We all know that 3D animation is not easy to master. It requires extensive practice and years of dedication before you perfect this craft. However, the Dolly app has answers for 3D capture you won't find in another app.
AniML says that the newest software will change the way product videos are created. Simply put, you can now generate professional-looking 3D Models with your phones alone, simplifying the ambiguous process of video creation.
Simplifying 3D Capture Technology
Creating 3D models and videos has traditionally been a challenging task. French startup AniML focuses on making this technology accessible by packaging it into an easy-to-use iPhone app. Users simply point their phone camera at a product and move around it to capture it in 3D.
What's interesting here is that the app takes still images and sends them to the cloud, where AniML's proprietary reconstruction pipeline, using Gaussian splatting, transforms these images into realistic 3D models.
Innovative 3D Rendering with Gaussian Splatting
Traditional 3D models are created using points in 3D space with 2D textures and lighting effects. Gaussian splatting, a novel rendering technique, estimates a 3D point cloud from 2D images using a pre-trained AI model. This approach shifts from polygon-based 3D to neural-based 3D, offering more precise and realistic results. Although different from NeRF, Gaussian splatting is a descendant of this advanced 3D modeling technology.
Designed For E-Commerce Needs
Recognizing the potential for immediate user engagement, AniML tailored Doly for e-commerce businesses, TechCrunch wrote in its report.
After capturing a 3D model, users can choose from a variety of templates to integrate their object into a 3D scene. Options range from simple rotations with plain backgrounds to more dramatic marketing scenes, such as dynamic camera movements and angle changes. Furthermore, users can purchase and download the final video for use in their marketing campaigns
Strong Backing Marks Doly's Strong Presence
AniML's founders bring a wealth of experience to the table. Rousseau, having founded two VR companies, including Mimesys (acquired by Magic Leap in 2019), and co-founder Pierre Pontevia, who sold companies to Autodesk and Unity, leverage their expertise in 3D technology.
"Our starting point was a technological finding: AI had just arrived in the 3D world. So people at Facebook, but even more at Google, were doing research and wrote a fairly important research paper on something called NeRF. It's a new paradigm in which you try to reconstruct 3D by letting machine learning do the job," " AniML co-founder and CEO, Rémi Rousseau, told TechCrunch.
The startup has raised $2 million in seed funding led by Adjacent, with participation from AI Grant, Kima Ventures, and angel investors from prominent tech firms like Hugging Face and Sketchfab. Bpifrance also contributed with a grant.
Glimmering Future of 3D Product Videos
The adoption of 3D-rendered videos by big brands, second-hand resellers, and other e-commerce professionals remains to be seen. However, Doly's ability to create compelling product visuals without the need for professional video recording studios marks a significant advancement.
Thanks to artificial intelligence, creating high-quality product videos is now more accessible than ever, potentially transforming e-commerce marketing.
AniML's Doly app is set to democratize 3D video creation for e-commerce, providing an innovative solution that combines AI technology with user-friendly design.
As the demand for engaging product visuals grows, Doly will only get better to become a valuable tool for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and marketing efforts.
