Mangeshi Arm Chair: 17 product images from one 3D model

One chair, eight versions, no photo shoot

A furniture range rarely comes in one finish. This armchair is offered in four fabrics and two timber finishes, which makes eight versions of the same chair. Photographing them would mean building eight samples, shipping them to a studio and shooting each one from the same angle.

The brief was to produce the whole image set from the 3D model instead: every fabric and timber combination, the angles a marketplace listing needs, close-ups of the joinery and seams, and a few room scenes for the catalogue and social media.

• 17Final images in the set
• 8Fabric and timber combinations
• 3Lifestyle room scenes
• 2550 × 3000 pxPortrait delivery size

Starting point: the 3D model and a specification sheet

We started from the maker's SketchUp model, the specification sheet and swatch references for each fabric and timber. Before producing a single image we checked the model against the specification and noted where the two differed, so that nothing was resized or corrected without being flagged.

The model had no saved camera views, so we set up a fixed set of cameras: a front three-quarter hero, a true front, a side profile, a rear three-quarter and close-up positions. Every image in the set is taken from one of these.

Eight fabric and timber combinations from one master image

The hero view was produced once in the default finish, sand bouclé on a dark-stained oak frame, and used as the master. Each of the other seven versions was then made from that master, so the camera, the light and the shape of the chair stay the same and only the materials change. On a product page that means a shopper can click between swatches and see nothing move except the fabric and the timber.

Listing angles

A marketplace listing needs more than one flattering angle. The front, side and rear views show what the hero cannot: the long curve of the arm in profile, the broad rear legs and the upholstered back panel.

Details, checked against the model

Close-ups are where product images usually go wrong, because small errors in shape become obvious. Our first arm close-ups showed the arm curving sideways. A top-down view of the model proved the arms are straight in plan and curve only along their length, so those images were rejected and remade from close-up views exported from the model itself.

Lifestyle scenes

Three room settings place the chair where a buyer might use it: a sunlit coastal living room, a timber-panelled lounge in the evening and a bright reading corner. The chair keeps the same proportions in every scene because each one is built on a view of the model, not drawn from imagination.

The result

Seventeen portrait images at 2550 × 3000 px: eight hero images covering every fabric and timber combination, three further listing angles, three detail shots and three lifestyle scenes. Enough for a full marketplace listing with a working colour selector, a catalogue page and social posts, without building eight samples.

Where this helps

• Furniture makers and brands can show every finish of a design without building every sample.
• Marketplace sellers get a consistent main image, angle set and detail shots for each variant.
• Catalogue and social teams get room scenes that match the product images exactly.

Common questions

What do you need to produce a set like this?

A 3D model or CAD file if you have one, or dimensioned drawings and clear reference photos. For each finish we need a swatch photo or the supplier reference, and any seam or piping details.

Can you add more fabrics later?

Yes. Because every version is made from the same master view, a new fabric or timber can be added later and will match the existing images.

Are the images sized for marketplaces?

The masters are delivered at high resolution and exported in the sizes each marketplace and your own store require.