Tell HN: Rip glTF models from IKEA for fun and profit

5 points by praash 2y ago ↗ HN

Ikea now has 3D previews on their product pages, but there's no button for downloading the models. However, the browser's network log allows you to see a URL for downloading the viewed model in plain standard glTF! You can import this in Blender and it's just ready - scaled in metric and painted with basic materials!

I've been using Blender for planning moves between small flats - testing furniture setups in a virtual model is so fun besides being useful. Even a crude model allows me to make concrete decisions well in advance.

Modeling a non-rectangular room is pretty straightforward with a perspective matching tool like fSpy and a few measurements in real life.

Trying and comparing different furniture setups is as simple as animating the room over time! Blender allows you to split your UI to show multiple synchronizes views across the room. Add timeline markers to label each setup for easy discussion. Marker names will be visible in each 3D view screenshot!

Blender's Eevee gives excellent live previews without much hassle. I've been very happy just using the builtin interior HDR map and slapping screen-space AO/reflections on top.

3 comments

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tanepiper 2y ago ↗

Senior Engineering Leader at Inter IKEA here - correct, the 3d models have to be served to be viewed - but they are likely the lowest quality versions.

There's a pipeline to covert manufacturing-level models down to Web quality. I've been playing about with those APIs recently.

We also have a small selection of models on github.com/ikea

praash 2y ago ↗

Wow, thanks for your response!

I'd be interested to hear about the PBR material workflow in the catalogue rendering department! How on earth can you match real life materials at a satisfactory level?

How do manufacturers like IKEA collaborate with professional interior designers/architects these days? Are there even professionals outside IKEA who'd wish to produce photorealistic renders with these models?

Yea there's a whole pipeline, but that's in another department and it's the kind of place no recording equipment it allowed ;)

FYI most images you see from IKEA, unless there's a human - it's likely 100% rendered.