Success Story : Beyond the Blueprint, Creating High Impact 3D Visuals for Vikas Group
- Vishwa Kumar
- May 28
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 3
Client Introduction:
Vikas Group is a leading force in India’s automotive thermal management industry, known for delivering innovative and efficient climate control solutions across a broad range of vehicle platforms. With decades of experience and strong global partnerships, the group plays a critical role in shaping the future of mobility through cutting-edge thermal technologies.
Its expertise is segmented across specialized divisions:
Sanden Vikas India Ltd, a joint venture with Japan’s Sanden Corporation, stands as India’s only and largest manufacturer producing all three major types of automotive compressors fixed displacement, variable displacement, and scroll. Serving top-tier clients like Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Tata Motors, Mahindra, and more, the company is at the forefront of automotive air-conditioning solutions.
Vikas Doowon focuses on Bus AC Systems, delivering robust climate control technologies tailored for commercial passenger vehicles. Their systems are engineered for durability, efficiency, and comfort in large-capacity transport settings.
Pranav Vikas leads innovation in the field of Battery Cooling and Traction Cooling Systems, playing a vital role in the performance and safety of electric vehicles. Their thermal solutions support the evolving demands of EV platforms by optimizing battery life and system efficiency.
Details of the Project:
Short and Crisp Self explanatory videos to engage with the audience in the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025
At the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, India’s flagship mobility event featuring 1,000+ companies and global delegations the Vikas Group showcased their cutting-edge thermal solutions across multiple divisions:
Sanden Vikas presented their latest automotive compressor technologies,
Vikas Doowan highlighted their Bus AC Systems.
Pranav Vikas demonstrated innovations in Battery Cooling and Traction Cooling Systems.
Given the massive and diverse footfall, the challenge was clear: how to effectively engage every visitor and explain complex systems in an accessible way without relying on one-on-one interactions.
Live demonstrations were impractical due to the size and complexity of the products. Static displays or printed materials wouldn’t do justice to the internal functionality and innovations in each part.
To address this, they approached to create a series of concise, visually immersive 3D explanatory videos. The goal was to deliver self-explanatory experiences that would attract, inform, and retain audience attention all through compelling motion visuals displayed at their expo booth.
Goal:
To bridge the gap between the team and the audience, we developed an engaging, self explanatory 3D video that visually showcased the features and benefits of Sanden Vikas compressors, Bus AC System and their traction cooling system. Displayed on a screen at their stall, the video enabled visitors to understand the product independently without requiring constant human intervention allowing the client’s team to connect with a larger audience more efficiently.
PROCESS BREAKDOWN
Setting the Narrative: Storyboarding
● Compressor Explainer
We began by crafting a structured storyboard that outlined the animation for five distinct compressor types. This storyboard underwent several rounds of revision, helping us finalize a clean narrative structure that met the client’s technical expectations and was accessible to expo visitors.
● Bus Systems Explainer
For the Bus AC, Battery Cooling, and Traction Cooling systems, we built a detailed visual storyboard that mapped each product’s internal working. After multiple revisions with the client, we locked in a viewer-friendly structure that highlighted functionality with intuitive transitions and minimal technical overwhelm.
Building the Core: Precision 3D Modeling
● Crafting Metal Without a Blueprint
The team modeled five complex compressors Variable Displacement, Fixed Displacement, PX Swash, Electric, and Scroll Displacement. Due to the confidential nature of their designs, we made an on site visit to the Sanden Vikas facility to take reference from real-world units. With only limited images and in-person observations, the models were recreated with high precision.
● Engineering Flow: Modeling Dynamic Systems
We modeled various thermal management components such as the TXV, Condenser, Chiller, Battery Cooling Plate, ECU, and Traction System elements. Again, no blueprints were provided, so the team relied on physical examination at the client’s facility. Our team visited Vikas Doowan’s Manufacturing unit for the Bus AC System and Pranav Vikas’s Manufacturing unit to get more knowledge about Battery Cooling system and Traction Cooling system. Accuracy in form and scale was maintained throughout with iterative feedback and revision cycles.
