Behind the Render Chapter 1: Me, 3DEXCITE, and a Lot of First Clicks

When I first joined the 3DEXCITE team, I knew I was stepping into a new environment. but one that still felt strangely familiar.

I’m a 3D visualizer by background, someone who’s always been drawn to the spaces where creativity and strategy meet. Over time, my work has expanded beyond creating visuals into the world of storytelling and marketing. I started crafting narratives that make ideas not just seen, but felt. I have worked with several 3D software platforms in the past, so the shift to 3DEXCITE (although not a software) wasn’t a big step in terms of functionality.

Before we dive into how it all started, let’s take a moment. If you’re new to 3DEXCITE or even the entire Dassault Systèmes universe, don’t worry, I’ve got you! I’m here to guide you through it. The name might sound a bit abstract at first, but trust me, I’m about to share a journey that will make it all click.

Here’s how it looked from my seat, stepping into this world for the first time:

3DEXCITE is a creative toolset within the bigger 3DEXPERIENCE platform, developed by Dassault Systèmes. It’s all about turning products into high-end interactive 3D content. things like animations, renderings, or even full-on AR and VR experiences.

And honestly, that was my first real challenge: understanding how 3DEXCITE fits into the platform, and how all the tools connect.

But enough of that! Let me tell you what it was actually like to get started.

Onboarding: Finding My Way Around

My onboarding started with a mix of guided support from Chloé and personal exploration. I spent time opening things up and figuring out the interface on my own, following my curiosity more than a plan.

Chloé, who works in pre-sales at 3DEXCITE, where she’s in charge of the technical qualification of client projects, was there to point me in the right direction when I needed it, which helped me feel grounded even when I was still finding my pace.

I also had a really warm welcome from Hillary, 3DEXCITE’s Marketing Director, who was super open to hearing ideas and made space for creativity right away. That openness created a kind of safety for me. Like it’s okay not to know everything yet, but your ideas still matter.

The discovery part felt smoother thanks to the tools available, like 3DEXPERIENCE University(which is basically the official classroom of the platform) for the basics and 3DEXCITE PIONEERS (It’s a learning hub and more like a creative community space) to explore more advanced workflows like xHighlight. 

Learning the 3DEXCITE Language (Yes, It’s a Whole Language!)

Let me tell you where it got a bit harder: the language of 3DEXCITE.

There’s a whole ecosystem of acronyms. And if you’re new, it’s easy to feel like everyone’s speaking in code! Even if you’re comfortable with the tools, the terminology is a journey on its own.

What helped me was asking questions. And not being afraid to say “wait, what does that mean again?” in the middle of a conversation. People are used to it and are very kind about it. I even started joking by saying “acronym alert!” out loud when something confusing came up. And I can assure you, it can actually break the ice 😄

One day I might write a full survival guide for it…but for now, I’m just collecting notes.

xHighlight vs Creative Experience “CXP” (Acronym alert!)

Once I started working with both tools, it became clear that they offer two totally different experiences, and I think that’s actually what makes them powerful.

xHighlight is a web application on the platform that is very structured and clear. It’s great when you need to walk someone through a product and show how it works. It’s organized in a way that makes sense when your goal is to be clear and informative.

But for someone like me who leans toward the visual and emotional side of storytelling, it felt a little too light. It’s powerful, no doubt, but not always the most expressive because, in my opinion, it’s designed for more technical 3D Data presentations.

Creative Experience, on the other hand, felt like a space where I could actually breathe creatively.

It gave me room to build mood and tell a story. The whole interface felt more fluid, more open to experimentation. Let’s say that it’s less about explaining, more about storytelling.

The starter guide in Creative Experience was so helpful. (It’s this built-in walkthrough that you find right inside CXP). It’s so practical and just shows you the basics step by step. It hooks you in right away. 

Here’s the starter guide I mentioned:

The balance Between the Two

This is what I noticed so far: they complete each other.

xHighlight helps you focus on structure and function, while Creative Experience transforms that into something visually striking and emotionally engaging to create impactful scenarios.

First Project: Livia Perfume

My first project was building a basic technical demo using a fictional product: Livia Perfume. It’s a perfume set  that includes a perfume bottle and two creams.

I started in xHighlight, where I made a small animation showing the perfume set in only 3 hours! Imagine what a person can do in a whole day with this tool and how much they can show. The process felt structured and clean. It was great for showing off functionality and product details but it also felt…a bit rigid.

That’s when I opened Creative Experience and everything changed. Suddenly, I had room to build an atmosphere. To play with mood, light, story, animation. This is where the artist in me finally felt at home.

What’s really cool is how these tools offer different approaches: xHighlight is technical and straight to the point. Creative Experience, on the other hand, lets you go full aesthetic and is really good for visual storytelling. Together, they show how functionality and elegance don’t have to be separate. They can live in the same space.

Right now, I’m reworking the Livia scene on Creative Experience with that exact idea in mind, making it informative and beautiful

What felt familiar and What’s Not (Yet)?

What felt familiar:

• Material logic and visual workflows felt familiar
• Viewport navigation: rotating/moving felt natural, while zooming in and out is a bit different
• Shortcuts: some are similar with other softwares, (still exploring shortcuts)
• Scene setup, drag-and-drop, rendering: They all have a known structure
• The built-in guide + community made learning feel safe and supported

What’s still tricky:

• Understanding the platform as a whole
• Grasping the bigger idea behind 3DEXCITE
• Navigating the communities and organizing assets and files
• Adapting to internal terminology and communication styles

That’s where I am right now.
Still discovering. Still experimenting. Still asking questions.
But that’s exactly what makes it fun and if you’re just getting started with 3DEXCITE too, maybe these will sound familiar:

Q: Is 3DEXCITE just one tool or a whole platform?

It’s actually a suite of tools inside the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Once you’re in, you realize it’s more like a creative ecosystem than a standalone app.

Q: Do I need to install anything to use XHighlight or CXP?

XHighlight is web-based (super convenient), but Creative Experience usually needs to be launched from inside the platform. 

Q: What even is 3DEXCITE?
A creative toolbox inside the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It lets you turn products into super polished visuals, animations, renderings, AR/VR, you name it.

Q: Do I need to know coding to use this?
Nope. I’m a 3D artist, not a dev! and I’ve been just fine. You need creativity and patience more than code.

Q: What’s the difference between XHighlight and Creative Experience (CXP)?
XHighlight is more technical. Think structure and product breakdown. CXP is more visual and storytelling-driven, think mood, animation, atmosphere.

Q: Is it normal to feel lost at the beginning?
Absolutely. But between the starter guides, video tutorials, and just clicking around and asking questions… it starts to click. Slowly, but surely.

Q: What helped me the most in week one?
The starter guide in CXP + the fact that people (shoutout Chloé + Hillary and all the team) were open to questions.

Stay tuned for Chapter 2, in which I will be talking about my first Creative Steps in the Livia project and how I’m turning it into a full creative scenario using animation, camera work, and visual storytelling.

See you behind the next render!