New company enables interactive 3D content creation via online editing tool. Starts long march for funding.

The boom is coming … another one. Web standards, HTML5, and WebGL are enabling smart young companies to take 3D online. The latest one we spotted while wandering at SXSW V2V is Cl3ver, which was founded in 2011 in Barcelona and is now on the launchpad. The company debuted with several other companies being showcased by accelerator fund Wayra in February to take advantage of the spotlight provided by the Mobile World Conference.

Cl3ver is a 3D visualization tool. It allows people to upload their 3D models and create presentations, which can be hosted on any site using embedded code. The content works on any browser that supports WebGL. The company uses the example of a car configurator, which would allow visitors to try out different colors. Or, a building project might want to post a walk-thru model of a proposed building to get buy-in from the community.

The Cl3ver app supports 3ds Max, Maya, Sketchup, and SolidWorks. Supported formats include 3ds, dae, kmz, stl and obj with drag and drop. Models are uploaded to the company’s online editor where it’s possible to add textures, lighting, and interactive elements with the events editor. Cl3ver has an API based on Javascript that lets developers customize an app created in the Cl3ver editor. In addition, the editor supports shaders and textures from 3ds Max. For other rendering tools such as V-Ray, you can import baked textures into the map channels of the 3ds Max materials. High Dynamic Range images can be used as environment maps, reflection maps, and for global image based lighting.  To get an idea of what kinds of content can be created using Cl3ver the company has published online samples.

Customers pay a subscription that starts at $20 a month and goes up with the amount of traffic generated by the content. So, as Cl3ver’s CEO Viktor Nordstrom told the V2V audience, you only pay as your application becomes more successful. The base level of pricing, $19.99 monthly, is for 500 unique visitors a month, the Pro level accommodates 2,500 visitors for $99.99 a month, and Business supports 5,000 visitors for $149.95.

Cl3ver is just getting going with a march for more funding, which explains their attendance at SXSW’s V2V. They participated in the conference’s pitch fest.

What do we think?

The Cl3ver interface looks easy and fun, always a nice thing for content creation tools designed for all the people who might want to use it. We’re really looking forward to seeing more tools like that as WebGL enables embedded 3D content. It’s yet another tool to allow 3D models to be published and there needs to be more of this sort of thing to encourage the growth of 3D content.