3D Model - Monolith Mesh Optimization Ideation Challenge

Welcome to the 3D Model - Monolith Mesh Optimization Ideation Challenge. In this challenge, we are looking for your ideas that would help us to automate the optimizing process of the 3D Model scans that gets generated by 3D scanning of objects/machines.

Challenge Objectives

• Ideation on how to automate the optimization process

OVERVIEW
The client of this project gets requests from their end Customers who provide them with 3D Models of parts/machinery or any other needs they may have from time to time. They request to optimize/reduce geometry without losing the shape of the 3D model itself (think of image size reduction, similar idea, end result is a 3D Model with smaller footprint).

These 3D Models that the end customer sends them to optimize are 3D scanned objects that are created/generated as a mesh made up of polygons (triangles or quads). Our client follows a few processes to optimize the model and we have described the process below.

So, in order to scale up, we are looking for your help to come up with ideas/suggest tools that will help us automate this optimization process or any other ideas that help simplify this optimization process.

AUDIENCE
Our client who optimizes the 3D models scan for AR (Augmented Reality)

EXPLORATION SCORE
In terms of expectations, we would like to measure the concept against the following in the one to ten scales:

Creativity: 8

• 1: barely new ideas
• 10: New ideas that can be implemented

Aesthetics: 1

• 1: Simple way to understand your approach for optimization
• 10: top-notch finished looking visual design

Exploration: 8

• 1: strictly follow an existing reference or production guideline
• 10: Open to your ideas

Branding: 1

• 1: don’t care at all about the branding just functionality
• 10: without a properly branded product there is no success

���REQUIREMENTS
This is the current process followed by the client once they receive the request from the end customer:
- Our client gets the request, these things are done by their team who has Minimum Qualifications of Optimization: Familiarity with 3D Model software like Blender, Maya, 3D Max,  Cinema 4D, MatLab, AutoCAD and tasks them with the series of steps as defined above in the current process to optimize the 3D models.
- The team then goes through a process as defined below.
- Then with the help of QA, they check the quality of the optimized 3D Models.

Currently, for a small-sized 3D Model optimization, 

• The Cost to the client team is approximately $800 and 
• The timeline is 5-8 days for one person. 

If the end customers provide the client with a large number of models there is no option to scale, so we are looking for ways to automate the optimization process with tools or otherwise.

Submission Format
Come up with ideas/suggest tools or any other process that would let us achieve what we are looking for, we are not expecting you to follow the same steps that we have shown in current process in optimizing the 3D models, we are open to your thoughts.

As a part of your submission, let us know the below:
- Explain your idea for the above problem in a document (Docx, PDF, Presentation, etc) and if would like to add any supporting material that could be sketches, diagrams, photos, or videos, etc.
- Justify and tell us why do you think the process you suggested to optimize is better than the currently followed process (see below)
- How long will it take (in terms of days) for the user to finish this process?
- What skills does a person need to have in order to achieve this optimization process?
- Tools involved in the process and its cost
- Anything else you wanted to share about this optimization process.

CURRENT PROCESS FOLLOWED
Below shows the current process followed by the client in optimizing the 3D models
Reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UdvnRWWSbDmUgE8rg-8e8cWXI3akcnIk/view?usp=sharing

Polycount

• As mentioned earlier these objects are 3D scanned and then the 3D model is generated automatically using the software.
• For example, The 3D Scan we have shared is made up of 412K Triangles and the file size is 20.3 MB. The textures from a scanner also are machine created and not very easy to work with as they are created from an auto UV process. We need to bring down the triangles to as much as possible (preferably down to 80k Tris) by the end of the process, while maintaining the shape of the equipment, in a way that original textures must continue to be applied on the equipment.
• For our use case (Mobile devices as of 2020), we can take a polycount of 300k Tris as an upper limit of our 3D assets. If more is needed to correctly represent the asset, they should be broken down into different streamable components.

Reduce the size of the 3D Model

• The size of the 3D model needs to be less than 10MB, as these objects will be viewed in an AR app on mobile and will be used for training the people on exactly how to operate the equipment, the example that we have shared is a dialysis machine.
• Again there is no general rule of thumb here, but to make sure the models don’t take a long time to download, we can assume 30 MB per asset as the largest file size we aim for. If the size is larger than 30 MB, they should be broken down into different streamable components.

Split Monolith Mesh into Parts

• Need to split the monolith meshes into smaller meshes of parts and sub-parts that need to exist separately
• This way it will help reduce the size of the 3D model

Fix Pivots:

• Center the Pivot points of each part and Subpart. All axis of meshes should point in the same direction.

Assemble Scans:

• Combine the parts and sub-parts together

Rename Parts / sub-parts:

• Rename parts of the assets with clear identifiable names. Absolutely avoid duplicate names For similar components, add numbers after the part name.

Decimate & Finalize Individual Meshes:

• Decimate each part separately with different coefficients while making sure the shape and topology of the part is retained as much as possible
• Finalize the meshes

���BRANDING GUIDELINES
NA for this challenge

SUBMISSION AND SOURCE FILES
Submission File
You can submit either of the following

• Document (Docx, PDF, Presentation, etc) and
• If would like to add any supporting material that could be sketches, diagrams, photos, or videos, etc include them too.

Source File

• All source files of the format you submit.

Declaration File

• Declaration files document contains the following information:
  • Stock Photos Name and Source Links from an allowed sources
  • Stock Art/Icons Name and Source Links from an allowed sources
  • Fonts Name and Source Links source from an allowed source

FINAL FIXES

• As part of the final fixes phase, you may be asked to modify content if they are not meaningful or need any clarifications