Building Production-Ready 3D Pipelines with AWS Visual Asset Management System (VAMS) and 4D Pipeline

Discover how AWS Visual Asset Management System (VAMS) orchestrates 3D assets from design tools to customer channels, with a proof of concept demonstrating automated pipeline processing and real-world implementation.

Overview

AWS Visual Asset Management System (VAMS) functions as both a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system and a 3D-aware orchestration layer. VAMS can act as the primary DAM for organizations or serve as an intelligent bridge between existing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and DAM systems, enabling pipelines that can be assembled into automated workflows. These workflows handle ingestion, processing, and preparation of 3D assets, moving them seamlessly from design tools into downstream marketing and customer channels without the burden of custom infrastructure. This article demonstrates these capabilities through a complete proof of concept where 4D Pipeline integrates Browzwear VStitcher with VAMS. The integration includes custom workflow automation that triggers pipeline processing based on status changes. The final output generates WebGL-ready files optimized for e-commerce platforms.

Introduction

Most organizations rely on PLM systems for product governance and DAM platforms for marketing asset distribution, while creative teams use DCC tools like Rhino, VStitcher, Blender, or Maya for design. Each system excels at its core function, but none were designed for at-scale 3D workflows where assets require multiple transformations before reaching e-commerce, AR/VR, or design review applications.

Today’s 3D workflows exist in a fragmented middle ground with no clear system of record. Companies build custom infrastructure to bridge these gaps, creating fragile, expensive-to-maintain solutions that don’t scale.

AWS VAMS (Visual Asset Management System) functions as both a Digital Asset Management system and 3D-aware orchestration layer, bridging PLM and DAM systems or serving as the primary DAM. It ingests files from creative tools, processes them through automated pipelines, and maintains relationships between source files and derivatives through a centralized API.

What is AWS Visual Asset Management System (VAMS)?

VAMS is a cloud-native orchestration and asset management system built for spatial computing. It provides a 3D-aware middle layer that connects PLMs, DAMs, Digital Content Creation (DCC) software, and other tools.

VAMS:

• Processes and transforms assets automatically through user-defined pipelines
• Maintains relationships between source files, derivatives, and metadata
• Supports asset versioning as designs evolve
• Exposes APIs that allow teams to query the system and trigger workflows
• Integrates with nearly any tool that can communicate via JSON-over-HTTP

Figure 1: Image shows Assets and Workflow examples from VAMS console

Why Teams Choose VAMS

VAMS’ value lies in enabling teams to process assets quickly without building infrastructure from scratch. Teams can spin up proofs of concept in days, integrate DCC and PLM tools directly, incorporate prebuilt AWS Marketplace pipelines, and benefit from enterprise-level security and governance while focusing on creative output.

Powered by AWS CDK

VAMS is built on the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK), enabling infrastructure to be defined as code. This means the entire VAMS environment (storage, compute, orchestration, and security) can be deployed quickly and consistently. Teams can customize pipelines, workflows, and schemas to match their exact use case while maintaining the flexibility to adapt as requirements evolve.

AWS Marketplace Integration

AWS Marketplace plays a critical role in extending VAMS value by providing a curated ecosystem of third-party tools and services.

RapidPipeline 3D Processor: Tailored for tech artists and developers shaping 3D pipelines, RapidPipeline 3D processor stands out as the ultimate in flexibility, scalability, and customization. The RapidPipeline automation software by DGG supports advanced CAD and 3D file conversion and optimization features, delivering top-tier quality at economical cost with minimal carbon footprint.

Pipeline components such as 3D Asset Optimization (via DGG RapidPipeline), automated metadata enrichment, AI-driven content analysis, or specialized transcoding services can be discovered, subscribed to, and deployed with minimal overhead.

How VAMS Fits Into Your Asset Processing Workflow

Think of VAMS as a bridge layer:

• Upstream: PLM continues managing lifecycle and compliance
• Middle layer: VAMS orchestrates processing, conversion, rendering, and optimization
• Downstream: Traditional DAM (Digital Asset Management) systems remain the home for final marketing assets, or VAMS itself can serve this function, while 3D-ready outputs flow into engines such as Omniverse, Blender, or Babylon.js

Key Use Cases for VAMS

• Rendering farms: Triggering AWS-hosted render instances for product beauty shots at scale
• 3D Asset Optimization: Producing lightweight GLB/GLTF assets for web and AR/VR
• Cross-format conversions: Converting files between formats (Solidworks to FBX, CAD to GLB)
• AI-assisted tagging: Enriching assets with searchable metadata
• Variant management: Tracking hierarchies such as colorways, materials, or seasonal updates
• Custom pipeline automation: Handling LOD generation, texture compression, or physics validation

Proof of Concept – Overview

Using Browzwear VStitcher integrated with VAMS, we built a complete workflow that generates outputs viewable in a WebGL-based e-commerce environment. This proof of concept demonstrates VAMS’ role as the connective layer between design tools and customer-facing experiences. The objective wasn’t simply to test features in isolation, but to show how VAMS orchestrates the transformation of product data, 3D assets, and downstream applications as part of a connected, working pipeline.

