From automated warehouse vehicles to high-definition printing, Ceramic Industries is no stranger to tech. But now, anticipating the needs of architects and other design professionals, they’re taking technology even further. Their 3D models make it easier for these professionals to visualise the company’s bathroomware products within design spaces, and to match the right baths, basins and toilets to their projects.

Graphic Designer and Coordinator at Ceramic Industries, Peter Malefetsane Molupe, began the monumental task of scanning the manufacturer’s prodigious range of baths in 2021. It was a steep learning curve, and even with the use of the advanced scanners and software, there were unanticipated particulars to the task. “The scan picks up rough surfaces better than smooth ones,” says Molupe. “So we had to develop our own techniques to accurately scan our super-smooth acrylic baths.”

Once the object has been scanned from all angles, the process is still far from complete. The images must undergo considerable post-processing, some of which is automated, and some requiring considerable technical expertise and a good eye.

Now that the current range has been scanned and modelled, with new products being added continually, design professionals are able to interact with 3D versions of the baths online, rotating them in any direction they choose. This allows them to inspect, in detail, the exact shape of a bath, including the thickness of edges and both the interior and exterior. For design projects where detail is everything, this kind of access to bathroomware products is crucial.

Besides giving design professionals the ability to manipulate the products in 3D online, Ceramic Industries use these models to create images of these objects in situ. Peter creates photo-realistic images of high-design bathrooms that include Ceramic Industries baths, basins, toilets and tiles. These give a real sense of how these items work together as an ensemble, and serve as inspiration to designers and end-consumers alike.

In a further application of technology, QR codes associated with each bathroomware item have been generated for use in-store. These link to installation guides for the products, also available for download on the Ceramic Industries website. The company is now planning to take this aspect one step further, with 3D installation guide videos currently in development. Anyone who has used Ceramic Industries’ high-quality tiles or bathroomware in a project has benefited from their advanced technology. Now they’re bringing the benefits to building professionals even earlier in the process, and it’s sure to be a useful tool in the design stage.