Boom Supersonic Engages Its Visitors With An Annotated 3D Model
Boom Supersonic is an American start-up company that is redefining what it means to fly by building Overture, its Mach-2.2 commercial aircraft. XB-1 is the demonstrator airplane for Overture and a critical step toward mainstream supersonic travel. XB-1 will prove key technologies for safe, efficient, and sustainable supersonic travel.
Boom plans to roll out the XB-1aircraft this year. Boom recently shared a 3D model of XB-1 on its website using Sketchfab’s 3D Viewer.
Goals
- Be transparent with Boom’s investors and its online audience by giving them an inside look into the upcoming XB-1 aircraft.
- Build excitement and drive customer engagement with the Boom brand and its XB-1 aircraft before its launch.
- Educate online visitors on specific parts of the XB-1 aircraft.
Solution
- Boom created a 3D model of its XB-1 aircraft and shared it on its website and in different blog posts using Sketchfab’s 3D viewer.
XB-1 3D model by Boom Supersonic
Process
Step 1: Boom leveraged the preexisting Solidworks files from their engineers and exported them as .STP files into Cinema 4D.
Step 2: In Cinema 4D, they textured the model of the plane.
Step 3: Boom then exported that model as separate .OBJ files and uploaded them to Sketchfab.
Step 4: Using the Sketchfab editor, Boom added 3D annotations to the 3D model to highlight and draw viewers’ attention to specific features of the supersonic aircraft.
Step 5: They embedded the 3D model on their website by including the model’s URL in their website’s code.
“Sketchfab allowed us to easily integrate and showcase our 3D model on our website. The viewer is usable across browsers allowing everyone to use it without having to download a plug-in. It’s also very intuitive for first-time users of all ages and technological experience.”
—Travis Hess, Design Director, Boom Supersonic
Results
- Boom’s online visitors can observe the XB-1 aircraft in 3D directly from Boom’s website.
- Allowing potential customers to observe and interact with the upcoming plane in 3D creates an entertaining and engaging experience and helps to build a strong innovative brand identity.
- The 3D XB-1 model is a powerful manifestation of the project’s transparency—it gives Boom’s investors and all the people interested in the project an unprecedented look into the XB-1 airplane before the plane begins flight testing.
Clicking on the aircraft’s annotations reveals what the structure looks like. It also loads up real images below the 3D model to chronicle the progress of the in-developement XB-1 aircraft.
- Using Sketchfab’s Viewer API, the model’s 3D annotations trigger hiding or revealing part of the plane’s structure.
- Clicking on one annotation also links to further explanation and photographs below the 3D model to document and educate visitors on technical aspects of the aircraft.
- To date, the 3D model has had ~20,000 views. Boom has received great feedback from investors and aviation advocates through engagement on social media.
April 20, 2020
