What is 3D Product Animation?

Mechanical 3D animation has come a long way in the recent years and is now considered faster and more affordable to use when it comes to depicting product imagery accurately. As a result, this technique is now finding widespread adoption as compared to archaic methods such as building scale models, which take time, are costlier, and use the more raw material.
Today, many industries such as mechanical, aerospace, automobile, healthcare, and even the food industry are looking at 3D product design and mechanical product animation as a means to prototype faster, get to market quicker, and in certain cases, promote their brand or product amongst investors in a better fashion.
what exactly comprises a mechanical 3D animation?
Ideally, a mechanical animation consists of the following in some capacity or another –

• Realistic texturing and lighting of the product
• Studio, single-color, or transparent background
• 360° camera movements, blown-up mechanical parts, assembly, disassembly, and cutaways
• Animated charts and graphs showing relevant information during strategic points throughout the animation video
• Video rendered in HD quality
• Sound effects and music

From perfectly polished surfaces to realistic shadows and lighting, surface grain, photorealistic smoke effects, motion blur, etc., a well-produced mechanical 3D product animation could look like million dollar Hollywood production.
Top 6 Benefits of Mechanical 3D Product Animation
Since the majority of the work depends on the creativity of the person developing an animation, 3D product animation has virtually no limits, if given access to the correct funds, and the right software such as SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, HyperMesh, Unigraphics, etc. Let us have a look at some of the key advantages of mechanical 3D animation –

1. Perfect for Prototyping

When a new product is about to be launched in the market, a greater part of the cost goes into creating a suitable prototype. By using 3D product modeling animation, prototyping can be done in a virtual environment, checking for accurate kinematics, geometry, and whether the product meets the required specifications and industry guidelines or not. 3D product animation can also help to identify and remove repetitive and time-consuming stages of the design process, therefore, simplifying production.

2. Identifies Glitches and Problems

Another major advantage of 3D mechanical animation is the amount of freedom it offers to the creators and viewers to identify and finally nullify technical glitches, drawing & engineering failures, and design flaws which could prove costly in the future. Since a comprehensive 360o view is offered as standard, it becomes much easier to study the technical features, the mechanisms, and the overall functional operation of the product, and then pass judgment on its workings.

3. Great Marketing Medium

The beauty of 3D product animation lies in the fact that any mundane, ordinary product can be depicted in an exciting and intense fashion. Just have a look at Gillette, and how it uses 3D product animation to make an everyday thing such as a razor look exciting and ultra-sleek; while at the same time allowing people to visualize the product’s benefits. Adding to the fact that the creator has far greater control over which aspects of the product he wants to showcase, the benefit of 3D animation becomes apparent in such a case.

4. Grabs Attention of Investors

Difficult to explain concepts are always best explained visually, as there is no stronger medium to depict a product, and its inner machinations while keeping the video educational and interesting. Even the most confusing of themes can be easily summed up in a 3D animated clip, which can easily be compared as the visual compatriot to a “sound-bite”. Short, but interesting. As a result, 3D mechanical product animation has become a medium of choice when it comes to showcasing the key points of a product in front of investors and future customers alike.

5. Emphasizes Glamour and Style

As the days go by, mechanical 3D animation videos are becoming much more stylish and quite similar to the 3D animation created by its Hollywood counterparts. From generating a feel of enthusiasm and mystery to creating an allure of a high-end device, mechanical 3D product animation is now being used everywhere from advertisements to YouTube videos. Together with glossy production values and shooting styles, these animation videos can help you position any merchandise as well as the brand it is linked to in the desired market.

6. Saves Money

Finally, one of the strongest 3D mechanical animation benefits lies in its cost-effectiveness. Not only does it help to simulate the product design and concept in the virtual world, but also helps to minimize costs by eliminating the requirement for rework, as all changes can be made by changing the prototype model within the video itself.