Behind the Render Chapter 2: The Birth of LIVIA – Cotton, Musk and Light

Every project begins with a spark, an idea that asks to be shaped and brought to life.

The product I decided to work on is the Livia Perfume set. It’s an imaginary perfume set built around the soft and comforting notes of cotton and musk. It includes a perfume bottle and two creams, all designed to evoke purity and elegance.

In this chapter, I’ll be using ‘CXP’ as a shorthand for Creative Experience. And yes, I speak in acronyms now after spending a while with 3DEXCITE. It definitely became part of my vocabulary. So if you read the first chapter, don’t judge me!

A fragrance in focus!

My goal is to bring this feeling to life through a series of renders, created entirely inside 3DEXCITE’s Creative Experience (CXP): a tool I’m only just beginning to explore.

Since the project focuses on visualizing a perfume set, I wanted it to tell a story. And because I work in marketing, I approach each creation with a mindset  of an artistic director shaping visuals that don’t just exist, but speak and create a feeling for the consumer.

Building the Moodboard, Finding the Feeling

To create that story, I first need to build a moodboard: research, inspiration, colors, environments, vibe. all the elements that would give identity and life to an imaginary product.

Pinterest is where I begin. It’s an interesting space to gather mood and intention and to find inspiration to set the artistic direction for a project. But I’ve also learned that sometimes, the best ideas come when I step away from the screen and take a breath; it’s better sometimes to let things settle and allow inspiration to find me in the quiet moments.

Through doubt towards direction

While looking for inspiration came the bigger step: the visual narrative. How should the renders feel?
Should they be soft and tender almost like a whisper?
Or bolder, more insistent and captivating?
That’s when I started digging deeper into my imagination, letting scenes unfold little by little in my mind.

At the same time, doubts started to appear.
How would I create the environment I’m envisioning?
What do I need in order to illustrate what I have in mind?
Do I even have what it takes to translate the idea I see so clearly in my mind into reality using tools that are still new to me?

Questions began piling up.
Some self-doubt crept in  the fear of not being able to fully illustrate what I imagine.
Especially the environment, it’s what scares me the most.
I wonder: How will I build it? Will it feel alive, will it feel real?

I decided to go step by step and ask for help from people who really know CXP. People who know how to dig deep into it. From materials to final rendering, there are collaborators who know exactly what to do and how to guide me. So I’m choosing to take it slow, without overwhelming myself.

Softness as a Story: The Mood Behind Livia

Livia is about cotton and musk.
This combination instantly set the tone: soft, cozy, pure, but also warm, sensual, and quietly magnetic.
The visual references I gathered reflect that feeling: delicate fabrics, muted creamy tones, natural light, gentle movements. 

The words that keep coming back to me when I think about Livia are:
“Wind. Fabric. Light. Sun. Musk. Cotton. Freshness. Early morning” These words are the foundation of the story I want to create.

To calm the doubts and move forward, I started building my moodboard. And as I almost finished it, the visual concept started to gently take shape in my mind:

“The Livia perfume set rests on a simple elegant shelf. Soft sunlight filters through, casting warm highlights and gentle shadows. Cotton fabric flows softly around the scene, paired with delicate cotton flowers. The box is open, revealing the perfume bottle and two creams nestled inside. The scene is calm, pure, and bathed in a golden glow.”

It’s still a beta version, still fragile, but it’s a beginning and beginnings always feel a little overwhelming.

But again, the questions return after imagining this visual concept: Can I create realistic fabric inside Creative Experience? Am I capable of bringing it to life with a tool I’m only just beginning to learn?

I wondered… We have user communities and we have the 3DEXCITE PIONEERS Users community! why not drop my question there and see what experts and other users have to say?

So instead of staying stuck in the doubt, I decided to shift. One step at a time. I’ll ask questions, get help, and trust the process. There’s no need to have it all figured out from the start. 

Creating with CXP : the beauty of flexibility

What sets CXP apart from other software I’ve used is the freedom it offers: both in what you bring in and what you take out. Within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, everything is interconnected! and CXP embraces that openness. You can input a wide variety of file formats (models, scenes, textures, data) and work across multiple types of experiences. And when it comes to output, the possibilities are just as rich: whether you need a high-end render, a real-time animation, an AR experience, a VR walk-through, or an export in glTF format, CXP adapts. It’s not a one-way workflow but it’s a flexible creative loop designed for a modern multi-format storytelling.

First step is Importing my product into CXP. And this process requires no additional configuration or changes thanks to the integrated nature of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. All assets live within the same collaborative environment and CXP will always load the most up-to-date version available. It’s all part of the same shared environment, where every asset lives and evolves in real time.

To open the product or experience you want, you simply type its name into the search bar and click “Open”. No need for extra setup. Everything is streamlined and connected.

This chapter marks the first real shape of Livia. A feeling translated into texture and composition. There are still questions, still things I don’t fully know how to do yet. but I’m no longer trying to solve everything at once. I’ll go scene by scene with the help of those who know the tools better than I do and with all the platforms we have that are dedicated to learning.

See you in the next chapter, where this vision starts to breathe and the real work begins.