While our PoC focuses on apparel, the same approach applies across industries:

• Automotive: Assemblies and component variants for configurators
• Furniture: Material and finish variations for e-commerce visualization
• Consumer goods: Scaling product photography with automated 3D renders
• Retail: Optimizing 3D assets for AR/VR experiences
• Architecture: Preparing models for collaborative Omniverse review

Figure 2 – Image shows a Model List example with Style and Size options

The Complete Workflow Architecture

This proof of concept centered on three components: a Digital Asset Manager built on VAMS serving as the repository with custom pipelines developed by 4D Pipeline to generate GLB models and PNG renders when assets reached “Ready for Review” status (note: this automated status-based triggering was a custom enhancement by 4D Pipeline and is not part of core VAMS); a VStitcher integration plugin enabling designers to work seamlessly with VAMS without workflow disruption; and a demo e-commerce platform displaying the transformed outputs in a WebGL environment, demonstrating the complete flow from design to customer-facing deployment.

Implementation Details

The PoC brought together three key technical components:

Digital Asset Manager Built on VAMS

• Served as the central repository for 3D assets with enterprise-grade security and access controls
• Supported custom schemas for apparel-specific metadata (size ranges, material properties, seasonal collections)
• Implemented tagging and metadata management with search capabilities
• Included custom pipelines to generate GLB models and multi-viewpoint PNG renders when assets were marked “Ready for Review”
• Provided API endpoints for asset retrieval, status updates, and workflow triggering

VStitcher Integration Plugin

• Designed as a local React application that synchronizes with VStitcher’s workflow
• Enabled designers to load, save, and update 3D product assets directly from within VStitcher
• Handled authentication and authorization to ensure secure communication with VAMS
• Connected the design workflow seamlessly with the DAM without disrupting existing processes
• Provided real-time status updates and progress tracking for pipeline operations

Demo E-Commerce Platform

• Displayed 3D models and rendered outputs from the automated pipeline
• Implemented WebGL-based product visualization with interactive controls
• Demonstrated how product assets could be published into customer-facing experiences
• Included responsive design for mobile AR compatibility

The Workflow in Practice

The practical workflow was elegantly simple yet powerful. A designer saved an asset in VStitcher and marked it “Ready for Review.” That single action triggered VAMS pipelines, which automatically generated the necessary derivatives (GLB and PNG outputs) and recorded their relationships to the source asset. These outputs were then surfaced downstream, where the demo e-commerce platform could retrieve them and present them in a WebGL-based environment.

VStitcher Plugin Integration

As part of our proof of concept, we developed a lightweight plugin for VStitcher that connects directly to AWS VAMS through its API.

From the designer’s perspective, the workflow remains intuitive:

• Asset browsing: View available 3D models with thumbnail previews and metadata
• Status management: Update asset status (Draft, Ready for Review, Approved) directly from VStitcher
• Automatic processing: Status changes trigger VAMS pipelines without manual intervention
• Progress tracking: Real-time updates on processing status and completion

Automated Pipeline Processing

In this proof of concept, 4D Pipeline configured VAMS with custom workflow automation so that when an asset status changes to “Ready for Review,” the system automatically triggers a sophisticated processing pipeline. This demonstrates VAMS’s flexibility to support custom triggering logic:

Render Generation Pipeline:

• Captures multiple viewpoints (front, back, side, detail shots) at consistent lighting and camera angles
• Applies appropriate materials and textures for photorealistic output
• Generates high-resolution PNGs suitable for marketing review and approval workflows
• Includes automatic quality validation and error handling

Web Optimization Pipeline:

• Converts VStitcher’s native .bw files to GLB format optimized for web delivery
• Applies mesh decimation and texture compression based on target platform requirements
• Generates multiple LOD (Level of Detail) variants for different device capabilities
• Validates file integrity and web compatibility standards

Metadata Enrichment:

• Extracts technical specifications (polygon count, texture resolution, material properties)
• Applies AI-driven tagging for searchability and categorization
• Links assets to PLM data for traceability and compliance
• Generates automated documentation for asset handoffs

E-Commerce Integration

The final step demonstrates how processed assets flow seamlessly into customer-facing environments. Our simple e-commerce application showcases the outputs generated by AWS pipelines, displaying both static renders and interactive GLB models from the same source .bw file that designers worked on in VStitcher.

The e-commerce platform includes:

• Product galleries: High-quality rendered images for traditional product browsing
• 3D viewers: Interactive WebGL models with zoom, rotate, and material switching
• AR compatibility: Optimized GLB files ready for mobile AR experiences
• Performance optimization: Lazy loading and progressive enhancement for fast page loads

Figure 3 – Image shows e-commerce demo with model show in different angles

While designers only needed to trigger the process in VStitcher, all heavy lifting (transformations, rendering, optimization) was handled transparently by AWS infrastructure, demonstrating the true power of cloud-native 3D asset management.

