Application of interactive 3D technology in the field of marketing and communication.

Many 3D artists and studio’s only use render engines that are not capable of doing real time rendering. This means that the time required to render a frame (for animation) takes more than 1/25 seconds. In many cases it even takes seconds or even minutes to render only one single frame, even with current CPU power.

However, both CPU and GPU power have increased significantly the last years, and with video cards like the GTX 295 there’s a lot of graphical power available. This is why our studio is shifting more and more towards real time 3D rendering. In my opinion real time 3D rendering is the future: get wat you want - instantly.

Of course it’s a complete different game to play, with different know-how, side effects and new challenges but obviously worth investing in.

At this moment we’re proving that real time 3D can now quality wise compete with “pre-rendered” 3D animation. Our R&D promises a lot for the future, and we’re already doing a lot of real time 3D projects since a couple of years and it’s getting more intensive each day.

The most important advantages of real time 3D might be:
- Enabling of interactive components
- On the fly change of settings or content
- No preview necessary
- Probably very efficient and quality improving for autostereoscopic projects

Today I decided it’s time to start some blog series about my vision that “3D is the Future”. I want to dedicate this article to persons and organizations that have big influence on todays and tomorrows world and that share my vision as stated above. B.t.w. it’s all in random order.

Bill Gates
Microsofts founder Bill Gates sees the future in 3D and is talking about this since years now. Microsoft is involved in 3D in different ways, from 3D interaction projects to the Virtual Earth web application, which will have more and more 3D in the near future.

Hollywood
When saying “Hollywood”, I refer to a number of companies and organizations, such as Dreamworkd, Walt Disney, Steven Spielberg etc. All are investing heavily in 3D, there have been some rumours that the prediction is, that by 2015 almost all movies will be produced in 3D. Furthermore, as many as 15.000 3D cinema’s are expected tot popup the next 5 years.

Google
It’s very clear that Google believes in 3D. Formerly their mission was to make all “information” on the web findable. Now it looks like their new ambition might be to make a virtual 3D version of the complete planet. More and more 3D is inserted in their Google Earth application, and complete virtual city tours are already available for some places. I think Google Earth will soon replace the “traditional”, text-based google.com interface we’ve been using for 10 years now.

Sony, JVC, Panasonic, LG etc.
Vritually all major electronical companies are releasing or announcing their own stereo 3D Displays lateley. Ofcourse all require the usage of 3D-glasses but still… It looks like, all agree that 3D is the next logical step after HD.

Sky TV
Few months ago Sky (UK) announced that they’ll start a new digital channel which is completely 3D (stereo). That’s an important step: content is king!

These are just some examples, I’ll try to extend this overview in the next months, because it’s really an interesting trend we’re seeing here.

Additions are always welcome.

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The message, I’m continuously spreading is summerized in the head of this article.

Basicly, to improve the ROI (the succes) of Digital Signage, the industry needs to adapt 2 things:

1. Make DS a 3D experience, as a result we can expect the number of viewers to triple (at least)
2. Make DS an interactive experience. This way we can keep the attention of the viewers 3,5,10 maybe even 25 times longer.

At the IBC, 2 weeks ago, I successfully was evangalizing these stept during my keynote about the future of digital signage. My estimation is that rougly 25% of the listeners came to me after the presentation because it was such an eye-opener for them. This tuesday I will continue my efforts by doing a presentation on the Marketing at Retail event organized by POPAI and in about 2,5 weeks I will give 2 workshops at the Visual Communication exhibition in Utrecht.

Hope to see you there.

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I have some questions for those of you, that are active in the Digital Signage market.

1. Do you think that the ROI of Digital Signage can be improved?
2. Do you think in order to do that, you need more than flat, simple ‘Flash’ commercials?
3. Do you think that appealing out-of-the-display-popping 3D effects will draw more attention?
4. Do you think that intuitive gesture controlled interactivity can make Digital Signage even fun?
5. Do you think that people like funny things and also like to talk about that to others?

YES YES YES YES YES, 5 times YES in a row, you’re going for the Jackpot!

I totally agree with you, in my opinon most of todays Digital Signage is even more boring than following the movements of a snail. The next months I will be doing performing some presentations to share my vision about this with you.

Agenda for the next weeks:
2009/09/11 Around 12:00 somewhere near the Digital Signage Zone at the IBC 2009 conference (RAI, Amsterdam)
2009/09/29 During the Retail-At-Marketing event, organised by POPAI
2009/10/14(or15) At the Visual Communication exhibition from easyFairs

Hope to see you there or at some other event.

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Triggered by our recent press releases, the IBC organization kindly asked us to do a presentation about 3D Digital Signage.

3D is one of the main themes of this years’ IBC. So, adding a presentation about the implementation of 3D in Digital Signage networks is indeed a good idea.

In my opinion the future of Digital Signage is:
1. 3D
2. Interaction

It’s very easy to understand why. The first one (3D) massively improves the attention and the second one (Interaction) will keep viewers attention long enough to transfer whatever you want to communicate (or sell).

So with these two factors added, Digital Signage networks might double or even tripple their Return on Investment.

As far as we know, we’re strange enough currently the only company that’s combining everything. The response we get from demonstrations is really amazing so appearently we do are adding new value.

More about this subject at the IBC. We’re planned to speak on Friday, September 11th around 11:00 AM.