Form Meets Function: Real-World Material Detailing
● Realism in Steel: Material Accuracy Achieved
We replicated the metal finishes, glossiness, wear surfaces, and mechanical joints to reflect real compressor materials. These enhancements made the virtual models as realistic and tactile as their physical counterparts
● Surface Logic: Visualizing Real-Time Flow and Heat
Material realism was critical in showcasing cooling pipes, metallic textures, and electronic housings. Each material property from reflective surfaces to matte finishes was carefully matched to make the models visually trustworthy.
Captivating Through Motion: Animation Direction
● Dynamic Mechanisms in Motion
To break away from traditional flat explainers, we used constant motion and introduced a new camera angle every few seconds. This kept viewers visually engaged while allowing seamless transitions between different compressor types.
● Flow, Pressure, and Precision in Action
Given the need to present three systems in under two minutes, we employed dynamic camera motion and tension-building cuts. With tight pacing, the animation presented technical clarity without losing audience engagement
Final Touches: Compositing & Voice Integration
● Layered for Impact: Compressor Showcase Finish
We layered the renders with visual callouts and text overlays in Adobe After Effects. A professional voiceover guided the viewers through the product journey, making the content easy to digest at a glance during the expo
● Sound, Graphics & Flow: Bringing Thermal Logic to Life
In the final phase, we added explanatory elements, overlays, and graphical highlights. A voiceover was synchronized to walk viewers through each system’s function, making it suitable for use as a standalone video on the expo screen.
● Major Challenges:
Lack of Design References: No CAD drawings were provided for the compressors due to confidential structures, so we visited the Sanden Vikas plant to gather accurate measurements and materials.
On site factory visit for first-hand insights into compressor models. High-Precision Modeling: Precision hard-surface modeling was vital, demanding exact edges and dimensions for each compressor type.
The project began with 4 compressors, but after reviewing the initial draft, the client requested a 5th model. Adding it midway created challenges in reworking animations and fitting it seamlessly into the existing timeline.
Client driven update: Expanding from 4 to 5 compressors in the final video. 4. One of the most significant challenges was crafting an engaging animation that showcased five different compressors in under two minutes, while also clearly highlighting their key features.
Balancing technical detail with audience engagement required a strategic approach to timing, pacing, and camera direction. Through countless tweaks to keyframe sequences and motion curves, we fine-tuned every transition and camera movement to maintain interest without overwhelming the viewer resulting in a tight, visually compelling final cut.
The tangled reality of fine-tuning animation curves in Unreal Engine. 5. Making the Invisible, Visible:
The biggest challenge was visualizing and clearly differentiating how various airflows hot, cold, high pressure, and low pressure move through and interact with system components like the TXV, condenser, and chiller. This pushed the team to go beyond design thinking, requiring deep understanding of the engineering behind thermal systems.
As artists, it truly felt like we were stepping into the role of scientists decoding complex mechanisms and translating them into visually intuitive experiences.
Foundations of understanding: Handwritten notes on system airflow. Client Collaboration & Support:
Throughout the project, officials from the Vikas Group played an active role in helping us meet quality standards despite the lack of CAD drawings. Their timely input, on call clarifications, and swift design approvals were instrumental in keeping the project on track. This close coordination ensured we stayed aligned with their technical expectations while maintaining momentum toward our tight deadline.
Conclusion
Showcasing our 3D explainer video in real-time at the Bharat Mobility Expo. At the exhibition, the Vikas Group booth stood out. Visitors were drawn in by the large, vibrant 3D animations that clearly explained the value of each product—something even industry experts often overlook in static displays.
The booth received 25% more footfall compared to the previous year.
Many visitors spent over 2 minutes watching each video, increasing dwell time and engagement.
Vikas’s sales and business development team reported that the videos made pitching easier and faster, as many technical questions were already answered visually.
Now you can see how explainer videos do more than just look good, they educate, engage, and drive real business impact. With Bricks and Pixels, Vikas Group turned technical clarity into customer curiosity and curiosity into conversions. Imagine what the right story could do for your brand.
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