Pre-Production

Concept & Scripting

For ConeCraft’s product showcase, we set out to create a series of high-end, photorealistic 3D renderings of their medical equipment—specifically the Horizontal Solution Bulk Hold (HSBH) system, the Bioprocess Container Platform (BPCP), and the Tubing Management System (TMS). These visuals were designed for ConeCraft’s website and marketing materials, delivering a detailed and striking presentation of their equipment.

To achieve this level of precision, we worked from extensive photo references, product catalogs, and STEP files provided by ConeCraft. These assets allowed us to accurately reconstruct the equipment and experiment with different material properties to ensure the highest possible visual fidelity. Additionally, we planned a short background video featuring cinematic motion and dramatic lighting to showcase the equipment with the same polished, technical precision seen in high-end product reveal videos.

Look Development

Given the technical nature of this project, look development played a crucial role in defining the visual composition and realism of the equipment. We optimized the CAD models by reducing polygon counts and refining the topology, ensuring each component was structured efficiently for rendering while maintaining complete accuracy.

Lighting was a major focus during this phase. We tested various HDRI environments and controlled studio lighting setups to highlight the metallic surfaces while maintaining a consistent look across all renders. This step was essential for refining material properties and locking in the overall visual direction before full production.

Early Visual Styles Explored

The primary goal was achieving a hyper-realistic stainless steel finish. We experimented with different steel shaders, reflection intensities, and lighting angles to create an industrial yet high-end aesthetic. To enhance realism, we incorporated subtle imperfections like micro-scratches and smudges—enough to add authenticity without compromising the "new product" look. We also tested different background tones, balancing dark and light environments to find the best way to showcase the reflective surfaces.

How Client Feedback Shaped the Direction

ConeCraft’s primary concern was ensuring the renders felt premium and visually engaging. There was discussion about including human figures for scale, but after reviewing the options, the decision was made to use subtle human silhouettes instead. Additional feedback focused on emphasizing the Pneumatic Zipline Hoist within the BPCP system and ensuring that product labels, decals, and interface elements were clearly visible in the renders.

Production

Design & Technical Execution

Once the look development phase was locked in, we transitioned into full production. The CAD models provided by ConeCraft contained immense detail, but to optimize for workflow efficiency and rendering speed, we manually cleaned up unnecessary geometry, logically grouped components, and applied polygon reduction techniques.

Material development was another critical step, particularly for the stainless steel surfaces. We crafted a custom metallic shader that balanced reflectivity and roughness, accurately simulating how real-world stainless steel interacts with different lighting conditions. To prevent the overly perfect, synthetic appearance often seen in CGI, we added procedural micro-scratches, smudges, and slight surface imperfections into the shader. Additionally, we applied a rounded bevel effect to edges—eliminating the unnaturally sharp appearance of raw CAD data and mimicking real-world metal fabrication more effectively.

Beyond metal surfaces, we also developed specialized shaders for rubber and plastic components, including tubing and cable systems. The tubing required a semi-transparent polypropylene shader to replicate its real-world material properties accurately. We fine-tuned subsurface scattering and transparency parameters to create the right level of light diffusion.

Lighting remained a major factor in achieving photorealism. We used a combination of HDRI-based global illumination and strategically placed area lights to highlight the product’s key features. Each lighting setup was carefully calibrated to ensure consistency across all renders, preventing unwanted shifts in metallic reflections.

Challenges & Solutions

One of the biggest technical challenges was maintaining uniformity across all metallic shaders. Because lighting conditions greatly affect the perceived color and reflectivity of metal, we established a controlled lighting rig to ensure all renders had a consistent look. This required manually adjusting light intensities and reflection angles on a per-shot basis, preventing the metal from appearing either too flat or overly contrasted.

Another challenge was the Tubing Management System (TMS). The original CAD files did not include tubing or cable components, meaning we had to manually model each tube while ensuring proper alignment based on client-provided references. The color-coded snapping blocks also required precise positioning to maintain both functional clarity and a clean visual composition.

Post-Production & Delivery

Final Rendering & Compositing

After rendering, we refined the images in post-production. This included subtle color grading to ensure a consistent stainless steel appearance across all assets. We also composited multiple passes to fine-tune reflections, depth, and ambient occlusion, bringing out every small detail for maximum impact.

Animation Development

In addition to the still renders, we produced a short animation showcasing ConeCraft’s equipment in motion. We designed the animation with slow, cinematic camera movements, emphasizing the industrial-grade build quality of each piece of equipment. A dramatic lighting setup with a dark background was used to create high contrast and accentuate reflective surfaces.

A separate animation was developed to illustrate how the HSBH system scales up. This sequence followed the assembly process outlined in ConeCraft’s product manuals, visually demonstrating how multiple units can be stacked. Additionally, we created a semi-transparent render of the BPCP system, highlighting the Pneumatic Zipline Hoist moving through the unit.

Final Edits & Optimization

For final delivery, we provided a full suite of high-quality assets in multiple formats:

• High-resolution PNG and JPEG files for marketing and print materials.

• Optimized web-friendly versions to ensure fast loading speeds on ConeCraft’s website.

• 4K renders for large-scale presentations and trade show displays.

• A cinematic background animation for the website, featuring dynamic lighting and close-up shots.

• A GIF version of the HSBH scaling animation, optimized for web use while maintaining visual clarity.

The final deliverables gave ConeCraft a visually compelling and technically precise showcase of their medical equipment—reinforcing their brand’s reputation for cutting-edge engineering and quality craftsmanship.