When Ashley and I started VNTANA, we honestly didn’t think that we’d end up doing much in the digital asset management space. It’s a space crowded with legacy players, and frankly, it didn’t strike us as the most thrilling frontier—our passion was solving the complex problems in 3D. But after three years of close collaboration with our clients, we’ve had a revelation: the real game-changer for 3D isn’t just automating 3D workflows, but shifting the entire paradigm around content creation and management.
For most, content is something that comes after a product has been manufactured and been shipped to a photo studio. Pictures & videos are shot, edited and distributed. If there are 3D assets, they are often an afterthought or a supplement to their normal 2D workflows.
For organizations that do create in 3D, the teams are often understaffed, under-resourced, and misunderstood. The technical complexity of 3D causes those who are not experts to disengage during discussions. Furthermore, the absence of a centralized hub for team collaboration leads to even further distancing those who do not work in 3D and don’t have licenses or understand how to use complex 3D design software. This leads to siloed workflows, turning 3D into a burden rather than a benefit. When organizations ask why they should adopt 3D, they are usually provided with these answers:
- 3D can reduce the need for physical prototypes saving you money and make you more sustainable
- 3D in eCommerce can double conversion rates and reduce returns by up to 40%
- 3D is more engaging than traditional content
While all of these are true, they are just a subset of a much greater truth. These benefits make it seem as if 3D is optional — just a better choice than what you’re doing today. The truth is, 3D is not optional. 3D is the highest order of content possible. It is the single source of truth from which all other pieces of content will be derived.
From images to videos to experiences, 3D is at the heart of it all. Soon (if not today), with a 3D version of your product you will be able to A/B test dozens of iterations of images, videos, and more that can be used in eCommerece, advertising, B2B, and any other place where your current 2D content lives in minutes.
In the not-too-distant future, it’ll be essential to have a 3D model before you can even think about manufacturing your product. AI is one of the biggest technology stories in decades, but its true impact is just ramping up and so much is centered around automatically deriving content. We’re on the brink of a software and robotics revolution that will turbocharge automation, completely transforming manufacturing processes. The way your products come to life today? Expect it to change dramatically in the next 3 to 5 years.
So what does this all mean?
It means that organizations need new ways to collaborate, manage and distribute their content. And 3D needs to be at the heart of it. We’re not suggesting that everyone in your company needs to turn into a 3D expert overnight. What we’re stressing is that companies that fail to integrate the advantages of 3D across all their departments will risk falling behind. This is why we built VNTANA and why we are going all-in on Digital Asset Management with 3D at the center.
What does this fundamental shift look like in practice?
- It puts 3D at the center without sidelining those not directly involved with 3D teams. It allows technical and non-technical teams alike to collaborate on 3D, the central source of truth for all downstream content.
- Robust support for all file types that can sit alongside your 3D files.
- API first. Everything you see and do through our web app can also be accomplished via our API ensuring your teams can continue to benefit from 3D no matter what application they are using.
- Out of the box integrations with platforms where these assets come to life—like Miro, Canva, Magic Leap, web platforms, and more.
- 3D workflow accelerators like automated optimization, conversion, and rendering.
- Plug-ins to design programs so creators can spend more time creating and less time on additional processes.
While we’ve been in 3D for a while, we still feel like we’re just beginning. Our goal is to facilitate digital transformation far beyond eCommerce. With VNTANA, you can unlock content form any DCC (digital content creation tool) to any website, presentation, game-engine and more. We welcome you to join us in the future asset management.
-Ben & Ashley
