When outsourcing your 3D models, it’s important that you supply the artist with quality images that can be used as a reference for the models. Having great references not only allows the artist to ensure everything looks proportionally correct, flesh out all of the details and make it as accurate as possible, but it also enables them to build quality materials to truly reflect your real-life products or other subjects.
Good Quality “Essential” Images
All references can be useful, so don’t hesitate to share an image you’re unsure about—just include it alongside the right ones. The most helpful references for speeding up an artist’s work are “square images,” where the subject is aligned with the camera, similar to orthographic views. While true orthographic images are impractical in reality, a well-aligned “square” image works just fine. Here is a list of the most essential:
- Front. A clear picture of the front of the product/subject – as square as possible.
- Top. A clear picture of the top of the product/subject – as square as possible.
- Right. A clear picture of the product/subject – as square as possible.
- Left. A clear picture of the product/subject – as square as possible.
- Rear. A clear picture of the product/subject – as square as possible.
- Bottom. A clear picture of the product/subject – as square as possible.
Pro Tip:
Including a ruler or tape measure in your images improves accuracy, and clear file names (Cup_Front_1, Cup_Handle_1) speed up the artist’s work. A bottom view helps define width and shape, while a side view clarifies proportions. Most cups seem circular, but if it’s oval, the artist won’t know without a proper, square reference!
Understanding what “square” or “orthographic” means can be tricky, but imagine a printed piece of paper lying flat on a table. If you were to take a photo of it to trace the design, you’d want the paper to be perfectly aligned with the camera—not photographed at an angle—to ensure an accurate copy. This is exactly what the artist aims to do in 3D. This not only will improve the overall look of the 3D model, but it also means the artist can size everything up nearly perfectly where detail is visible, ensuring accuracy.
“Detail” Images
Providing an artist with detailed images alongside the essential reference shots is where the real magic happens. While proper angles are still important, detail shots can benefit from unconventional angles to accurately capture intricate features, such as imperfections, material thickness, and more. The more images, the better. Here are some examples:
- A seam line on a leather product that is stitched, with a few images to show how deep the seam appears or how thick an edge may be. This will also show the scale of stitches and other details.
- A zipper and its zip. More angles here will help the artist a lot, still providing a clear square image to get the overall shape/size. The other images will help with modelling the thicker or thinner sections, and give visibility to how it’s attached
- The tip of a shoelaces. Maybe a step too far! but the level of detail can be incredible with the right reference material
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts:
If the artist can’t see it, they can’t model it accurately! Sure, they can make educated guesses, but providing clear “essential” and “detail” images will save you both time and ensure the best results. More references are always better so unless it’s a blurry mess, just throw it in your image pack anyway, just don’t forget the priority images.