Get a 3D model of your product
Every path to a render-ready model: files you already have, exports from your 3D tool, generation from photos, an expert build through Glossi's partner network, or scanning.
Every Glossi output - stills, video, variants, batch renders, showrooms - starts from one prepared 3D model. The render is built from your actual geometry, so logos and proportions come out correct, and a setup you approve once is reused on the next product.
Work through the paths in order. The first one that matches your situation is usually the cheapest and fastest.
First, check what you already have
Most physical products were designed in software before they were manufactured. That file is your model.
- Engineering and CAD files. Products designed in SolidWorks or similar tools have STEP, IGES, or STL files. Ask engineering; STEP is the strongest start for hard goods.
- Design tool files. Blender, 3ds Max, CLO, KeyShot, and Substance work comes straight across - see the import guides.
- Your factory. Outsourced manufacturing usually means the factory holds the CAD. A STEP export is a routine request.
- Past agency work. If a studio ever produced CGI for you, ask for the model file (GLB, FBX, OBJ), not just the finished images.
Glossi accepts GLB, glTF, USD/USDZ, FBX, OBJ, STEP/STP, STL, and IGES - see supported file types for how materials transfer per format.
Export from the tool you already use
Plugins for Blender, 3ds Max, CLO, and KeyShot send a model straight to your library - no manual export. SolidWorks and Substance 3D Painter have export guides.
Generate a starting model from photos
Upload product photos and Glossi generates a starting model - see Generate from photos for the steps.
This is a starting representation, not finished geometry. Review shape, proportions, and product-critical details before building final work from it. Useful for exploration and scene tests; when it isn't enough, the next path starts from the same photos.
Request an expert build
Glossi's vetted partner network of 3D studios builds studio-grade models from your product photos, managed end to end by Glossi and delivered into your library ready to render. Request a build from the Add Model flow; the Glossi team scopes each model.
The right path when detail must be exact: stitching, engraved logos, complex mechanical parts, translucent or woven materials.
Scan a physical product
Products that only exist physically can be scanned. Photogrammetry and scanning vendors deliver standard formats (GLB, OBJ, USD) that upload directly. Best for organic shapes where the physical sample is all that exists.
Which path fits
| Your situation | Path | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Product was engineered in CAD | Upload STEP/IGES, or ask engineering or your factory | Accurate geometry, material regions mapped from the file |
| Team already works in a 3D tool | Plugin or export guide | Model arrives ready, materials transfer per format |
| Photos only, exploring | Generate from photos | Useful starting model that needs review |
| Photos only, production-critical detail | Expert build through the partner network | Studio-grade model, scoped per product, delivered to your library |
| Physical sample only, complex surfaces | Scanning or photogrammetry vendor | Accurate geometry in a standard format you upload |
Next step
Continue to Preparing assets to get the file render-ready, then follow the quickstart to your first controlled product image.