XO3D Studio · Guide

CGI for E-Commerce.

Platform requirements, SKU variant production, 360° viewers, and how to produce all of it without a photoshoot for every product and every colourway.

Alex Mann
Alex Mann
Head of Production, XO3D Studio
Discuss your e-commerce brief

E-commerce product imagery has two requirements that traditional photography struggles to fulfil at scale: consistency across large SKU ranges, and delivery in multiple formats for multiple platforms simultaneously. A product available in eight colourways, selling on Amazon, Shopify, and a branded website, requiring a packshot, a lifestyle composite, and a 360° viewer — that is a significant photography brief. As a CGI brief, it is a single asset build with multiple outputs.

The e-commerce case for CGI: Once the 3D asset exists, every SKU variant, every platform format, every new angle costs production time only — no re-shoot, no new props, no location booking, no retouching of physical imperfections. The asset becomes a permanent production infrastructure for the brand.

CGI for e-commerce — Shopify listing mockup with 3D outputs
A single 3D asset produces packshot, 360 viewer, lifestyle and multi-angle thumbnails — everything the listing needs.

Platform requirements

What each major platform needs.

PlatformPrimary Image SpecVideo360° / InteractiveCGI Suitability
Amazon2000×2000px min, white bg required for heroMP4, up to 2 minAmazon A+ 360° moduleExcellent — Pure white background is CGI's natural state
Shopify2048×2048px recommended, any bgMP4 via Vimeo / YouTube embed3D model viewer (GLB / GLTF)Excellent — Native 3D viewer support
Instagram Shop1080×1080px (1:1), 1080×1350px (4:5)Reels 9:16 or 1:1Not supportedExcellent — Format flexibility from one build
TikTok Shop800×800px min, white bg9:16 vertical strongly preferredNot supportedGood — Vertical format from CGI build
Retailer PDPsVaries — typically 2000px+ squareEmbedded MP4Proprietary or third-partyExcellent — All specs from one build

FAQ

Common questions, answered.

Can CGI produce pure white backgrounds that meet Amazon's requirements?
Yes — a white studio background is the simplest CGI background to produce, because the environment is entirely controlled. CGI product images for Amazon are rendered against a calibrated white background with no shadows visible below the product, which meets Amazon's hero image requirements exactly. Photography achieving the same result typically requires significant post-production retouching to achieve a compliant pure white.
What is a 360° product viewer and how is it delivered?
A 360° product viewer is an interactive web component that allows the user to drag or swipe the product through a full 360° rotation. For Shopify, this is typically delivered as a GLB (GL Transmission Format Binary) file that uses Shopify's native 3D viewer. For other platforms, XO3D delivers a JavaScript-based viewer (Three.js) with an embedded 3D model, optimised for web performance. All formats are produced from the same 3D build.
Does CGI scale for large SKU ranges?
CGI overtakes a simple photography set-up at roughly 3–5 SKUs for a typical product range. Above this, the production model changes fundamentally: the 3D asset is built once, and additional SKUs are material swaps rather than new builds. For a brand with 20 SKUs across 4 colourways, CGI holds consistent quality across the full range and updates in days rather than weeks when product designs change.

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Running an e-commerce brand with a large product range?

Tell us about your SKU count, your platforms, and your current imagery process. We will show you how CGI changes the economics.

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