A strong feature of Studio, is that the models are rendered in real-time. This chapter contains instructions for making 3D models, specifically for Studio. We assume that you are experienced with such software. However, we had to define some Esko extensions to the format to make it practical for the printing and packaging industry (more about this later).ģ Step 1: The modeling Geometry To make your own shapes for Studio, you will probably model the object first in a 3D application (like 3DS Max, Maya, Cinema 4D or Strata CX). For Studio, Collada was a perfect candidate. Game engines, such as Unreal engine, have also adopted this format, so has Google for its 3D warehouse and GoogleEarth.
COLLADA.dae files can be used in Adobe Photoshop software since version CS3. Many applications support Collada, including Maya (using ColladaMaya) 3ds Max (using ColladaMax) LightWave 3D (version 9.5) Cinema 4D (MAXON) Softimage XSI Side Effect's Houdini MeshLab SketchUp, Blender, Modo and Strata 3D. Collada is intended as an intermediate format for transporting data from one digital 3D content creation tool to another. Collada is an open and public file format, originally developed by Sony but now controlled by a non-profit consortium. Prepare a template for the artwork designers About Collada For the custom 3D shapes, we have chosen for the Collada file format.
Pack the collada file into a collada archive 5.
Identify the printable part in the XML code 4. Make sure the model includes the printable parts with proper UV-mapping Make sure the other parts have a material definition that is compatible with Studio 2. Make sure the model is suitable for real-time rendering. Prepare your custom shape in your favorite 3D modeling software.
The rest of the document will describe more details about these tasks. You also need a basic understanding of XML and you need to understand the basic concepts of Esko Studio.Ģ Workflow To prepare a custom shape for Studio, you need to run over the following tasks. These CAD applications have limited or no UV-mapping (Texture Coordinate) editing features. You really need such a 3D design application, even if you already have 3D data from a CAD application (like SolidWorks, Catia, Iges, AutoCAD.). This document assumes that you have experience with a 3D design application like Maya, Modo, Cinema4D or 3DS Max. But if you plan to use this shape repeatedly in Studio or WebCenter for different artwork variations, then it can be time well spent. It is a technical and possibly labour-intensive process. But making a custom shape (one that is not possible to create with the Toolkits and not available on the Shapes store) is not easy.
Pre-requisites Making shapes with ArtiosCAD or the purpose-made Studio Toolkits is an easy and a pleasant experience. The Collada items on the Shapes store are prepared according to the guidelines in this document. Collada is also the format of most of the items offered on Shapes, the online store of packaging resources. But such a structural design file needs to be properly prepared. Thanks to this capability just about any packaging shape can be visualized. Lastly, you can model your own packaging shapes in other 3D software, use them in Studio or WebCenter as structural design files and apply print to them. Other types of popular packaging shapes can also be downloaded from the online Shapes store. That is the easiest and preferred approach for any folded structure (boxes, displays), standard flexible packaging (pillow bags, stand-up pouch, sachets) and rigid containers with labels or shrink sleeves. These structural design files can be made in ArtiosCAD or the Studio Toolkits. The same structural design files can also be used in other Esko 3D solutions, such as the 3D viewer in WebCenter. These solutions require you to first prepare a Structural Design file (either.ard or.zae), which describes the shape that you will apply artwork to.
1 August 2020 Preparing Custom Shapes for Esko Studio Introduction This document document describes how to prepare 3D Collada files that can be used in Esko Studio.