: Turn die-line into 3D mock-up If I have a 2D die-line of a product. What's the quickest way to turn it into a 3D mock-up? Preferably it should output to a popular 3D format like 3ds Max.

@Connie430

There is a software called esko which is a plugin used in adobe illustrator it turns your dieline into 3d mockup.

Also try,

origami (similar software),
Folding Genius 3D (similar software),
packmage (similar software).

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@Hamaas979

I know this post is late and not in 3D max but any software package can pull this off. I use C4D with foldMYDesign template and FoldIt plugin with bones for animations and instruction manuals. Adding to plugins with PYTHON is beast mode as well.

If you use ArtiosCAD, you can easily export 3D format say DAE and have dieline extruded and work your magic. You can also fold your design in ARTIOS(More intelligently for simpler pieces). You can also use Adobe Illustrator as long as the shapes are closed with no gaps, no double points on top of each other, no one piece representing 3(or however many) pieces for your dieline. You want each connecting piece to be it's own COMPOUND medium. Export say Illustrator version 8 and push forward.

Example links...

FoldMyDesign R16 template

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@Sue6373160

Boxshot.com has an app called Origami that takes an AI file with die lines and renders a 3D view.

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@Correia448

Strata 3D used to have a great plug-in for Illustrator that would do this wonderfully, Enfold. It was created in collaboration with Esko and utilized Esko's Studio technology.

It let you create your dieline, set the creases and cut lines, and then fold it up to a 3D model you could export to Strata 3D (or anything that would open a .u3d file). It was/is great and I still use it today.

However, when they stopped selling it they tried to merge users over to Esko Studio, which was about 5x more costly. Yes, Esko studio is the standard for doing this sort of thing, but it's expensive.

I've been looking for an alternative for a while and Origami by Boxshot looks promising, it's not there yet.

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@Cugini998

While any 3D application can do this, its by no means trivial. First polygon modellers are discretsized and you can not just bend wherever you like. With no 3d experience this is a bit hard to get at first. For a experienced 3d modeller no problem. While any content creation application works file I have a different suggestion.

3D CAD applications have a specific operating mode for this kind of things. Mainly because of the need to build things out of sheet metal. Which is the same technique on material that's slightly more tensile. Packages get designed with this method all the time. So all you need to do is show the bend lines and input the angle. This may be more intuitive than learning Blender.

So without texturing or render heres what the process would look like in Creo:



Image 1: After AI import is made into a sheet



Image 2: Bending is just as simple as drawing lines on the sheet. (CAD takes care fo bend radiuses etc.)



Image 3: Bends complete

At this point its ready to be textured and rendered. But now my times up.

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@Sue6373160

Thanks for all your suggestions. I've narrowed down the software to the following -

Origami is an illustrator plugin that automatically folds the 2D shape into an 3D file for further editing.

I'll still need to import the file into 3d software for rendering it properly. I've looked at several and I'll probably end up using blender. It has the least intuitive interface of all the 3D editors I've looked at, but it seems to be the most powerful of the free and cheap options. Depending on how productive I am with it I might skip Origami altogether.

UPDATE

joojaa mentioned CAD software called Creo, that some people may prefer. You can get a free version of Creo that allows you to use a maximum of 60 unique parts here -
www.ptc.com/products/creo-elements-direct/modeling-express/

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@Goswami567

3ds Max is perfect for this. And has a 30 day FREE trial, with full functionality.

Draw it out in 2D inside 3ds Max. Then simply move the Transform Gizmo to the creases and fold it as you need until you have the desired result. And you can even animate these folds, for added fun.

By "folding" you'll be ROTATING, the currently selected sub selection (those bits you want to fold) around the position of the Transform Gizmo at the crease.

Should be a lot of fun to do, once you figure out all the terminology and techniques of 3ds Max.

3ds Max is probably one of the hardest design apps in the world to learn, but also the most rewarding. And they have some of the best documentation. If you need any particular help coming to terms with it, invest time watching guys use it for polygon modelling on youtube.

And, ironically, 3ds Max is about 10x better for doing 2D design with splines than the specialised 2D software. So that's an added bonus that makes learning how to use it well worthwhile.

=============

Here's the magic feature of 3ds Max. This alone will get you addicted to its way of doing things:
www.max-realms.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=compact&topic_id=1486
Think of it like an anchor point, but it's MUCH more powerful and freeform than that.

Here's an introduction to Transform Gizmos:
docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/3ds-Max-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-663522D0-6C32-4BC7-8F83-9E73E1AADF5C.htm,topicNumber=d30e604064
And here's a brief overview of the concept of a Gizmo in 3ds Max:
docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/3ds-Max-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-663522D0-6C32-4BC7-8F83-9E73E1AADF5C.htm,topicNumber=d30e604064
These things will forever change how you can think of moving things around to create new and interesting shapes.

R is the shortcut key you want most, it's Rotate. Once in this mode, anything currently selected can be rotated around the current position of its transform gizmo.

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@Jessie844

Aha - I see, DA01 is right, there is not enough information in a 2D image to instruct the 3D. The only way I can think of is to do it the other way around, from 3D to 2D. But I am guessing that is not what you want. :)

As, again DA01 says, making a simple 3D shape that will be correct is pretty straightforward in any 3D software (Blender, Sketchup).

I would just like to add though, that if your die cut has some kind of imagery on it - colours, shapes, pictures - what you do is create the 3D shape, then wrap your 2D image onto the surface. That way, you combine the best of two worlds: freedom of graphics in 2D, with a 3D shape.

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@RJPawlick971

There's no software (that I know of) that can magically turn a dieline into the 3D object it's meant to be, as the dieline simply doesn't have all the information needed to actually construct the package (which way to fold, how far, what the material is, what's a glue tab, what's not, etc.)

If you're simply looking for 3D software to redraw it, then there's plenty of options. For free software suitable for commercial use, Blender is a popular one.

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