Technical Achievements and Validation

What This Proof of Concept Demonstrated:

• Eliminated manual handoffs: Product data, assets, and outputs moved seamlessly between systems without human intervention
• Reduced error rates: Automated processing eliminated transcription errors and inconsistent formatting
• Accelerated time-to-market: Assets could flow from design completion to customer-facing deployment in minutes rather than days
• Maintained data relationships: Full traceability from source files through all derivative outputs
• Demonstrated scalability: Architecture capable of handling enterprise-volume asset processing

Broader Industry Applications

Although our demonstration focused on VStitcher and apparel, the approach isn’t limited to fashion workflows. Any application with a sufficiently advanced SDK could leverage the same integration pattern. The components we built (the DAM, the plugin architecture, and the e-commerce demo) are designed for reusability and could be adapted for other industries or scaled into production environments.

• Automotive Example: The same VAMS orchestration could process CAD assemblies from Solidworks, generate configurator-ready variants, and feed real-time customization platforms.
• Furniture Industry: Product designs from Rhino or Fusion 360 could automatically generate e-commerce visualizations, AR models, and manufacturing documentation.
• Architecture/Construction: Building models from Revit could flow through VAMS to generate Omniverse-compatible files, VR walkthroughs, and client presentation materials.

Implementation Considerations and Best Practices

Resilience and Observability

Enterprise-grade 3D asset orchestration requires robust error handling and monitoring. Our PoC implemented critical reliability patterns including retry logic for transient failures, graceful degradation under resource constraints, rollback capabilities for failed stages, and Amazon CloudWatch integration for real-time pipeline performance metrics and automated alerting.

Access Control and Cost Management

Exposing powerful orchestration capabilities requires careful governance. Our PoC implemented role-based access control (designer, marketing, administrator roles with appropriate permissions), cost protection mechanisms (processing quotas, budget alerts, automatic workflow termination), and comprehensive audit logging for compliance and traceability.

AWS Marketplace Integration

VAMS integrates seamlessly with AWS Marketplace services. Our PoC leveraged RapidPipeline for 3D optimization through marketplace APIs, enabling automatic format conversion and quality optimization without infrastructure management. AWS CloudFormation templates and standardized deployment patterns allow organizations to rapidly assemble enterprise-grade 3D processing capabilities without extensive custom development.

Getting Started with Your Own Implementation

For organizations considering similar implementations, our PoC provides a proven foundation:

Phase 1: Assessment and Planning

• Evaluate current 3D asset workflows and identify pain points
• Map existing PLM/DAM systems and integration requirements
• Define success metrics and ROI expectations
• Establish pilot use case and stakeholder alignment

Phase 2: Proof of Concept Development

• Deploy VAMS using AWS CDK for consistent, repeatable infrastructure
• Implement basic asset ingestion and processing workflows
• Develop simple integrations with existing design tools
• Validate technical approach with real asset processing

Phase 3: Production Deployment

• Scale infrastructure for production volume and performance requirements
• Implement comprehensive security, monitoring, and governance controls
• Train users and establish operational procedures
• Plan for ongoing maintenance and feature enhancement

Conclusion

This proof of concept validated AWS VAMS as a scalable orchestration layer that connects design tools, PLM, and DAM systems, demonstrating how automated pipelines can streamline 3D product creation while maintaining full asset traceability across formats and derivatives. Organizations don’t need to choose between preserving existing investments and embracing modern 3D workflows; VAMS provides the intelligent bridge that delivers immediate value while establishing the foundation for future spatial computing initiatives.

How 4D Pipeline Can Help

4D Pipeline brings more than a decade of experience developing tools for 3D graphics systems. We can work with you to review your current requirements, map them against what VAMS can provide, and identify where AWS Marketplace might already offer ready-to-use components. Where gaps exist, we can design and build the missing pieces as AWS-native solutions. We act as a one-stop shop: helping you assess your needs, survey what’s available, and bridge any gaps so you can move quickly from concept to execution.

About 4D Pipeline

4D Pipeline is a strategic digital innovation partner specializing in 3D asset workflow automation and spatial computing solutions. The company offers consulting, training, and implementation services focused on orchestrating complex 3D pipelines—from automating asset transformations and format conversions to connecting PLM/DAM systems and integrating DCC tools within enterprise Digital Product Creation ecosystems.

With proven expertise in AWS VAMS deployments, custom pipeline development, and cross-platform 3D integrations, 4D Pipeline helps organizations across automotive, furniture, consumer goods, apparel, and architecture maximize their spatial computing investments through scalable, cloud-native solutions. For more information, visit www.4dpipeline.com.