Congratulations to our Vendor of the Month, TruForm, a successful, long-time creator at Renderosity, who specializes in mostly 3D models of architecture, props and transportation with over 246 products and 1254 followers.

A multi-time winner as VOM, the designer was raised and still lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Not much has changed there, except that “mostly rainy” is how TruForm describes the city now. “Though, I’ve recently had the pleasure of visiting Japan and seeing the amazing country that it is! First off, if you’re in the creative field, Japan is a dream,” TruForm explained, further saying there are artworks everywhere, even in places you wouldn’t think to find them. It’s no surprise the artist took over 5000 photos.

“In fact, one of my latest products (at the time of this article) was very much inspired by one of the visits on the trip. The way things work there, and its efficiency, is something to be admired. Apart from that, and since my last awarding, I’m grateful for much of the technological improvement that has allowed me to design better. Modelling, texturing and rendering used to be separate processes, but they almost blend now, so that creative decisions can be made a lot quicker. And it allows me to build vast scenes more easily. How to stop myself is my current challenge.”

Q&A with TruForm

How did you get involved in creating digital assets?

I was always interested in art and technology from a young age. Initially it was 2D graphics, even playing around with 2D animation (Swish, if anyone remembers). So naturally, when a PC magazine coupled with assorted software like Daz studio and some starter content, I was instantly engaged in 3D. Thereafter another software CD coupled with Blender got me interested in making 3D stuff instead of just loading presets from the library. But oddly, I don’t recall connecting the two software together until I got a copy of Poser. It was only with Poser that I started getting serious about making content to share instead of just producing renders, with the help and nudging of Renderosity friends. If you ever have a motivation problem to get things out there, get involved in a community, they will push you.

What are some primary thoughts you have when starting a new project?

What stands out the most for me is an unexplored area. So, if I see something missing, I’m likely going to create to fill the gap. The main reason that I repeat an idea is if I revisit the old creation and either try to do it better or imagine it in a different way. Sometimes I work off few references and other times I have a host of them that I can’t fit into the project. Establishing the scope upfront, while not always possible in a blank canvas, does help.

What makes a new idea in your mind, qualify as worth spending time developing visually?

If something has a high amount of detail, that catches my attention. I love cramming (neatly of course) and don’t like empty spaces. If I’ve released something in the past that has a very few items in it, I ran out of time haha! Or, possibly because I used too many PC resources which is another thing I don’t like to do. If it’s a choice between restricting an idea to an elite PC to run vs. lowering the quality a little to get more out of it, I would go with the latter. This does tend to create a tug of war in my mind because I want to over-detail something but have to consider the distribution of geometry across the scene. Unlike games that load as needed, a 3D scene is fully dumped into RAM. This balance is what I consider with each design.

What would you say is the secret to success with your creations?

I think it’s due to the point made above—I like detail. And with each new creation I try to do better than before, not just add a different product. I also try to avoid making similar things with new releases so a potential buyer doesn’t feel like they must get a whole new product just for that one new interesting object in the scene, as awesome as it sounds that you felt compelled to do that because that one item was so worth it.

What are your favorite interests right now for new creations?

While sci-fi has been around for the longest time, I do find the recent creations of the theme to be even more exciting than before, especially environments and transport. I want to expand on that kind of world more, but of course while keeping up present timelines. Not sure how able they are to be integrated into each other but perhaps with time I can bridge the two. Nature has always been an interest of mine (trees/plants/rocks, that sort of thing) so I try to find ways to incorporate it. And sometimes I like to add fantasy twists to add interest and be unique.

And lurking in the back of my mind is character design which my brain keeps pushing me to venture into, but quite reluctant since there’s already incredibly good content available. I do see a tiny inroad though. Wink.

How has Renderosity helped in your success as a vendor?

I can answer this in multiple ways:

From a technical standpoint, the statistical info like views, likes, wish lists, sales, (and that nifty engagement panel) are all super helpful in directing me on what I should focus more on.

From a relational perspective, communication with the staff and community members are also a major driving factor, and the good-spirited environment. This includes the array of great ideas that gets shared with me, which I totally wish I had the time to make them all.

And let’s not forget the promotional team that creates the exposure that allows others to see my work.

Finally, the speed at which communication happens majorly affects how quickly things can move or be corrected if needed. I’m super grateful for all of this!

Any advice for those just starting out as a Renderosity vendor?

You don’t have to focus on quantity at first. The quality matters much more. If it’s both interesting and well made, you have a high chance of succeeding. It’s first impressions AND lasting impressions. I know I would definitely revisit the store of someone whose product stood out to me, even if I didn’t buy that item. It creates a curiosity that keeps an eye out. Consider the supporting elements of an idea and not just the idea itself. Making a T-shirt? Little extras like the stitching and adding a graphic on it will add appeal. Life has so many aspects to it that the mind expects and appreciates this.

The renders are also an important aspect. Fortunately, renderers have become a lot easier to use and more automated than before but still require an intentional approach. Sometimes I render an angle and realize this might not do the product justice or the lighting is flat. Play with light and shadows like a photographer. A camera flash that shoots straight at the subject rarely turns heads. So, your light and angle should be thoughtful.

With the arrival of AI in digital art, what are your thoughts on its use?

This topic probably will need to be revisited continually as AI advances into many different areas, especially in the world of graphic design. It was just imagery, then it became video, and now it’s generating geometry and texturing it! I’ve tried a generation or two and I see its potential but also see its current limit. Right now, it’s not great at optimizing and texture maps don’t make much sense. Instead it’s a shredded UV map. I’ve heard that it could serve as a decent background item but with the polygon count, I’ve seen you’re throwing a lot of resources to the background. While I still don’t see AI as a threat, I do think humans should exercise more creative control. As much as cars have sped up our travel time, we still fully decide the route to our destination. Likewise, AI should speed up our workflow and not take over it.

Could you share more on the marketing side?

In the past we were restricted to image renders due to reasonable times, but based on media consumption in shorts/reels, and thanks to render denoising, I think rendering clips are quite accessible and will be more appealing going forward. Especially in my case where I create large scenes and it’s not always easy to see how the scene connects. So, I would like to make use of this area. It’s also important since social media has created a flood of attention-grabbing methods that we need to make use of to stay relevant.

Are there ways you may do things differently?

Lots of businesses have adjusted their model over time, and it’s not always well received. This is especially true when it comes to perpetual purchases vs. subscriptions. I have thought of different ways to create and release products, and I might implement something soon. Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve screwing the customer over for money. It’s actually an attempt to keep up with the speed at which content is released and how people need them. I won’t be specific just yet, but it should benefit both myself and customers. I would encourage other vendors to think of different ways too as you might lose out to evolving technologies that could replace or outpace us! Also, with wildly changing economic times, it’s wise to constantly evaluate better ways of doing things. As the saying goes, nothing is permanent but change.

Any thoughts you'd like to share with the community?

To make a note about reviews, I really do appreciate all the comments shared, including the many thank-yous and wish I could reply to them all (and try to when I can), but it sometimes takes a while to get to and I end up not replying. But just know that they are all seen and I thank you for them! Please do share!