What if the bricks and mortar of tomorrow existed first as pixels? Discover how Manwen Li turned physical fabrics, tiles, and surfaces into ultra‑realistic digital twins—fueling faster iterations, richer creativity, and sampling. From pioneering Under Armour’s first virtual material library, she reveals the tech, the standards, and the surprising human challenges behind making “the physical digital.”
Links:
Manwen Li: https://www.manwenli.com
Under Amrour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Armour
Material Bank: https://www.materialbank.com/
Swatchbook: https://www.swatchbook.us/
Chapters
00:00 Welcome & Digital Material Mission
00:25 Why Pixel‑Perfect Materials Matter
01:38 Beyond Renderings: Fashion & Footwear
02:43 Material Bank’s Sampling Revolution
05:27 Anatomy of a PBR Data Package
08:04 Chasing Realism: Fidelity vs. Cost
10:11 Photogrammetry vs. Procedural Workflows
14:10 Everyday Digital Twins: Cars to Homes
17:24 Economics of Digital vs. Physical
19:04 Capturing Imperfection & Beating the Uncanny
25:30 Speed vs. Depth in Creative Feedback
28:22 Industry Fragmentation & the Library Gap
33:16 Fashion Lessons for AEC Professionals
39:41 Birth of the Digital‑Physical Co‑Twin
47:33 Characterizing Today’s Information Era