the product design has been validated through product rendering, a physical prototype can be created using materials that will be used in the final product.
If you have an invention idea but no money you can also read this Brief Guide to help you get started.
3D Visualization for Marketing
3D Product rendering can be very helpful in early market testing. Early market testing is a process of gathering feedback on a new product from potential customers before it is launched in the market.
Product rendering can also be used for early market testing, allowing businesses to gauge customer interest in a new product before it is manufactured. By creating images and videos of the product, businesses can share them with potential customers and collect feedback on the product’s design, features, and overall appeal. This step is helpful in refining the product design and increase its chances of success in the marketplace.
Product rendering can be useful for marketing due to following reasons:
- Cost Savings: Product rendering can be more cost-effective than traditional product photography or videography.
- Versatility: Product rendering allows businesses to create images and videos of their products in a variety of different contexts and environments.
- Customization: With product rendering, inventors and product developers can create customized images and videos of their products tailored to their target audience. This can help to highlight specific features or benefits of most relevance to their potential customers and investors.
Product Rendering for Crowdfunding
Many people are drawn to crowdfunding campaigns because they believe in the cause or project being supported. They feel passionate about the idea of a product and want to help bring it to life. For this very reason when you are planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign, your ability to communicate the feel of your product is critical to help you raise sufficient funds.
The more work you put in accurately representing your idea through realistic renderings, the greater leverage you have. Your target audience can clearly see how your product will look like in real world, what purpose it will serve and how it will feel to own one.
Realistic renderings help you represent the actual product materials and detailed geometry of your 3d model. This establishes trust in the people and show them you have made progress; you are passionate about your idea and you are going to make it happen. Realistic renderings establish a sense of desire and trust in your backers as well.
You can also launch your crowd funding campaigns with the help of concept sketches but they do not represent your product in a way we are accustomed to see in real world.
Product Rendering Softwares
Generating product visuals with the help of computer graphics is known as rendering. There are multiple softwares available in market, both free and paid, which can be used to create realistic visuals of product. Each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses. The choice of tool depends on factors such as the complexity of the product model, the level of detail required in the rendering, and the user’s level of expertise.
Below are some most suitable softwares for product rendering.
| Software | Pricing | Difficulty Level |
| Blender | Free | Beginner Friendly |
| Keyshot | $99/month | Beginner Friendly |
| Maya | $225/month | Professional |
| 3Ds Max | $225/month | Professional |
| Cinema 4D | 14 day free- $999/year | Professional |
3D Modeling and CAD data is an essential prerequisite to create realistic 3d product visuals. Rendering softwares use live linking plugins with native CAD softwares to directly import the 3d model for processing.
These are some useful capabilities of above mentioned softwares:
- Realistic Material Appearance : These rendering softwares are equipped with material library and enable user to directly drag and drop a material to their model.
- Rendering Background: You can customize the background of your product and can visualize it in various environment settings.
- Realistic Animation: Animation modules in 3d rendering softwares can be useful to depict functionality of product and detail of assembly.
Rendering softwares usually require high graphic processing power of your computer. It is important to note that Nvidia graphic cards are more suitable for rendering purpose.
Product Design Services
Product design services are readily available on various freelancing platforms like Fiverr. Remember not to get attracted with rendered display images in artist Portfolio. Following are the most important questions to ask a product renderer before making any kind of contract:
- Pricing Criteria: Are they charging on hourly basis or on basis of each render produced?
- Mode of Delivery: Will you get the source file or just the output visuals?
- Revisions: You may need to experiment with various color or environment factors. Always clarify about the number of revisions that you will get in the contract.
Product Design services usually require 3d product models. This model should be optimized for rendering. Pricing of these services vary depending on the level of realism needed in visualization. Remember! Established businesses often use rendering services instead of photography to display their product on e commerce stores. As an inventor you definitely do not need that kind of realism but you should get more revisions in the deal while making a contract.
Here is the Detailed list of more 3d rendering softwares.
Conclusion
Product rendering is an important tool for product designers, inventors, and marketers to create realistic visual representations of their products before manufacturing. It provides benefits like cost savings, customization, and the ability to showcase a product’s design and functionality in a visually appealing way. Product rendering works alongside prototypes to accelerate the product development process and establish trust in crowdfunding campaigns. Choosing the right rendering software depends on factors like complexity and user expertise, and can be linked with 3D modeling and CAD data. Ultimately, product rendering is an invaluable tool for inventors and developers to bring their ideas to life, and successfully market them to potential customers and investors.
