Role: 3D Motion Designer & Animator
Tools: Cinema 4D, Redshift, After Effects
Client: Legrand (via Edson Evers)
Deliverable: 3D Product Animation & Motion Graphics
Overview
Legrand required a dynamic product video to launch their new Swifts Pre-Galvanised Cable Ladder System, highlighting key engineering benefits such as rapid installation, structural fire resistance, lightweight handling, and sustainable manufacturing.
The primary challenge was translating raw manufacturing CAD data into a visually crisp, highly engaging commercial visual asset that effectively communicated technical specs to installers and specifiers.
The Challenge: From Raw STL Files to Photorealistic Animation
Working with raw CAD/STL files provided directly by Legrand presented immediate technical obstacles:
Unoptimized Geometry: Raw STL exports are densely triangulated and unoptimized for clean render passes or deformation, requiring extensive CAD cleanup and hierarchy restructuring in Cinema 4D.
Surface Realism: Recreating the distinct visual character of pre-galvanised steel required precise material development to achieve natural metallic sheen, micro-scratches, and subtle light diffusion without cluttering the clean aesthetic.
Complex Technical Storytelling: Explaining features like pre-fitted couplers, two-hour fire resistance, and weight reduction needed to feel seamless, swift, and premium.
Workflow & Production Process
1. Model Cleanup & Assembly (Cinema 4D)
Imported and retopologized Legrand's raw STL manufacturing assets into structured, animatable component groups.
Rigged modular ladder sections, couplers, and fasteners to allow effortless dynamic assembly and explosive mechanism callouts.
2. Shading & Lighting (Redshift)
Built custom physically-based pre-galvanised metal materials in Redshift using customized roughness maps and subtle metallic bump passes to capture genuine industrial galvanized steel finish.
Applied high-contrast studio lighting setups against dark gradient backgrounds to isolate product contours and draw focus to mechanical locking points.
3. Motion & Technical Storytelling (Cinema 4D & After Effects)
Dynamic Camera Work: Designed smooth sweeping camera trajectories that transition from close-up micro-details to full system reveals.
Assembly Motion: Animated precise snap-fit mechanics to visually prove the system's "Faster by Design" installer benefit.
HUD Callouts & UI Overlays: Composited sleek motion graphics typography, track-points, and technical callout containers in After Effects to emphasize speed, weight, and fire test certifications.
Key Highlights & Results
"Faster by Design" Demonstration: Visually highlighted quick-coupling mechanics and reduced component counts, clearly demonstrating job-site time savings for installers.
Fire Safety & Performance: Integrated real-world test footage overlays alongside motion callouts showcasing proven 2-hour collapse resistance.
High-Impact Brand Visuals: Delivered an executive-grade product video matching Legrand’s global brand standards and technical guidelines.
