Today’s businesses are producing more complex digital assets than ever before. From immersive 3D applications in retail to real-time simulations in manufacturing, companies rely on a vast and growing library of CAD files, 3D models, audio files, and more. A 2023 survey of over 800 manufacturers by Deloitte revealed that 98% have initiated their digital transformation journey, up from 78% in 2019, driven by both the needs to improve customer experience and operational efficiency. Yet many organizations still struggle to efficiently manage, organize, and retrieve their assets–resulting in reduced productivity and duplicated efforts. In a 2022 study, Forrester found that 68% of respondents from large teams (500+ employees) said their work is negatively impacted because they don't have visibility into cross-functional projects. In the same study, 80% of respondents view reducing data and information silos as a critical or high priority to address fractured organizations.
An effective asset management solution isn’t just about storage; it’s about enabling cross-functional collaboration, ensuring version control, and optimizing workflows across the entire asset lifecycle. In an era where digital transformation is reshaping the way industries operate, businesses must find better solutions to optimize how they manage, store, and collaborate on 3D content to remain competitive.
In this e-book, we’ll explore the common challenges of 3D asset management and what to look for in a solution to:
Many traditional digital asset management solutions (DAM) are suited to act as a library for primarily 2D assets. The complexity of 3D assets introduces unique challenges, with intricate geometries, textures, and metadata that result in a wide variety of file types, large file sizes and increased storage requirements. Organizations that attempt to get by with 2D DAM offerings often get slowed down by the workflows which aren’t optimized for the complexities of 3D content, like meshes, textures, and rigging. This complexity demands a more robust solution that can handle complex file formats and interoperability. Solutions refined for 3D assets will offer data prep, as well as 3D data streaming for conversion of large-scale models and complex visualization while preserving metadata of the models.
As industries continue to embrace digital transformation, addressing challenges related to data integration, storage scalability, and cross-functional collaboration to fully leverage the benefits of 3D technologies becomes paramount. Let’s take a look at some of the common challenges industries face when working with digital assets, and explore what to look for in a solution to combat these challenges.
Without the right tools, industries relying on 3D content face higher costs, duplicated efforts, and potential security risks. If your organization is encountering any of the following challenges, you should consider implementing a digital asset management tool that is suited for 3D content:
1. Inefficient asset tracking and management
2. File compatibility and workflow issues
3. Collaboration and communication bottlenecks
4. Rising costs and delays
These challenges directly impact business performance by blocking the flow of information across the organization, increasing costs, extending time to market, and reducing overall quality. In the next section, we’ll take a look at ways to overcome these challenges with scalable asset management solutions.
To address these challenges, businesses must implement a tool that streamlines asset management while enabling collaboration, maximizing content ROI, and ensuring compatibility with industry-specific file formats. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a 3D asset management solution, as well as some best practices to implement to mitigate common challenges.
Establish workflows for your 3D pipelines
A standardized workflow is essential for managing complex 3D pipelines. Without structured processes, creative teams waste valuable time searching for, modifying, or recreating assets instead of iterating efficiently. The right asset management solution should:
Align with cross-functional teams
Select a tool that eliminates siloed storage, so your team can speed up production and reduce duplicated efforts or errors. Look for a tool that can:
Maximize content ROI
3D asset creation is expensive, and inefficient management leads to wasted resources. Different industries rely on various 3D file formats, making compatibility a crucial factor when choosing the right tool. To ensure you’re making the most of your assets, consider a solution that:
Deploy anywhere, on any device
Modern asset management solutions should be flexible and accessible across hardware. By selecting a cloud based asset management instead of an on-prem solution, you can:
The Unity Asset Manager (UAM) is an open and intelligent digital asset management platform designed to simplify and streamline the way teams handle complex, real-time 3D assets. From upload and organization to transformation and collaboration, it empowers teams to efficiently manage their assets while minimizing headaches in the creative process. Integrated with the Unity Editor and Unity’s Pixyz dataprep solution, Asset Manager helps teams stay on track, make informed decisions, and push high-quality 3D applications out the door faster.
Key features:
1. Find assets faster and more intuitively
2. Optimize your 3D assets across devices
3. Strengthen data security
4. Custom fit to your workflows
Want to see some real examples of industry customers using Unity Asset Manager? Below are two examples of customers in the construction and architecture industries who use Asset Manager for improved team collaboration and productivity:
Obayashi: The future of construction collaboration
A leader in Japan’s construction industry, Obayashi, needed a solution to overcome collaboration challenges across their construction teams. They have long utilized 3D models in planning and design phases of their projects, but they needed to be able to make their large 3D models accessible for all workers without requiring high-performance devices or specialized skills.
To address this, they used Unity to develop their immersive 3D collaborative application, called CONNECTIA.
With Unity, the Obayashi team achieved:
Learn more about Obayashi
Worldbuildr: Streamlining 3D visualization and asset management for immersive collaboration
Worldbuildr, a technology solutions provider specializing in digital twins for the location-based entertainment (LBE) industry, partnered with FrankNDesign, a creative firm specializing in theme park designs to develop an application that facilitates improved visualization of architectural 3D model formats within an immersive 3D environment while securely handling the management of all project assets. They achieved this feat with Unity’s real-time 3D technology and Asset Manager.
With the help of Unity’s tools, the team achieved:
Learn more about Worldbuildr
The digital transformation resulting from the adoption of real-time 3D content creation is reshaping industries around the globe. This shift brings incredible opportunities, but it also demands the right tools and strategies to manage the growing complexity of 3D assets effectively.
Throughout this ebook, we’ve explored the challenges businesses face in scaling 3D content production, the critical role of organization and collaboration, and how streamlined workflows can unlock productivity and innovation. The success of this evolution hinges on using an asset management solution that meets the demands of your business.
Investing in an asset management solution suited for 3D assets can help you:
Investing in the right strategies and systems for 3D asset management can not only help you stay ahead in a competitive environment, but it can also empower your creative teams to try more ideas and increase creative velocity. By prioritizing a structured approach to managing digital assets, organizations can position themselves to thrive in the dynamic world of real-time, immersive 3D content.
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