3D software occupies a specific niche where the ultimate in technology intersects with the ultimate in human creativity. It's Threekit's deep respect for the creators—the 3D artists—that helps to differentiate it from other offerings. Read about this legacy, as well as three other characteristics that make Threekit unique.
Software is meant to be the ultimate enabler, filling in productivity gaps and automating processes so that people are free to do their best work. However, it’s rarely associated with creative pursuits.
3D software is different. It’s made with artists as end-users in mind, so it is imperative that it enhances their creativity without making their jobs harder. The truth is, not all 3D software lives up to this standard. But at Threekit, we abide by it.
Our team has been creating software for 3D artists since the 1990s. Our secret sauce is the people behind the software—our values, our method of working and our ability to leverage deep reservoirs of experience.
Here are the four ways we separate ourselves from the pack:
1) We empower creatives.
We take pride in empowering artists—it’s what we live for. Our team has made 3D software for artists across 100 films including Avatar and Jurassic World, as well as TV series like Game of Thrones. We love nothing more than seeing users’ work on the big screen, but it’s just as satisfying to see it on eCommerce sites and in advertising. We take pride in enabling our users to bring their vision to life, no matter the category.
2) We’re always listening.
We know that the biggest difference between a successful tool and an awkward one is how well it meets the needs of the users. This is why we are always listening and adapting that knowledge into making the product experience better. We make deep connections with CG supervisors and pipeline directors early in the process to understand how artists want to work, and then design software that meets those needs. And we do this all while tracking the macro-trends affecting the industry in order to future-proof our product. These are high standards to achieve, but we’re steadfastly committed to them.
3) We’re always innovating.
We love to push the boundaries of what is possible in 3D technology. We take pride in being amongst the first to:
- Do GPU-based fluid simulation (2004)
- Release a robust, widely-adopted render manager on Windows (2004)
- Introduce GPU-based rendering for visual effects (2009)
- Build out the first commercially supported Alembic tool suite (2010)
- Build a web-based 3D editor (2013)
We’ve also authored numerous SIGGRAPH papers and presentations and have been a core contributor to Three.js since 2012. Today, besides developing the Threekit platform itself, we are helping push forward the glTF core standard and its applicability to eCommerce.
4) We’ve got the experience.
While the Threekit team technically creates “enterprise software,” it is composed of VFX veterans on both the 3D art side, as well as the software side. We have the original team who created Deadline Render Manager (now owned by Amazon), Krakatoa Particle Renderer (also owned by Amazon), as well as the Exocortex Alembic tool suite and the Clara.io online 3D editor. Members of our team have first-hand experience designing 3D asset pipelines for video games and visual effects studios.
We are also users of nearly every 3D software tool, including 3DS Max, Maya, Substance, Photoshop, Illustrator, zBrush, TopoGun, Unity, Unreal Engine, Solidworks, AutoCAD, Fusion, PTC Creo and Onshape. We leverage our knowledge of industry best practices to ensure that our toolset measures up and also works within the broader 3D ecosystem.
3D software is an increasingly crowded category, but the same qualities of commitment and innovation that helped us build a best-in-breed solution will continue to make us the premier choice for 3D artists for years to come.
These qualities are also how we became the world's largest product photographer. Our virtual photography solution Virtual Photographer, which creates and scales photorealistic product images of 3D products, has generated over 10 million images for a wide range of online retailers. In addition to photorealistic images, our product visualization software enables interactive 3D configuration and augmented reality experiences that help businesses sell more and improve their customer experience.
To learn more, please schedule some time with one of our teammates.