The IBC takes place from 10-15 September 2009 in Amsterdam. Zero Creative shall demonstrate it’s 3DZignage solution on xyZ 3D Displays at booth DS6 within the Digital Signage Zone.

Looking forward to meet you!

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As you might have read, recently we announced the introduction of 3D Digital Signage software during the next IBC (11-15 Sept/Amsterdam).

This actually means that our company is back where it once started. When we found Zero Creative in 2005, one of the key points was developing a robuust Digital Signage solution using 3D. So it took us 4 years, to gather all information, knowledge, technology, partners etc to finally work it out the way we wanted it.

So, why is this so called “3DZignage” so unique and important?

The 3DZignage is becoming quite an universal platform which could also be applied in other applications than “normal” Digital Signage, for example for rental firms to quickly (and cheap) generate some catchy 3D content for exhibitions or so.

Within the system currently the following ways of content creation are possible:

1. Just upload your texts, images/video and combine with one of our 3D templates and you’re done: the customers’ content will become part of a 3D environment which is rendered real-time.
2. It’s possible for us to create custom content templates according to customers’ wishes, still for real-time purposes.
3. Use the standard “3d mediaplayer”-template to playback existing (or newly to be created) 3D Video’s, both in our xyZ 8 view format aswell as the 2D+Depth format (formerly used by Philips 3D displays until they stopped earlier this year). These are rendered 3D video’s that can be ordered at our content creation department or anywhere else.

The benefits of the system as we developed it can be described as follows:
It’s not only the 3D engine but it’s the whole way the platform is constructed that gives some big advantages above many other solutions. As far as the 3D concerns: being it “native 3D” it gives us the ability to render 3D real-time, so theoratical every content item can dynamically be placed in the “3d space” that our xyZ 3D monitors offer (up to apprx 80 cm out of the screen). And the whole real-time thing can save many costs because it’s not necessary to do computerrenderings that consume a lot of time. But this is not all. Apart from the 3D another important property is the template technology we use: in traditional media most templates only define a kind of visual markup. Our templates however, also can include (advanced) programming code. So for custom templates it’s possible to do the wildest things! Some examples of what we can do with our templates:
- make interactive templates: enable the viewer/user to communicate with the system (touchscreen, gesture control etc. etc. etc.)
- include real-time 3D object rendering (can also be interactively controlled), such as certain (optimized) CAD models of products or so
- it even could be a full (interactive) 3D environment itself (e.g. check www.zerocreative.com/Zcontrol, we could even include this whole tool within our universel 3DZignage platform…)
So anyway, the possibilities are quite endless (well, depending on budget ofcourse).

Will be continued…

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An interesting trend is the application of 3D Display technology in the gaming industry. Of course it’s a logical step and since years we’ve been talking about it, but now it seems that something is really happening.

At our office we see an increasingly demand for 3D Displays to be used/sold as new gaming gadget; playing 3D games in real 3D makes sense.

But it’s not only the 3D games. We’re also seeing that slotmachine producers (for casinos) are contacting us to integrate our autostereoscopic 3D displays in their machines. If used as secondairy display, players can be treated with amazing -pop out the screen- 3D effects based on their scores and/or skills, also attracting other people to start playing, etc. etc.

So watch the casinos!

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Last Friday, we (that’s all the CELIT members) had an interesting presentation at TNO. TNO is the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. The unit we visited is called Rapid Manufacturing and the presentation was hosted by John Lavrijsen.

John told us all about the various methods, processes and applications for Rapid Manufacturing. Of course, (interactive) 3D (visualizations) are of great importance in this process. All phases of the process involve somekind of 3D technology:

1. 3D Scanning: digitize an existing object
2. 3D CAD: tuning (or developing a new) object (3D visualization)
3. 3D Printing: manufacture the object physically within a few hours

We saw some really amazing things. So you thought that the ‘replicator’ used in Star Trek series is science fiction? Wake up, because it’s not. At least, not completely. In this stage the technology still has many limitations, but it IS possible to instantly manufacture/create objects, using different kinds of sources, e.g. sand, plastics and even metals.

One of the unique things about this 3D manufacture technology is that products are being created layer by layer, instead of cutting material. An accuracy or resolution up to 5 micrometer is possible.

I also brought up the possibility to use autostereoscopic 3D displays during the process of scanning, modelling and “pre” visualization. This might help in understanding what people are doing or even could help avoiding (expensive) mistakes. @John: you know where to find me, to further discuss this subject.

Anyway, I asked John for permission to film our tour through the TNO laboratory and beneath you’ll find a short compilation of what we saw. It’s definitely amazing!

Interesting links about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_manufacturing
http://www.tno.nl

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Tuesday June 23th I visited the Annual Conference of the Dutch “Mediapark”. Mediapark is thé centre of all media in  The Netherlands where all national radio and TV stations are settled.

Here I introduced our xyZ 3D Displays to many new people. The reactions where very positive and many discussions about the future of TV combined with this 3D technology followed.

One of the prominent speakers that day, an old acquaintance of me, Gerd Leonhard was so kind to give his personal reaction and view on our 3D Display:

Gerd is a worldwide renowned speaker and media futurist.

It was a very interesting day with a lot of innovations that will definitely change the mediascape as we know it right now.

Also read:

http://www.mediafuturist.com/2009/06/the-future-of-media-open-mobile-connected-collaborative-presentation-at-mpjc-2009.html

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