FrameVR

The FrameVR platform is a basic software architecture on top of which customizations can be applied to build a bespoke VR software platform.

Basically, FrameVR represents a virtual space, shared by one or multiple users, in which 3D models can be uploaded so the users can deal with the 3D model to perform specific actions and interactions.

It can be considered as a tool that professionals working for enterprises and corporations can use to carry a wide range of duties, such as:

  • –  Simulations;
  • –  Product presentations;
  • –  Product and concept development;
  • –  Marketing and communication;
  • –  Design;
  • –  Engineering;
  • –  Ergonomics;
  • –  Product configuration;
  • –  Training;and many more.
    Users can benefit from different features available through the user interface, such as:
  • –  Environment switching;
  • –  Day/night simulation;
  • –  3D model scale and size;
  • –  Teleport;
  • –  Fly mode;
  • –  Attribution of materials;
  • –  Attribution of colours;
  • –  Ruler;
  • –  Laser pointer;
  • –  Enable/disable animations;just to name a few.
    Those features are used to modify the 3D model to the users’ likings and put the 3D model itself in different contexts to see what it looks/feels like.
    The range of features can be expanded and customized to meet clients’ needs, meaning that clients are allowed to ask for special features not currently available that will be developed especially for them.
    It is also completely possible to customize:
  • –  The available environments;
  • –  The range of materials to be assigned to the 3D model;
  • –  The range of colours to be assigned to each material;
  • –  The whole user interface for both its graphic design and features representation;
  • –  The usability of the whole software;

  • and so on.
    FrameVR has been designed to be as flexible as possible precisely because its purpose is exactly to be a “naked” structure to be customized and “dressed up” with all the required/necessary customizations.

    Workflow
    3D models export procedure
    Before uploading the 3D models into the platform, they need to be exported from the software they have been generated through by means of the following guidelines:

    • –  the export format is FBX or OBJ;
    • –  the meshes need to be clean with a quad tessellation (whenever is possible);
    • –  the meshes need to have an appropriate nomenclature in order to enable certain features (ie. if acertain mesh will be named “floor”, the platform will automatically enable a collider to let the user

      actually walk on the floor);

    • –  the meshes need to be grouped based on parts of the 3D model that are made of the same material;
    • –  the 3D models will have to include UV mapping (clean and homogeneous);
    • –  the 3D models should not count more than 30 meshes;
    • –  the 3D models should not count more 2,5 million triangles;Once the final FBXs are available, users will only need to put them into the server for asset bundle generation and upload (automatic procedure managed by the platform itself).

      Sample sequence of actions to use the platform

    • –  prepare your 3D model according to the guidelines indicated on the previous paragraph;
    • –  upload it into the platform dealing with the web-interface that manages the server side of thesoftware (back-end);
    • –  enter the platform as the “master” user (total access to each and every feature and possibleinteraction);
    • –  make material and colour attributions through the UI to each mesh of your 3D model to make it lookas it is supposed to;
    • –  save the scene to keep your material and colour attributions intact;
    • –  let your client enter the platform as the “slave” user (limited number of features and possibleinteractions);
    • –  show your product to your client;
    • –  explore your product and the space around it;
    • –  scale your product up to show details;
    • –  scale your product down to show it as a whole;
    • –  take measurements from a point to another to show your client certain distances if needed;
    • –  change material and colour attributions in real time to show your client alternative versions of thesame product;
    • –  fly over your product to see it from a top view;
    • –  use the laser pointer to focus the attention of your client on a certain point while you describe it;
    • –  switch the environment around you to show your product in a different context;
    • –  turn the light on and off if it feels usefull to the description of your product;
    • –  talk to the avatar of your client as if it was a real person standing next to you;

    Hardware requirements

    FrameS is an on premises only type of software which means it needs a proper hardware structure to work and perform as expected.
    Therefore, the following hardware devices will be needed:

