Intellitek Revolutionizes Video Cataloging

Furniture World Magazine

Intellitek Inc., the home furnishings industry's leader in video cataloging technology, has invested in a state-of-the-art digital camera that will revolutionize video catalog use in retail stores. Altogether Intellitek has invested over $100,000 in its new video cataloging studio. The studio has a new custom designed lighting system and a state-of-the-art digital camera that produces the best digital photography on the market today, according to Jerry Schneider, chief executive officer and architect of Intellitek's Furniture Link video cataloging system. "With the new studio and camera, Intellitek will be able to give its retail customers resolution and color that is six times better than the best video catalog renderings out there today," says Schneider. "The clarity of the renderings from the old system to the new is like night and day." Video cataloging technology involves a three-step process, Schneider explains. First, a manufacturer's fabrics must be photographed, or "captured," digitally. Intellitek's new high-resolution camera images have over 16,000 different shades of gray that make up each image. The resolution of the images is so great, one can see individual threads of the fabric. "This allows for stunning clarity in each shot," says Schneider. Next, an artist creates a "shading map." These maps allow the computer to reproduce the varying degrees of light and shadow that make the final rendering appear two-dimensional. Then, an artist "vectorizes" each of the manufacturer's product photos. During this process, the artist creates a two dimensional rendering guide for each seat and back cushion, each arm, each pillow, and so on. This rendering guide allows the fabric to be shown on the upholstered frame. Schneider says it takes an artist one eight-hour workday to "vectorize" two frames. "The skilled combination of the vectorized photos and the new high-resolution camera images surpasses all other video catalog images in the industry and again distinguishes Intellitek as the leader in imaging technology," says Schneider. The third step in the Furniture Link process is to integrate the fabrics and frames with the manufacturer's pricing book. Through Intellitek's patented process, a salesperson cannot mismatch a fabric with a frame. "When we launched Intellitek in 1989, there was not a camera around with the capability of capturing fabrics with the clarity we wanted" says Schneider. Intellitek expects to upgrade the renderings from each of its manufacturers in the near future. Intellitek now serves several dozen manufacturers, including La-Z-Boy, Bassett, BenchCraft, Clayton Marcus, Berkline and Klaussner. Nearly 1,000 retailers are on the Furniture Link network. Using direct broadcast satellite services, Furniture Link communicates product information to its retail customers in real time. Furniture Link is the furniture industry's leading turnkey, on-line, interactive video catalog, order reservation and pricing system.