Project Overview
I’m a freelance CG artist based in Japan.
I was approached with a visualization project for the “iCocoon”—a luxury massage chair.
The client wanted to showcase the product in various interior scenes, but at approximately 150 kg, transporting it to multiple shooting locations was simply not practical.
That’s when CGI became the natural solution.
No CAD Data, Complex Organic Shapes
In many product visualization projects, clients usually provide CAD data, which serves as the foundation for building accurate 3D assets.
However, in this case, the chair’s exterior was handcrafted by leather artisans, and no CAD data existed.
While simple objects can be modeled from scratch, the iCocoon’s structure was extremely complex and organic, making traditional modeling very time-consuming.
Photogrammetry wasn’t an option either — the smooth leather surface had too few feature points for a reliable scan.
Discovering Einstar
I had tried several affordable 3D scanners in the past, but none of them met the quality required for professional work.
Then I came across Einstar, which had been getting attention on social media for its excellent price-performance ratio.
I decided to give it a try.
The result? Einstar captured the massage chair with impressive accuracy and detail.
Part-by-Part Scanning for Maximum Precision
Since the project required not only still images but also animations, I disassembled the massage chair into separate parts and scanned each component individually.
After that, I reassembled everything in Cinema4D to rebuild the complete 3D model.
Some tight and shadowed areas couldn’t be fully captured due to infrared limitations, so I did some manual cleanup.
Even so, compared to modeling from scratch, the accuracy and time savings were remarkable.
CGI Production Workflow
- Scanning: Using Einstar to capture each component of the chair
- Cleanup: Remeshing, hole filling, and texture adjustments
- Modeling & Rigging: Assembling the scanned parts in Cinema4D and building a custom rigging program to replicate the chair’s real-world mechanical movements, rather than simply reconstructing the shape
- Rendering: Creating realistic visuals with Octane Render
- Compositing: Integrating the model into various environments with After Effects
Thanks to this workflow, we achieved photo-realistic results without the need for physical transportation or location shooting.
Why Einstar Was Essential
For this project, Einstar was truly indispensable.
It struck the perfect balance between accuracy, speed, and cost, greatly enhancing the production workflow.
Since then, I’ve also added the Einstar VEGA to my toolkit, enabling me to use 3D scanning for an even wider range of projects.
- No CAD data.
- No photo shoot.
- Complex geometry.
- And yet, Einstar made it possible.”
Conclusion
- High-quality CG can be achieved even without CAD data
- Significantly reduces transportation and shooting costs
- Einstar is an affordable and powerful solution for independent creators
Einstar has opened up a new, efficient way to bring “unmodelable” designs into real production workflows.
We have obtained permission from the production agency to share this as a case study.
However, if you wish to feature it on other platforms such as social media, additional permission will be required.
Therefore, we would appreciate it if you could contact us in advance.
That’s truly amazing work. We’re impressed by how you use Einstar to capture such a complex, organic design with outstanding detail. Thanks for sharing your workflow and creativity with the community.