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3D Asset Requirements

Whether you already have 3D assets for your products or will utilize Dopple’s team of artists to create the assets for you, this guide will detail the best practices and most important things to know to prepare your assets for use with Dopple.

File formats​

Dopple is able to work with many — but not all — file formats and convert them to runtime-optimized 3D models.

If you have existing 3D assets, refer to the list below to make sure your files are in the correct format for Dopple to work with. Our most preferred formats are listed first.

Formats we accept​

3D assets​

File FormatDescriptionCaveats & Potential Gotchas
.glb or .gltfA standardized, universal 3D file format, which Babylon.js (the 3D engine behind Dopple) uses. Other file formats will ultimately need to be converted to this.
  • glTF requires a .bin file as well.
  • Sometimes texture data is embedded.
  • Dependency on post processing or shader networks for materials not included in Babylon.
  • Poor DRACO compression on export may generate a nearly unusable mesh, and meshes may split unoptimally by multi-material or sharp smoothing.
.step or .stpA universal export format for CAD/Engineering files.
  • Extra CAD information may not be required but still included in the exported file anyway, which can lead to unecessarily large files that are difficult to load.
  • Ensure that the CAD version used is current to the product.
.fbxA proprietary 3D format, typically for Autodesk software.
  • Some of the more edge-case export options may cause problems when imported into other software.
  • Some baked maps/meshes may be incompatible as a result of deleted custom normals.
.blendNative Blender 3D files. Does not require a specific 3D modeling app.
  • Some texture data may be embedded directly or excluded entirely.
.objSimple format, usually loads in most 3D apps (not preferred over other 3D file formats).
  • It will likely take our team more time to connect materials and textures.
  • Material libraries sometimes do not work, depending on the setup in the native app.
  • Custom normals are not included in the export information.

Image assets​

File FormatDescriptionCaveats & Potential Gotchas
.pngLossless raster image used for high-quality textures. The only format supported in glTF (besides .jpg).
  • Square aspect ratio required (e.g. 1024x1024 pixels).
  • 16-bit textures require conversion to 8-bit.
.svg or .aiUniversal vector formats for high-quality paths and outlines of shapes.
  • Vector files are not used for textures, and are instead typically used for creating outlines or shapes to be used on the 3D assets, such as logos or branding signs.
.psd, .jpg, or .tgaStandard raster image formats, for textures and materials.
  • Square aspect ratio required (e.g. 1024x1024 pixels).
  • Any non-PNG or -JPG images will be converted to 8-bit PNG or JPG images.
info

When sending image assets, please make sure to include the highest resolution possible (ideally 4K or greater), as well as a scale included in the image, such as a ruler along the top or side edge.

This will greatly help our team recreate your textures, patterns, and materials as accurately as possible.

Formats we cannot accept or load​

We wish we had licenses for all 3D software on the market! Unfortunately, we don’t, and are unable to load the following file formats. If you have files in these formats, please convert them to one of the formats listed above.

  • Revit files (.rvt)
  • Parasolid files (.X_T)
  • Cinema 4D (.c4d)
  • Autodesk Maya (.ma or .mb)
  • AutoCAD (.dxf)
  • Neutral CAD (.iges, .stl)

Additional factors​

These additional factors may slow down the process of creating 3D assets for your products, or may require additional work to be done by Dopple’s art team.

To help the process move as quickly as possible, try to address any issues listed below before sending your assets to Dopple.

  • Incorrect world scale (can occur in any 3D format).
  • CAD files are missing names that correlate to product parts.
  • Material files are missing textures.
  • Texture information requires manual extraction from 3D files (traditionally GLB/glTF files).
  • Use of custom normals when importing into 3ds Max can cause extra work to resolve surface smoothing issues on geometry.
  • Using a renderer for pre-rendered files makes material conversion very complex and can cause inconsistency between the pre-rendered look and the final runtime look on the webpage.
  • Hierarchy setups in meshes not named or labeled.
  • Textures that do not have a square 1:1 ratio (e.g. 2048x2048 pixels) will require a rework of the texture and UV assignment to be square.
  • Pre-rendered files which include textures that don't tile will require work to make them tileable.

Considerations for augmented reality​

AR may have slight visual differences from 3D depending on the techniques used during art model creation, and due to the rendering technologies and the way they handle lighting. There may also be slight varying differences between iOS and Android, due to the different rendering engines used by each.

AR technologies, while currently limited in the consumer market, are improving quickly and the Dopple team is continually exploring methods to bring more visual consistency to the AR experience through cutting edge AR implementation.

AR software limitations not in our control include the web browser and mobile software standardization, which can affect visual parity in lighting, tone, and color acuity between the web experience and AR experience. This includes the step of the AR experience when you are launching AR, as this is powered by Google Model Viewer, not Dopple.

Additional resources​