3D product models for e-commerce

A 360° view answers questions a flat photo can't: how deep is it, what does the back look like, will it fit on my shelf? For furniture, homeware and gadgets, 3D and AR views are now a standard part of a good product page.

Where 3D product models go

• Shopify supports 3D models as product media, with GLB for the viewer and USDZ for iPhone AR.
• Custom sites can embed a GLB with Google's <model-viewer>, which adds AR buttons on supported phones automatically.
• Ads and social. A rendered turntable video often outperforms static photos for products with an interesting shape.

Getting a model of your product

A professional scan is still the most accurate option for high-value items. For a large catalogue, though, it rarely makes sense per product. A faster route:

1. Take one clean product photo on a plain background at a three-quarter angle.
2. Run it through image to 3D to get a textured GLB.
3. Check the back and underside, which are inferred, not measured.
4. Scale it to the real dimensions and export both GLB and USDZ.

Our guide to turning a photo into a 3D model covers the photography in detail.

Honesty matters on product pages

A product model must look like the product. Generated reconstructions can drift in colour, proportions or fine detail, especially on the hidden sides. Compare every model with the real item before publishing it, and fix or re-shoot anything that could mislead a buyer. For high-return categories like furniture, accurate dimensions matter more than texture detail.

See what good looks like

The velvet armchair and copper cookware in our library show the material quality that makes product renders convincing. Open them on a phone and use the AR button to see how they sit in a real room.