    – Single-player use (“basic VR system”)
    o n.1 PC (CPU i7 or greater, RAM 16GB or greater, Graphic Card GTX1080Ti or greater); o n.1 high end VR headset (HTC VIVE, Samsung Odyssey, Oculus Rift);

    – Multiplayer use
    o n.1“basicVRsystem”foreachuser;
    o LAN for local connection of the users (V-LAN for users connecting the platform from remote

    locations);
    o n.1servertoperformdatashareandasset-bundlegeneration(thisisrecommendedbutnot

    strictly necessary as one of the users’ PC can perform as a server at the same time);

    Update management

    Building a software based on the FrameVR structure leads to a completely customized product which will be developed for one specific client and will be sold to this one specific client only. This means the client will have to pay an upfront fee to buy a software that is going to be its own property and will never represent a standard product by any means.

    For that reason, no updates or new releases of this very product are planned unless explicitly required by the client itself.
    Nevertheless, every time we need to use the FrameVR basic structure to develop a new software for a new client, our developers apply each and every available/necessary update to the basic technology in order to keep the resulting product up to date and guarantee high levels of performance and stability.

    Updates will also include performance and compatibility tests with new hardware devices that along the time become available on the market.

    Frame3D – 3D Real Time Product configurator

    3D Real Time product configurator.

    Officine has developed Frame3D, a core 3D Real Time product configurator that is the base of the customised products it offers its clients. The configurator consists in an interactive real time 3D environment, where every single action and interaction, with related refresh of video output, are recalculated moment by moment with no pre-rendered contents of any kind, allowing users to display corporate’s products in high quality, high definition and graphic detail.

    3D models are saved into the corporate’s servers and can be uploaded into the configurator by synchronising the configurator itself with the server in order to update the internal library.
    Officine customises Frame3D in order to make the final configurator meet the client’s requirements, meaning that a dedicated UI will need to be designed and the available interactions and possible modifications to the products will have to be designed in order to respect the configuration rules set by the manufacturer.

    Through the use of the configurator, the user interacts with the products by:

    • –  modifying dimensions;
    • –  changing colours;
    • –  changing materials;
      • –  switching different environments;
      • –  adding or removing accessories;
      • –  changing the overall lightning of the scene;
      • –  turning on and off electrical lights;
      • –  enabling animations;
      • –  insert multiple products on the scene (leading to more complicated configurations); and
      • –  displaying the product in AR (just by clicking/tapping on the AR button);to the users’ requirements, within a range of configuration rules set by the manufacturer.

      • Frame3D AR functionality.

        The configurator has the ability to communicate with any ERP system through a synchronisation process.

        The configurator provides the user with the cost of the product and the customisations in real time, creating an offer document, and sending the purchase order to the ERP system. This system just requires a few simple clicks, making the process seamless, fast, easy to manage, reduces risks of mistakes and doesn’t require any data-entry.

        Based on the corporate’s requirements, Officine can also integrate CRM features, to facilitate tracking of sales.

      • Hardware requirements

        Frame3D runs on PC, Mac and iPad-Pro.
        It doesn’t have special hardware requirements as the application adapts its level of performance and graphic detail on the GPU computational power of the hardware it is running into.

      • The better the hardware is the more Frame3D will be able to perform with high graphic levels of detail.

        Update management

        Building a software based on the Frame3D structure leads to a completely customized product which will be developed for one specific client and will be sold to this one specific client only. This means the client will have to pay an upfront fee to buy a software that is going to be its own property and will never represent a standard product by any means.

        For that reason, no updates or new releases of this very product are planned unless explicitly required by the client itself.
        Nevertheless, every time we need to use the Frame3D basic structure to develop a new software for a new client, our developers apply each and every available/necessary update to the basic technology in order to keep the resulting product up to date and guarantee high levels of performance and stability.

        Updates will also include performance and compatibility tests with new hardware devices that along the time become available on the market.