Idea for Startup Factory Report (Context 3)

In the field of 3D visualisation, specifically for architecture, product design and engineering, I feel there is a gap in the market for an application to be used on touch-screen devices (such as the Apple iPad and other tablets), where 3D models and environments can be viewed interactively.

Usually when presenting a visualisation project to a client, particularly in the field of architectural visualisation, rendered stills and animated walkthroughs are frequently used as the main visual stimulation. These methods of presentation are quite linear in their approach, where the viewer is not in control of what they see. Whereas using an interactive application for similar purposes could allow the user to rotate models and explore an environment or interior space themselves.

I have researched this type of service and its current availability within the areas of 3D design and architectural visualisation, and have only found one or two uses of a similar product. A quite large visualisation company that I have looked at before - ‘iCreate3d’ - offer a very similar service on their website described as ‘interactive touch-screen master plans’ using their own mini application called ‘iViewer 3D’. This application, as it were, is mainly a piece of software used on large touch-screen displays for presentations, and is also online based on www.iviewer3d.com. They say it can also be used on iPad for similar uses but I have not managed to find an app on the Apple’s App Store available to the public or other businesses.

iCreate 3D's 'iViewer 3D' service in use on a large touch-screen device

This is where I realised there could still be a gap in the market for my idea – an application available to all businesses, for an appropriate price, to be used as an effective method of showing 3D visualisations to clients in meetings and presentations, perhaps with either separate tablet devices or larger means such as a touch-screen smart television.

The application itself could be used by uploading generic 3D file types such as .OBJ or .FBX etc., or even files from specific software such as 3ds Max (.MAX) or Maya (.MA/.MB). The application could then show your model and environment in its plain form to look at, and also include a real-time rendering engine to view textured or partly textured version of the work.


Here are a couple of very simple and quick Photoshop mockups of Arch-vis shown on an iPad screen, to give an idea of how it could look and be presented: