Ways to use 3D animation

3D animation has evolved far beyond its origins in gaming, TV shows, and movies. Today, it’s a versatile tool used across numerous industries for diverse purposes. From immersive corporate presentations to cutting-edge medical research, 3D animation is revolutionizing how we visualize and interact with information.

Here’s an overview of common uses of 3D animation today.

Television and movies

3D animation is often used for character animation in TV and movies. The technique can make characters seem more lifelike, enhancing the emotional connection viewers establish with them.

A 3D animated character is more vivid and engaging, almost like playing with a toy. This makes 3D animation very useful for kids’ entertainment. The “Frozen” movies are a great example. Elements of the story, like how the main character Elsa can transform objects into ice, become more enchanting in 3D.

Scenes like having the character sing, dance, and twirl also gain impact in a 3D image. Even facial expressions gain poignancy.

Beyond animated films, 3D animation is now integral to live-action movies for creating realistic visual effects. TV series like “The Mandalorian” use real-time 3D rendering for virtual sets, showcasing the evolving applications of this technology.

Gaming

3D animation can give a more lifelike feeling to video games, intensifying the action for the player. When you’re battling an enemy or racing through an obstacle course, having the 3D sensation can make for a far more thrilling experience. 3D animation can also be used with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) special effects, giving the player the sense that they’re inside the world in real time.

“Horizon Zero Dawn” is one example of how a video game animation can leverage 3D technology. The action game involves a lot of physicalities, from avoiding traps to solving puzzles and battling enemies. The combatant robots in the game are far more intimidating in 3D, making for a more adrenaline-pumping experience.

Other titles, such as “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Red Dead Redemption 2,” showcase photorealistic 3D environments and characters, further demonstrating the power of 3D animation in gaming.

Company presentations

The days of boring PowerPoint presentations may be coming to an end. Presentations with 3D animated features help draw the audience in and command their attention throughout the presentation. This Microsoft tutorial, featuring imagery of a drone in flight, gives you an idea of how intriguing a 3D presentation can be.

Complex data sets are being transformed into interactive 3D visualizations, allowing companies to represent trends and statistics more engagingly. This approach is particularly useful for financial institutions and scientific organizations looking to make their data more accessible and understandable.

Marketing

3D animation can also prove valuable in marketing. For example, a marketer might use this technique to show off all the product’s features as they would appear in real life. Audiences can get a better sense of what the goods look like.

Brands can also use 3D animation to showcase products through tutorials or demos, and to create more captivating content in general. In a world in which companies are constantly jockeying for the audience’s limited attention, a compelling video ad made using 3D techniques can keep consumers interested.

This ad for the online casino app Borgata is a great example of the visual intensity 3D techniques can create to boost conversion rates.

Major brands like Apple and Samsung regularly use 3D animation to create stunning product visualizations. Car manufacturers also use it to produce photo-realistic 3D renders for commercials before physical prototypes exist.

3D animations create well-crafted and engaging storytelling by producing highly realistic and immersive environments, which capture viewers’ attention more effectively than traditional ads. This immersive experience holds viewers’ interest longer, which can lead to increased engagement rates and dwell times.

The detailed and lifelike visuals in 3D animations can also make ads more memorable and evoke stronger emotional responses, driving greater conversion potential as viewers are more likely to connect with and respond to the content.

Architecture and design

3D animation is also handy for creating life-like renderings of houses and buildings before they’re constructed. Combined with VR and AR tools, architects can even step inside and walk through their designs. This is also useful for interior decorating, giving designers a concrete idea of what a room will look like.

These 3D rendering examples rounded up by LCP Media show what this technology can accomplish.

Urban planners also use 3D modeling to visualize and plan entire city developments, while companies like Matterport are pioneering 3D virtual tours for real estate listings, revolutionizing how properties are marketed and viewed.

Prototyping

3D animation can also be combined with another cutting-edge tool, 3D printing, to create product prototypes at a low cost. From engineering firms to medical technology companies, businesses can save money on raw materials as well as time and manpower by visualizing and crafting low-cost prototypes. They can then tweak their goods based on their prototypes before developing finalized products.

The tech and machinery industries are especially active in developing prototypes using 3D tools. Sculpteo provides a handy roundup of 3D-printed prototypes including bridges, eyewear, furniture, and robotic arms.

Race car companies even rely on prototypes to find ways to speed up the wheel-change process. Boeing uses 3D simulations for aircraft design and testing, showcasing how 3D animation is crucial in industrial design and manufacturing.

Medicine

Medical professionals can use 3D animation to teach, show detailed imagery of the human body, and even digitally demonstrate medical techniques. This can be invaluable for areas that are hard to experiment in, like surgery.

Medical animation can also help medical professionals communicate with patients—for example, by showing them what to expect from a procedure. This video from Philips Healthcare is a great example.

3D animation can also be combined with VR tools to reduce anxiety during certain medical procedures. MRI scans are a prime example. Many people get nervous in this enclosed space, and providing them with a lifelike animation of a scene like a beach or a forest can help soothe them, improving patient care.

Pharmaceutical companies also use 3D animations to demonstrate drug mechanisms, enhancing both professional and patient understanding of treatments.

Simulations

Finally, 3D animation can be used in simulations across an array of fields. For example, 3D videos can help enhance employee training. Workers can access a single 3D animated video whenever they need it, minimizing the need for costly and confusing mass training sessions. For example, the Audi car brand uses 3D animation coupled with VR tools to train employees.

In education, platforms like Labster offer virtual 3D science labs, while museums create 3D animated reconstructions of historical sites and artifacts. These simulations create immersive VR experiences and AR applications, expanding the possibilities for interactive learning and training across various industries.